Founding trustees, donors and staff of the Geyser Community Foundation.
A vision that began with a conversation nearly two decades ago has now grown into a $10 million success story.
Geyser Community Foundation, which serves the Rotorua and Taupō districts and surrounding areas, has reached a remarkable milestone of $10 million in invested funds that will continue to grow and give back to the community year after year.
Established in 2007 by local people who believed in building a stronger future for their community, Geyser manages legacy funds, scholarships, alumni funds, charity funds and community funds for the Central Plateau.
To mark this milestone, founding donors and trustees gathered to share memories of Geyser’s early days and reflect on its journey from small beginnings to a thriving, community-owned foundation.
Patron and inaugural chairman Joe La Grouw remembers the earliest days vividly.
“The early days were electrifying.
“We had to do everything ourselves to get the foundation established, from building trust to finding those first generous supporters.
“It was all driven by a belief in what this could become for our community.”
He recalled the remarkable commitment of fellow founding trustee Jan Bolton, who famously sold a grader to raise funds in those formative years.
Founding trustees included La Grouw (chairman), Margriet Theron (deputy chair), Jeanne Bright, Helen Nathan, Murray Patchell, Richard Pryce, and Paul Sandford.
Their vision and generosity created the foundation from which Geyser continues to grow today.
La Grouw said seeing Geyser reach the $10 million mark was deeply rewarding.
“It has grown beyond what we imagined in those first meetings, but the heart of it remains the same.
“People who care deeply about this place and want to make a lasting difference.”
Community foundations like Geyser follow a globally successful model that has been steadily growing in New Zealand since 2003. They are independent, not-for-profit organisations governed by volunteer boards made up of local people.
Geyser today manages the administration, investment, compliance and governance of 62 individual funds. All donations are invested permanently so the capital is never spent, and only the income is distributed each year.
This approach has already returned more than $3 million to communities across Rotorua, Taupō, Tūrangi, Reporoa, South Waikato and the wider Central Plateau.
Chairman Alan Wills said the $10 million milestone was a testament to the generosity and vision of the local community.
“This achievement shows the power of people who believe in investing in their region and creating something that will continue to give back long after we are gone.”
He acknowledged the foresight of the founding trustees and donors.
“They created something lasting, and today we are seeing that vision realised.”
Wills says the milestone comes at a time when the role of community foundations has never been more important.
“With increasing competition for non-profit funding, independent and locally focused community foundations play a vital role.
“Geyser provides a sustainable, community-led way to support local causes without relying on gambling or external interests.”
Rosie Riggir, the foundation’s general manager, said this achievement was more than a figure.
“It reflects our shared belief in giving for the greater good. Every dollar ever donated to Geyser continues to grow and give back. All our funds are for the people, from the people.
“From small gifts to legacy funds, this milestone belongs to everyone who believed in a better future for our region.
“This is community giving at its best, our people helping our people, forever.”
-Content supplied, Geyser Foundation