Northland Foundation Grassroots fund gives to 12 local charities

Northland Foundation, via the Northland Grassroots Fund, donates around $80,000 a year to worthy causes and charities in Northland. Recipients of the Grassroots funding, which is given to Northland Foundation by TTF to distribute on its behalf, work in the community in one or more of these areas: early childhood, youth development, literacy and numeracy, budgeting, Māori, migrant, refugee and cross-cultural and housing. The Grassroots Panel received 20 applications requesting a total of $209,890 for funding and after careful consideration decided on 12 applicants and allocated $81,000.

Northland Foundation acts as a Local Donation Manager to TTF in the Northland region. It is one of 23 Local Donation Managers throughout New Zealand who receive bulk funds from TTF to give out on our behalf.

Northland Foundation was created by and for the people of Northland with the aim to provide a simple, effective and long-lasting way for local people to give to local causes now and in the future, through a mix of endowment funds and carefully chosen projects.

The 12 local charities to receive funding included one volunteer coordination service, two budgeting services, four early-childhood support services, four youth development services, one Māori support service and one Cross-cultural support service (with some overlapping two or more categories). The grants covered a wide geographic area, from Whangarei to Dargaville and Hokianga and North to Kaitaia and Kaeo.

Northland Foundation has now funded Dargaville Early Years’ Service HUB for two years, contributing to their rent and utilities bills and covering the salary costs for a Coordinator to manage the HUB for the two days a week that are not covered by other complimentary service providers who share the building.

The Dargaville Early Years’ Service HUB is helping to improve outcomes for Tamariki pre-birth to 6years, particularly those who are vulnerable, by improving access to services. The HUB provides a large, warm, child friendly drop-in centre for all parents, whanau and caregivers. Its staff stand alongside vulnerable parents with young children and help them to access required services and  foster the value for education and good health for their children and families. 

Whangarei Budgeting Service, also received funding in 2016, 2017 and 2018. In February of this year they used some of their grant to fund a stall at the 2019 Pasifika Fusion Festival to promote their service.