Whanganui Community Foundation Incorporated

Annual Report 2014

It has been another positive year at the Whanganui Community Foundation and we are proud to continue to work in such a rich and diverse community. On behalf of the Trustees, I am pleased to present the annual report for the year ended 31 March 2014.

At the Whanganui Community Foundation our purpose is to promote community well-being and connectedness, and this means providing assistance through good times and bad. Throughout the financial year the Foundation has maintained its support to a large number of community organisations. Grants and community support approved during the year amounted to slightly over $1 million.

The financial markets have made a hesitant recovery and this financial year the Foundation made a surplus of $1.5 million. While there has been some improvement in the equity markets, on-going financial uncertainty means that the Trustees are likely to continue to take a conservative approach to grant-making.

A programme of capacity building for community organisations continued in the last year with workshops on transforming conflict in the workplace and emotionally intelligent governance. A community party was also held in Raetihi to thank and celebrate the amazing work and support within this community from the very unfortunate major water contamination issue.

As part of the work we do, we encourage community organisations to review their directions, their approaches to their own issues, and the way in which they operate. We encourage best practice in all organisations. As a result of our commitment to best practice, the Board was keen to ensure that the Whanganui Community Foundation was operating as effectively as possible, and that our communities are getting the best value for their money. To this end, Trustees engaged external consultants to review our effectiveness and a further administrative review report. The outcome of these reviews has lead the Board to make two major decisions.

The first was a decision to go to the market to tender for our investment advisory services. The successful tender was from Craigs Investment Partners Ltd and we are in the process of moving funds over to Craigs to manage on our behalf over the next year. The second decision to outsource our administrative function has resulted in the difficult decision to outsource our administrative structure, meaning we will no longer employ our own staff.

We have just held a function to thank our long standing staff for their commitment and dedication to the Foundation, with Chief Executive Judith Timpany leaving after seventeen years in the role, part-time administrator Jane Towers employed for thirteen years and casual staff member Leanna Fuentes, three years. We wish them all the very best for their future endeavours.

The Foundation offices will be open and staffed by Judith until the end of May 2014, working with our new administrative provider, Sewell and Wilson Ltd, Whanganui, lead by Douglas Wilson. We are aiming to ensure that handover is as seamless as possible and can assure the wider Whanganui community that our core functions of investing funds for the perpetual benefit of our communities and core grant work will continue to be our primary focus. Trustees will be further considering how we might best support capacity building and further work in the social change area in the near future.

Trustee and Board Chair for nearly two years, Prue Anderson retired from the Board this year. Prue was a caring, thoughtful and conscientious leader and her contribution to the Board was much appreciated.

The Foundation remains committed to improving the quality of life and social well being in our communities. It is a privilege and responsibility Trustees take very seriously. The Foundation welcomes any feedback or suggestions that could help us to do our work more effectively.

Phillipa Baker-Hogan
Chair