Neil Richardson, Chair of Momentum Waikato

From the Momentum Waikato Annual Report 2024 - see full report in PDF.

The past year, 2024, has been a satisfying period of consolidation and achievement for Momentum Waikato.

We have successfully transitioned from Covid, strengthened our organisational capability, completed major fundraising for the soon-to-be-opened Waikato Regional Theatre, and commenced action on our next ‘regional project of significance’.

Like most for-purpose organisations during Covid, Momentum had to draw on its limited capital reserves to survive and maintain its services. We have emerged leaner and fitter, with a clear strategic and operational focus, and are re-growing capital reserves to ensure our continued financial viability. We are moving forward with confidence and enthusiasm for what Momentum can achieve working with, and in support of, our Waikato community.

We continue to strengthen the board and executive capability to effectively realise our role in an increasingly complex and challenging world. In an environment of growing social needs, less available funding, challenging economic conditions, and much higher delivery costs, we are ensuring that generosity is still delivering positive change.

The Momentum team are working hard to enhance our ability to provide the support that the Waikato communities seek, through enabling local philanthropy and building the connections between our wonderful donors and the changemakers across the region.

Our philanthropic investment funds under management continue to grow. Momentum Waikato now has 29 such funds, collectively currently valued at over $25 million under management. This reflects the growing trust of Waikato people and organisations in Momentum’s ‘smart giving’ model.

The diversity of these funds enables Momentum to support a wide range of donor aspirations, across conservation, education, health, diversity, sport and the arts, as well as for the Momentum-initiated capital and endowment projects.

We are now moving to supplement our ‘purpose-based’ funds with ‘place-based’ funds focussed on providing specific communities with the means to tackle their own local concerns and aspirations, the first being the Cambridge Community Fund launched in late 2024.

Our capital fundraising project for the Waikato Regional Theatre is now complete and the Theatre is set to open in late 2025. On behalf of the Momentum Waikato board and team, I give a very heart-felt thanks to all of the project’s individual and enterprise donors - your generosity has given the Waikato a new world-class entertainment and cultural venue. And congratulations to the Waikato Regional Property Trust for their huge effort bringing the Theatre to life.

The Theatre will be the hub of an arts and hospitality precinct that will revitalise our region’s premier CBD, provide a career springboard for emerging Waikato talent, establish the much-needed night-time element of the region’s tourism offering, and will enhance the Waikato lifestyle as a magnet for global talent.

Momentum continues to progress our next significant community infrastructure project, which will also deliver inter-generational benefits for the whole Waikato region. Our ‘Braintree’ project is a partnership with relevant sector organisations to develop and deliver an integrated service centre for people with neurological conditions and their families, based on New Zealand’s first such facility in Christchurch. To achieve our vision, this facility will provide a world-class digital capability to reach people with neurological needs across the wider Waikato. We are well progressed in our discussions with Hamilton City Council on finding an appropriate site and looking forward to telling you more in future.

To our Momentum Waikato team, my ongoing appreciation for your dedication, perseverance, great spirit and performance. Your belief in what we do and how we do it is instrumental to our success.

To our voluntary board, my deepest thanks for your commitment, support and governance expertise.

All of whom are supported by a team behind our team. To those volunteer advocates for Momentum, the fund distribution committees, and the scores of people who help make Momentum Waikato a movement for good – a big thank you.

And finally, my deepest appreciation and respect to our donors. We are indebted to the scores of people who have contributed to our appeals, supported our projects, and established funds with Momentum.

Your quiet but effective kindness in challenging times embodies the Momentum Waikato spirit of ‘Generosity that Delivers’, and is the key to addressing our communities’ needs, taking ownership of our destiny and addressing our local challenges with local solutions. We look forward to continuing to work with you for many years to come.

Together we can all make a great positive difference for the Waikato, something that is desperately needed during a period of unprecedented disruption, change and need.

Thank you to all!

New Faces

David Christiansen – Executive Officer

Born and educated in Hamilton, David has lived his whole life here or nearby in the Waikato.

He has a Masters of Social Science from The University of Waikato.

After working initially at The University of Waikato, he moved to Wintec in 2000, where he held various roles, culminating in Chief Executive from 2018 to 2022, then played transition roles at its successor Te Pūkenga.

David is keen on the outdoors, as a tramper, cyclist, kayaker and sailor, and he has two sons.

May Low – Trustee and Treasurer

May’s drive and purpose centres on creating an enduring legacy that benefits all.

May holds a number of roles at the governance and executive level. Her main current role is the COO of Kiwi Innovation Network, an organisation accelerating publicly funded research into investor readiness.

She has a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting and Commercial Law and a Bachelor of Science majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics.

Originally born in Fiji, raised in Hamilton and studied in Wellington and Auckland, May now lives in Hamilton with her partner and three children and is surrounded by an amazing supportive village.

Farewells

Alan Livingston – Trustee

A big thank you to Alan Livingston, who stepped down from the Momentum Waikato Board in 2024 after four years as a Trustee.

The well-respected former Mayor of Waipa bought his mana and wisdom to the Boardroom table, ensuring the perspective of small town and rural Waikato was heard and understood.

In particular Alan’s extensive networks and understanding of local body processes was invaluable when it came to scoping out potential projects.

Simon Wickham – Chief Executive

We thank Simon for his short but significant stint as Chief Executive of Momentum Waikato over the first half of 2024. He left to take on the role of CEO of Rowing New Zealand, an opportunity that he described as his dream job, making full use of his previous experience in high-performance sport.

In his six months at Momentum Simon vigorously reviewed our systems and commitments, re-prioritising and rationalising activities to focus on our core business of building endowment funds. The new strategy he developed successfully pointed the organisation towards an even brighter future.