Giving back at Christmas time
Published on 3 December, 2024
David Christiansen, Executive Officer, Momentum Waikato.
It is time to start wishing you all a Merry Christmas – as ever it seems to have come around far too quickly!
Christmas can mean different things to different people, though obviously the most popular view is that it is a time for giving.
In the December issue of our Update you can read about the annual Craigs Workplace Giving at Christmas program, which is just one example of Craigs Investment Partners’ ongoing community engagement and support. And we know this is just one business amongst so many in the region that support our communities so generously.
Early in the New Year we have a new member of staff joining us. Debbie Stevens, who will be known to many of you, will be our new Relationship Manager focused on building our ‘Professional Advisor Network’.
What is that, I hear you ask? This network will be all about building awareness of Momentum Waikato and our ‘smart giving’ model amongst the legal, accounting and financial fraternities in the region.
Which in turn is ultimately about our goal of generating a much wider culture of generosity in the Waikato, through making sure people are aware of the possibilities when it comes to giving to a philanthropic fund and leaving a legacy through making a charitable bequest in a Will.
By international standards, New Zealanders have a relatively low rate of making charitable bequests. We’d like to turn that around, irrespective of the cause that the Will writer is supporting, because in the long run a stronger culture of generosity will support us all. It’s all about realising our vision for ‘A Better Waikato for Everyone, Forever’.
This issue of the Update also introduces our latest new endowment, the Cambridge Community Fund, our first solely ‘place-based’ fund. It’s a great story of two locals, David and Kevin, who have decided to dedicate themselves to building a philanthropic investment vehicle that supports the community they themselves have enjoyed being a part of over many years. It is their energy and commitment to the place they call home that will ensure the Fund’s success, and we’re delighted to be helping them achieve their mission.
So, I wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and thank all those donors and supporters who have worked with us this year, and who have given so generously. You have made the Waikato better by doing so, impacted many lives and causes – Christmas is a great time to celebrate that.
