Baptist Churches of New Zealand has just celebrated 20 years as a Tindall Foundation Faith Funding Manager, distributing donations of around $200,000 a year on our behalf across the country. We very much value the high trust relationship we have had over many years. Hear from Fiona Maisey about how we work collaboratively.

  1. Briefly describe your organisation and what you do to support New Zealand communities.
    Baptist Community Ministries exists to support Churches and their related Trusts in seeing transformational change in the communities they are part of. This may be through resourcing, running training sessions or just helping them digest a thought and come up with a workable plan.

     

  2. Baptist Churches New Zealand has been working in the role as Tindall Foundation funding manager for 20 years.  What does this long-standing relationship mean to your organisation?
    Having such a long-standing relationship with The Tindall Foundation is pivotal to being able to support our work financially. Often we hear of a great community initiative that we know will have long-standing outcomes for the community. To be able to work through with them a sustainable plan knowing that there can be some financial support to get them on their feet is priceless.
  3. Over the past 20 years you must have seen some positive outcomes from the funding you distribute on our behalf?
    Wow, so many. Refugee women in the lower South Island who came with no English, no job prospects, no support, no hope really are now actively engaged with their neighbourhood and creating some great social enterprises to earn money to support their families.

    Young people who are now settled and productive at school despite a rough family background because a 24/7 youth worker was engaged in their school.Families who will enjoy this Christmas free of debt because a budgeting service was able to come alongside them and coach them into financial freedom.

    Whole communities who are learning to live peacefully together through the introduction of Te Reo classes. New mums transitioning into parenting with support and advice because a SPACE programme started in their area. The list is endless.

     

  4. What is involved in your role of Tindall Foundation Funding Manager?I have the joy and honour of working with our churches and trusts to allocate funds alongside our wider allocation committee. Sometimes that means travelling to different groups to see how we might be able to help, working with them on a long-term plan, assisting with the application process or just being a sounding board on a good idea.

     

  5. How do you work with the Tindall Foundation and the wider community in this role?Knowing that The Tindall Foundation is just a phone call away means we can explore all sorts of crazy ideas and then just bounce them of the Foundation if necessary. It’s important to also know what others are doing in the community so we can develop a more collaborative approach to resolving a problem if that is appropriate.

     

  6. Approximately, how many organisations would you support a year using The Tindall Foundation funds?We support about 40 different projects a year.

     

  7. How much money approximately does this equate to each year?It’s a total package of nearly $200,000 a year.

     

  8. In your role you must work with communities, services, churches, charities and philanthropic organisations, what do you enjoy most about working in this sector?I love the craziness of being involved in transformational change in communities. Seeing single lives, families, neighbourhoods, suburbs, towns and cities having that lightbulb moment of hope. There are so many people doing such amazing things on little more than a prayer and lives are being changed. That makes for a better world and a better place for the next generation to inherit.

     

  9. You are in a job where giving back to the community is central to what you do, what do you get out of the job personally?Personally, I get my joy from seeing a smile on a little ones face when there’s food for tomorrow, when a young person gives you a high five after completing a leadership challenge or a family is strengthened through a parenting programme. Knowing that you played a part in that change makes you want to give more.