Canadian philanthropist Liz Palmieri to visit Hawke's Bay

Canadian philanthropist Liz Palmieri. Photo/Supplied

A Canadian philanthropist will next month travel to Hawke's Bay to share her experiences of how to help local communities.

Hawke's Bay Foundation will host Liz Palmieri who has had many years as a leader in philanthropy, most recently as executive director of the Niagara Community Foundation from 2000 to 2016.

Under her leadership the Niagara Foundation grew from holding $200,000 in endowment funds, which came from gifts from living donors and gifts pledged in wills to almost $50 million and granted more than $8m to local charities.

Hawke's Bay Foundation chairwoman Jules Nowell-Usticke said Hawke's Bay Foundation was very fortunate to have Palmieri share her wealth of knowledge and experience with everyone at the foundation during a three-day stay from May 7.

"Liz was invited to attend the Community Foundations of New Zealand (CFNZ) Annual Conference in Wellington last September where she led a number of valuable workshops. She was subsequently invited back to work individually with the growing number of community foundations in New Zealand, including ours.

"There are so many worthy needs within our community and just not enough financial resources to adequately support them.

"Community foundations are the perfect vehicle for the community to make a difference within their own community so we are looking forward to Liz's inspiration to help build our fund through the support of generous and caring local residents who really want to see Hawke's Bay be great for everyone."

Palmieri said things were at an exciting stage in New Zealand and she hoped to help the country's 16 community foundations build up as those in Canada have.

"Community foundations are the fastest growing charitable organisations in the world today. We first started connecting donors to community needs and opportunities in Canada in 1921.

"Together, they have helped millions of Canadians invest in building stronger, resilient and more equitable local communities."

Community foundations manage funds donated by generous local people, who give now or leave a gift in their will to support worthy causes and charities within their communities well beyond the donors' lifetimes.

"As the invested funds grow, so does the work the Foundation can support."

Hawke's Bay Foundation is currently managing funds worth $2.1m, has an estimated $8m pledged in people's wills, and given more than $700,000 back to the Hawke's Bay district communities since its launch in 2012.