Ten years ago, community-mindedness set the foundation's wheels in motion when a group of Hawke's Bay cornerstone donor families agreed to start a fund to give back to the region they love and inspire others to do the same.
In 2012, each family gave $100,000, kick-starting the HB Foundation Endowment Fund.
Foundation cornerstone donor Craig Hickson shares the joy of digging deep and giving back to the community with his granddaughter Greer and daughter Anna Ducker. Photo / Supplied
Since then, through its unique investment model, the foundation has supported local charities with long-term sustainable funding streams, donating $2.54 million to 352 local organisations.
Cornerstone donor family member James Williams was only too happy to roll up his sleeves and mark the 10-year milestone with a tree planting.
Williams said the energy of the early beginners now means Hawke's Bay has its own robust vehicle to sustain the work of local charities.
"You can't stop trees growing as long as it rains, and it's probably nicely symbolic, because I don't think you can now stop the foundation from growing," he said.
Te Mata Peak is a significant part of the landscape of Hawke's Bay, and Williams thinks the foundation will become an equally important part of many people's lives.
Fellow cornerstone donor Craig Hickson acknowledges he wanted to give back to the region that's been very good to him.
"It doesn't seem like 10 years - that time has gone very quickly, and I'm pleased to be part of initiatives aimed at improving amenities for future generations."
Hickson took his granddaughter to the planting, and said it was a wonderful thing to add to the forefathers' efforts with her hand on the spade.
Outgoing trustee and chairman of the Hawke's Bay Foundation's Investment Committee, Sam Howard, said the model is built for longevity.
Howard explained that every year, as more Hawke's Bay people give to the foundation and as the endowment capital generates investment returns, the fund continues to grow, both in terms of size, and more importantly, impact.
"The foundation is a Hawke's Bay community asset we can all feel proud of and [feel] a sense of ownership in," he said.
This year's support for local charities through the HB Foundation funding has seen almost a quarter of a million dollars go to 49 local charities spanning the region's service sector.
Distributions chairwoman Sarah Mulcahy said with demand for financial support reaching record levels, offering grants that increase yearly as the fund grows is a key point of difference.
Mulcahy became involved two years after the foundation's inception and remembers just dreaming of what was possible. Now, it's coming to fruition.
"It is incredibly humbling to have the support of the Hawke's Bay community in what we are doing.
"And it's going to be great; this is a perpetuity organisation that will be here for the next 2-300 years, and it's fantastic to be part of it," she said.
The Hawke's Bay Foundation receives gifts and bequests, large and small, from individuals, families and businesses.
These are invested for the long-term, with the income earned used to support local charities with sustainable funding streams.
