Stephen Town is a volunteer ‘Fund Champion’ for the Coromandel Peninsula Fund, he writes…

Five place-based ‘Future Funds’ have been established at Momentum Waikato for the communities of the Coromandel, in recognition of the fact that donors will often want to target their giving to a particular location or community. 

A sixth Future Fund has also been established for the whole of the Coromandel Peninsula, to receive bequests and endowments where the donor wants to benefit the entire district.

After Cyclone Gabrielle and the other storms around that time (there were six in seven months) it became clear that for the Coromandel to thrive again, everyone involved in its roading needed to totally co-operate to make the network more resilient.

This durability effort is still visible today, as persistent slip sites are revisited by the NZ Transport Agency and the Thames-Coromandel District Council contractors.

Accessibility and reliability are essential if the Coromandel is going to increase visitor numbers, both local and international. Whether you're visiting Port Jackson campground or the Instagram-able Cathedral Cove, or attending the Beach Hop or the Gypsy Fair, you need sturdy road access. 

A better road network is a unifying need across the Coromandel and just one example of how the Coromandel Peninsula Fund can enable donors to support the maintenance of the connection - to maintain their own access AND to leave a legacy – that also benefits the whole district.

It’s not just about roading though. The Peninsula needs more public toilets, more public transport services including ferries and mini-buses, and more locally based medical services. These needs can be met over time by working in partnership.

Given the Coromandel is so close to Auckland, it's inevitable that visitor numbers will grow and put pressure on our facilities and infrastructure. This is where philanthropy and the private sector can intersect with government, iwi and council, with each playing a role in building more resilient and successful communities. 

Coromandel Peninsula Future Fund explained.

The Coromandel Peninsula Future Fund provides residents and visitors with the opportunity to donate and bequest to a philanthropic investment fund that is, and always will be, focused on the prosperity, wellbeing, sustainability and vibrancy of the Coromandel Peninsula and its communities.

It is a ‘place based’ endowment fund led and driven by committed locals and professionally managed by the Momentum Waikato Community Foundation. The Fund’s committee is made up of three Coromandel-based ‘fund champions’ and two representatives from Momentum.

This community-based funding instrument will grow through both the donations and gifts-in-Wills (bequests) it receives, AND its investment income, which is secured and amplified by the scale of Momentum Waikato’s regional endowment fund.

When the Fund reaches a base balance of $50,000, the committee will start annual distributions of a majority portion of its investment income via grants to projects and programs benefiting the Coromandel Peninsula and its communities, with the rest of the income being re-invested to continue its growth.

One-off and ongoing donations and bequests to the Fund are invited from anyone and everyone who wishes to provide positive long-term support across the Coromandel Peninsula.

Coromandel Peninsula Future Fund stories

Coromandel communities can shape and secure their future - September 2025.