Our local communities Funds

Donations to the Community and Enterprise Leadership Foundation Fund support CELF’s leadership development programmes for business and community groups in the Waikato.

The Community and Enterprise Leadership Foundation and the Momentum Waikato Community Foundation are both young organisations focused on ensuring a proud and prosperous Waikato forever.

CELF was established in 2014 to “grow future leaders from all walks of life to build a stronger Waikato”. Its founders – Bernie Crosby, David Irving and Peter Sun – had asked themselves what would take the Waikato to the next level, from good to great, and then identified greater leadership capacity across all sectors and in all forms as the key need.

The CELF Fund at Momentum provides an ongoing income stream to support their programme delivery.

Executive Director Tania Witheford says being able to re-imagine the place you’re in is central to effective leadership. How does this place make us better people? Why and how do we ensure it is still thriving for future generations?

The unique aspect of CELF’s Elevate programmes is the bringing together of business and community. The fees from the for-profit sector students subsidise those from the for-purpose sector, and they then participate together.

A highlight of the course is the waka voyage at the end, with the awa as a constant metaphor, one specific to this place called Waikato.

The double-hulled waka echoes the alliance between business and community, of commerce and cause lashed together, the two parts making it more stable. The water is a means of transport that feeds and fosters lives, something the students are always aware of as they journey.

Tania said this is all about “engendering the universal leadership traits – self-awareness, empowering others, acknowledging the responsibility to serve a purpose greater than oneself”.

The sustainable income generated by the CELF Fund goes towards resourcing access to these highly effective programmes, so that more people and their communities can benefit from this empowering experience.

We’ll send you a donation receipt so you can claim your tax credit.

If you encounter any challenges when donating, please contact us.