Giving Stories

DONORS WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Leaving a bequest in your Will to Momentum Waikato's Endowment Fund is a special way to honour the Waikato community. Big or small, your gift will make a positive difference, now and for future generations.

It is simple and easy to create a real legacy. Working with your professional advisor, we offer our expert knowledge to tailor a giving solution that brings to life your values and is structured in the way you want.

Through our Waikato Endowment Fund, gifts are invested in perpetuity, and returns can then be granted to the charities or social enterprises the donor cares about and/or the changemakers we have identified.

We use independent professional investment managers, Craigs Investment Partners and JBWere, to provide expert fund management and advice.

Below are stories from local folks who have chosen Momentum Waikato to realise their aspirations for their community. Some have chosen to commit a bequest in their Will to the Waikato Endowment Fund and the projects it supports, others are targeting the investment income from their bequest or donations towards the causes or needs of their choice, while others are supporting our Transformational Projects, such as the Waikato Regional Theatre.

Donella enjoys simple and perpetual charitable giving

Donella Graney likes to give back to her community, so being in a position to do so, has made regular donations to a range of local and national charities for some years.

‘A tree with many leaves of opportunity’ for Maaori in health

The determination that others must follow in her footsteps has led a successful young doctor to team up with a senior colleague to create a new philanthropic investment fund dedicated to getting more Maaori into the health sector.

Waikato business owners dedicating their profits to passion

Heather and Rod Claycomb are seeing lives changed across the world thanks to their unique family charity that supports social entrepreneurs to start new businesses for the benefit of people in need.

Bunny’s bequest grows Mortimer legacy

Throughout their lifetimes, Bunny and John Mortimer were exceptionally generous and supportive to their community, most notably with their gifting of Taitua Arboretum to the city of Hamilton.

'Our gift to the Waikato will flow on into the future'

Leaving a bequest in their Wills towards the future of the Waikato is an important priority for a couple looking to give back to the region they love to call home.

Theatre an investment in kids’ future: Feisst

A top company director’s passion for supporting young people has prompted him to back the Waikato Regional Theatre.

Admark chief: a real city needs a top theatre

A successful local businessman says the Waikato Regional Theatre will be essential infrastructure for Hamilton’s development as a world-beating cosmopolitan city.

A Quiet Act of Generosity - the sequel

Back in 2016 we published a ‘Giving Story’ that told of a local lawyer who, when meeting a client to plan their will, raised the possibility of a bequest and the advantages of investing it for sustainable returns...

Donation Targeted at Music Gear

A stalwart of Hamilton’s vibrant musical theatre scene has targeted his donation for the Waikato Regional Theatre towards its music stands, because he is expecting to see them used by some of the world’s...

An Endowment Fund is the Key to Longevity and Effectiveness

A desire for her and her siblings’ grandchildren to have an equal opportunity to achieve is why Nancy Caiger got involved in an initiative focused on the needs and aspirations of local women and girls...

An entrepreneur and her philosophy of giving

Putting community first has always been a part of Cheryl Reynolds’ philosophy. Beginning as a young entrepreneur and artist in the UK, she launched Focal Point Gallery in 1991, which provided...