Mark Maxwell is passionate about improving communities and he's proposing to establish a community foundation in Tararua to provide philanthropic funding for projects.
"This is the concept I have for organisations in our district because it's going to become harder and harder to attract community funding," he said. "If we could bring in $20 million in 20 years into Tararua, it could create jobs and would be good for our community."
Maxwell, the Tararua District Council's communications and economic development manager, said at a Gallery of History meeting recently charitable trusts were something that excited him.
"In my previous role with the Public Trust we pulled $300 million of charitable trusts together and grew them to $400m and had great outcomes," he said.
"After Thomas Macarthy, a brewer in Wellington, died, a charitable trust he set up began with £400,000."