Christmas Greetings from Kura Tāwhiti: December Update

Last Quarter in Review

Relaunching as the Kura Tāwhiti Canterbury Community Foundation in November marked a new chapter for us and we were excited to share the news with so many donors, supporters and stakeholders who were able to join us for the event. Our new brand embodies what we stand for and reflects our shift in purpose to build long-term funding streams that will support future generations, centred on our three pillars of people, place and planet. Thank you to everyone for making the launch so memorable.

Impact100 Canterbury members met for a final coffee of the year. It's been great getting to know new members from across the region as momentum builds for our collective giving group. We're planning more events in early 2026 and will make our first major grant in the middle of the year, so there's still time to find out more and join us, please get in touch!

We were pleased to partner again with the Christchurch team at Craigs Investment Partners to distribute funds from their Workplace Giving initiative. This programme continues to support grassroots organisations across the region and we were delighted to highlight the transformative work of the Women's Centre, Ready to Learn, and Hoa Motuhake Sports Trust.

We recently farewelled Graham Dockrill from the Board, who has been a Trustee since 2020. We will miss his sage advice and good humour and want to thank him for his service to the Foundation over the years. And thank you to everyone who has supported us during 2025: we look forward to continuing this mahi with you in the New Year. We have some exciting projects underway that we are looking forward to sharing with you all, so keep watching this space!

Rebrand Recap

Our biggest milestone this year has been the development and launch of our new identity, transitioning from The Christchurch Foundation to Kura Tāwhiti – Canterbury Community Foundation. Our mahi spans Christchurch City, Selwyn and Waimakariri, and we wanted a name that reflects the wider region we serve. Kura Tāwhiti, gifted by tangata whenua Ngāi Tahu, acknowledges our whakapapa and the history of its namesake, Castle Hill.

It also signals the transformation we’ve undertaken: reduced costs, a sustainable operating model, and a renewed focus on building intergenerational endowments for Cantabrians. Kura Tāwhiti speaks to something precious and worth preserving, which is a sentiment that aligns perfectly with long-term philanthropy. We're proud to celebrate this new chapter and look forward to growing a lasting culture of generosity in our region.

You can learn more about our transformation and what it means for Canterbury communities in this Press article.

A Launch to Remember

On Thursday 27 November, we were thrilled and humbled to be joined by a vibrant community of partners, donors, collaborators, and friends who travelled from across the motu to mark the launch of our new brand.

We were privileged to hear from Eleanor Cater, CEO of Community Foundations of Aotearoa NZ, and Izzy Clarke, Creative Lead at Antony & Mates and the designer behind our new logo. They were joined by inspiring kōrero from Anake Goodall, Board Chair, and Lynne Umbers, Kura Tāwhiti CEO.

Our sincerest thanks to everyone who attended, and to those who were unable but have cheered from afar: your support, enthusiasm, and belief in our kaupapa made it a launch to remember.

Craigs Investment Partners' Christmas Workplace Giving

Craigs Investment Partners has delivered again this holiday season, with their Workplace Giving programme supporting three more local charities through Kura Tāwhiti. This year’s inspiring beneficiaries were Hoa Motuhake Sports Trust, Ready to Learn, and the Women's Centre.

Hoa Motuhake Sports Trust empowers at-risk tamariki through sports mentorship and connection, helping young people participate in community sport for up to five years. Thanks to the donation, they were able to host a special Christmas party this year, including food, gifts and a visit from Santa for the 60 tamariki and rangatahi currently enrolled.

Ready to Learn was launched by Rangiora Rotary to give all North Canterbury primary school children access to essential school items such as uniforms, footwear and stationery. The Workplace Giving donation will help fund new school uniforms for up to ten tamariki next year, ensuring more children have the best possible start to their primary education.

The Women’s Centre provides free, trusted counselling and development services for women in Canterbury, supporting 3500 Christchurch women in 2025 alone. The donation allowed the Centre to formally recognise and celebrate the many volunteers who form the backbone of its counselling and support services.

The Workplace Giving initiative allows employees to donate a portion of their monthly pay to support local charities at Christmas time, matched by Craigs Investment Partners up to $500 per employee per year. Since 2020, the programme has collectively donated over $1 million to charities nationwide.

Kura Tāwhiti’s local connections and familiarity with regional issues puts the Foundation in a unique position to support corporate giving through our In Business, For Good programme. If your business is interested in launching a similar giving initiative, or wants to explore deeper community partnerships, we’d love to help you get started.

Impact 100 Canterbury

Impact100 Canterbury is part of a growing global movement of women uniting to create meaningful change. With over 70 chapters worldwide, the premise is simple but powerful: each member donates $1000 (plus admin fees) annually, which is pooled to support charities helping women and families in their region.

Each year, members choose a local for-purpose organisation to receive a transformational service grant. Along the way, they gain a vibrant network of like-minded women driven by a shared goal to do good - and do it smart. It's philanthropy reimagined, revitalised, and rescaled to create maximum impact. If that sounds like you, we'd love to have you.

Farewell Graham

As Graham Dockrill has concluded his term on our Board this year, we reflect with gratitude on the generosity, humour, and wisdom that have marked his tenure. Graham's passion for community and commitment to long-term resilience continue to inspire us as we enter a new era of internal transformation and growth. We wish him all the best for his next chapter.

Gifts for Good

While Christmas generosity tends to be reserved for friends and whānau, it can also be an opportunity to give back to the wider community. For those looking for a purposeful alternative to traditional Christmas presents, here are some gift ideas that carry impact beyond the festive season.

For the purpose-driven wahine in your life: an Impact100 membership is the perfect way to honour her vision. Collective giving builds a community of generosity while supporting women and whānau across our region. Register on behalf of yourself, a friend, a sister, an aunty, a mother or a daughter and join a global movement today.

Ground your gift in place this Christmas by supporting Plant a Tree for Canterbury: a campaign that supports carbon sequestration and biodiversity by planting native forests in our region. Part of every donation goes to support the Green Philanthropy Fund, and will continue supporting future sustainability projects indefinitely.

Bolster the city's food resilience, increase overhead canopy, and boost biodiversity by sponsoring the Urban Forest project through Kura Tāwhiti. This partnership with the City Council is working to turn Ōtautahi Christchurch into an edible garden city, with packages available for the planting, care, and long-term stewardship of new fruit trees.

That's a wrap...

After a busy year of strategic growth, self-reflection, transformation and sustained community impact, the team at Kura Tāwhiti are taking a break from 24 December - 5 January. If you have any urgent queries during this time, please contact lynne.umbers@kuratawhiticcf.org.nz, and we'll be in touch as soon as possible in the New Year

Once again, we thank you for all your aroha and support. You can see in the stories above the inspiring examples of collective impact that remind us who we are here for, why this mahi matters, and what we can achieve, together, in the year ahead. We wish you and your whānau a safe and happy holiday season.

The Kura Tāwhiti Team