In its ninth annual funding round, the Sunrise Foundation has given a funding boost to 35 worthy causes in Tairāwhiti-Gisborne, awarding $200,753 of grants across the arts, education, environment, health, social and sports sectors.
Sunrise invites grant applications once a year from local community organisations with a charitable purpose, which are then assessed by their grants committee of Richard Briant (chair), Leslynne Jackson, Stephen Thomson and Natasha Ashworth.
As a community endowment foundation, Sunrise raises money through donations and legacies. All money raised is invested and the capital protected and grown each year to keep in line with inflation. Due to the generosity of donors, funds invested have grown to $7.7 million since the foundation’s inception in 2014.
Sunrise executive officer Glenda Stokes said the quality of applications this year was high and the need in the community for support was very evident.
“As Sunrise distributes only the surplus income from the endowment funds invested, there is a limit to how much we can grant each year. As our endowment continues to grow it means every year we will have more funding available and be in a better position to support more groups in our community,” she said.
