Rugby fund is smart support for grassroots game
Published on 15 October, 2021
Tim Macindoe - Momentum Waikato Generosity Ambassador
This column also appears in Seasons magazine November 2021 issue.
One of the key roles of Momentum Waikato as the region’s community foundation is to be a vehicle for local organisations to invest their financial resources in a way that sustains their purpose and multiplies their impact.
An excellent example is the new Waikato Community Rugby Fund, which has been set up with us by the Waikato Rugby Union to provide a secure funding stream for the grassroots of the local game.
Initiated alongside the WRU’s Centenary celebrations, this new rugby fund was kicked off by a significant donation from an anonymous donor, which was then supplemented by some keen rugby supporting businesses.
Anyone who wants to smartly support club rugby is invited and encouraged to donate towards the Waikato Community Rugby Fund - via momentumwaikato.nz/donate - as it is a funding model that ensures your donation continues to give forever, rather than being all used up immediately.
Waikato Rugby Chief Executive Carl Moon told Te Awamutu Courier that the Fund makes the rugby community much more resilient against big economic shocks.
"One of the key elements behind that is trust. Momentum is a big, strong, very well led organisation. It's not just rugby that's involved there, so people can be very secure in the knowledge that their funds are being managed well," said Carl.
"It's a way for people to leave a legacy too. People that have been Waikato rugby fans for their whole lives, if they choose to, they can leave behind something which is going to support the game forever."
The Waikato Community Rugby Fund is one of a number that sit within Momentum’s growing $30+ million regional endowment. Donated monies are added to our growing portfolios at Forsyth Barr and Craigs Investment Partners, and then we pay out an agreed portion of the resulting income annually.
Our named funds range from infrastructure initiatives such as the Hamilton CBD Development Fund and the Karioi Fund from Huntly, to staff payroll-giving schemes such as the Longveld Fund, to cause-driven giving circles such as the Waikato Women’s Fund, through to personal funds established by gifts-in-wills that support favourite charities or provide scholarships.
If you’d like to find out more about setting up a named fund with Momentum, please contact me at tim@momentumwaikato.nz.
