Kia ora koutou, greetings everyone. 

I have ten million reasons to be incredibly proud of our progress as I write this, with the establishment of our 24th Fund taking our total Funds value past $10m! This is an incredible milestone. It feels like I have used this newsletter forum many times to thank people, and so it is again. I thank our donors in particular, we’re very proud to be custodians of your gifts and to help support the causes you love. I thank those who sit with me around the Board table and those throughout the Team, and all those in whose footsteps we’ve followed. I also thank the people and organisations who have supported us with the fundamental need for our own operations funding, and I encourage all readers of this newsletter to support those organisations when you can. Today that’s Signature Homes, Pitt & Moore, Craigs, NBS, Malloch McClean, Blueberry IT, Avoca, and Datacom. 

Our 2024 annual grants round is now complete, and we are currently working through a separate distribution round for 2024 at donor direction. In total I expect we will distribute close to $400k in 2024/5, another record. We are genuinely now having an impact in our region. 

On news around the Board table, this month we very reluctantly say farewell to Ailie Suzuki, who is moving with her family to the Northern hemisphere. It has been a pleasure to have Ailie’s support and contribution through a major period of growth, and we now welcome her to the Top of the South Community Foundation International Ambassadors network! 

We continue to look to broaden our representation in Marlborough and Golden Bay, so if you or someone you know is in those specific areas and is willing and able to roll their sleeves up to help drive impact in our region’s communities, please get in touch. 

This newsletter includes articles on a recent donation for the Nelson Cadet Units, impact stories from our Annual Report and an update on Craigs Christmas Giving.  

Please share the newsletter around! 

A reminder, as always, to please consider how you might support causes you love yourself, by talking to Nettie or Kim or a Foundation Trustee, or donating via our website; https://www.topsouthfoundation.org.nz/donate/. 

Ngā mihi, kind regards 

Dave Ashcroft, Chair, [email protected]