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1. Background
1.1. What is the Waitakere Fund?
The Waitakere Fund is a fundraising and grantmaking fund within an independent charitable foundation that supports community led development by linking generous people and companies with causes that really make a difference.
The Waitakere Fund has been established by the founding donations from a group of grassroots donors with a passion for the Waitakere community who are now looking for major (and minor) donations from other passionate “Westies”.
The Waitakere Fund seeks to grow a permanent endowment of locally-held funds to support its community. The funds are dedicated to strengthening community, creating opportunities and tackling issues of disadvantage and exclusion.
The ultimate role of the Waitakere Fund is to become the trusted vehicle through which individuals, families, businesses, groups of like minded people and the community invest their philanthropic dollars to build a permanent legacy in Waitakere.
The success of the Waitakere Fund will be measured not only in terms of the size of its permanent endowment and its grantmaking expertise, but also and as importantly, by its ability to build community knowledge, engage with the community and bring people together around issues of common concern and community need.

1.2. Key benefits of a Fund in a Community Foundation
Independent – The Foundation is independent of any factional interests.
Flexibility – The Foundation can accommodate all types of giving to charitable purpose including the distribution of both income and capital meaning that it is a totally flexible vehicle for charitable granting. The advisers to a Fund may recommend to grow the Fund in the early years to a level of sustainability before commencing granting.
Reduced administration costs – Since the Foundation deals with all aspects of funds management, tax, compliance, granting, reporting and evaluation this removes a significant proportion of the administrative burden of operating the Fund. In addition, the Foundation can provide research support in the area of assessing community needs to assist decision-making.
Improved returns – The Foundation model of pooling capital from all of its Fund-holders means that it can invest effectively for strong returns over the long-term and provide stringer returns than the Waitakere Fund could have achieved if it was a standalone trust.
Transparency and accountability – Clear and regular communication and reporting is a key feature of the Community Foundation model. The simple percentage fee for funds under management means that there are no unexpected charges.
Community of Donors – Fund-holders within the Foundation become a community of donors that share information and ideas and in some cases come together to support key community opportunities and challenges meaning that the Waitakere Fund advisers can learn from the experience of other funds (area, company, individual or special purpose) and contribute their own knowledge in return. Funds may work together on issues of mutual interest.

1.3. Manukau Community Foundation and Auckland Communities Foundation
The Auckland Communities Foundation provides the umbrella legal and financial structure for the Waitakere Fund.
The Foundation’s mission is to build a permanent resource to meet the new and emerging needs of the communities in which the Foundation operates. This resource will, through an evidence based approach, build the social capital of those communities to bring about positive long term sustainable change.
Trust Manukau started operating in 2000 as an initiative of the mayor of the day Sir Barry Curtis. The name and Trust Deed were changed in 2005 to become the Manukau Community Foundation. Over the last nine years, the Foundation has been the grant maker for over $1.45m in grants to organisations and individuals in Manukau City mainly in the areas of youth at risk, refugee resettlement and literacy programmes.
In line with international experience on community foundation sustainability, the Board decided to significantly extend the scope, geography and aspiration of the Foundation, as the current geographic reach of the existing Foundation limited its capacity to raise funds and address the significant and pressing needs within Manukau and the broader Auckland region. Consequently, in 2009, the Board approved the establishment of the Auckland Communities Foundation, the expansion of the geographic reach of the Foundation to encompass the Greater Auckland Region and announced the drive to build a $30m endowment fund over the next ten years to ensure that the Foundation becomes a sustainable and permanent part of the philanthropic landscape for future generations.

1.4. National and Global Network
The Community Foundation movement is supported by a number of active national and global networks. Manukau Community Foundation was a founding member of the New Zealand Community Foundations network which also includes community foundations in Ashburton, Buller, Hawke's Bay, Nelson, Northland, Opotiki, Porirua, Rotorua, Tauranga, Timaru and Wellington. We are also full members of Philanthropy NZ joining 96 other organisations committed to building generosity in New Zealand and maintaining high standards of granting and fundraising.
Globally, there are more than 1, 440 Community Foundations worldwide with US$54bn under management and these are supported by national and regional peak bodies and international organisations such as WINGS (Worldwide Initiative for Grantmaker Support).
Governance and Management

1.5. Trustees of the Auckland Communities Foundation
It is important that the Community Foundation’s Board is reflective of the communities in which it operates and includes the skills and experience necessary for good governance and stewardship of all its activities. The expansion of the geographical coverage of the Foundation will be reflected in the composition of the Board over time.
The Foundation’s Trustees bring expertise in a range of fields including business and financial management, law and community development. Board members volunteer their time to oversee the functions of the Foundation and contribute financially to its operations. Each director is also a member of at least one of the Foundation’s sub-committees.
The Board’s operation and performance is externally reviewed every two years. In addition, the Board holds an annual retreat to discuss ongoing strategic direction and current issues affecting the growth of the Foundation.
Following is a list of the current trustees*:
 Steve Chaney (Chairman), Commercial Manager, Nufarm NZ
 Marion Webster OAM, Trustee - Arts Access Victoria, Philip and Vivien Brass Foundation, Changemakers Australia, Fitted for Work Ltd & former Chair, Melbourne Community Foundation
 Ingrid Waugh, Organisational Development Manager, Fonterra
 Brett Abraham, Partner, Brookfields
 Kirk Sargent, Head of School – Foundation Studies, Manukau Institute of Technology
 Glynis Carter, Managing Director, Corbett Carter Chartered Accountants
 Philippa King, Business Consultant, JP and Chief Executive of The First Tee of New Zealand
 Suzie Marsden, Head of Sustainability, Westpac NZ
* The current trustee membership reflects the growth of the Foundation from its original Manukau location and will become increasingly regionally representative as a governance priority.

1.6. Sub Committees
The following Sub-Committees are currently in operation:

Audit and Risk
To assist the Board of Trustees in discharging its responsibilities relative to financial reporting, internal controls and regulatory conformance.

Funds Development and Income Generation
To investigate, initiate and support the funds development and income generation activities of the Foundation with particular emphasis on raising the Board’s endowment fund target.

Governance
To oversee the composition of the Board in order to ensure Board membership complies with statutory requirements and delivers an appropriate skills and professional mix in order to be effective Directors of a philanthropic organisation.
To nominate new members for the Board and Sub-Committees
To advise on specialist human resource and employment
issues.
To oversee annual salary and development review of Chief Executive.
To oversee the performance of the Board

Professional Advisers
To promote the Foundation to professional advisers and their clients as an attractive and effective option for philanthropy.
To advise the board on commercial and legal developments in the philanthropic sector that may affect the positioning or operations of the Foundation.

Research and Grants
To advise the Board on research and grantmaking strategy and policy.

1.7. Chief Executive
The Chief Executive is responsible for the strategic leadership and management of the organisation and for ensuring that the Foundation is effectively positioned to achieve the projected growth. The Chief Executive leads and manages the staff and resources to successfully deliver the organisation’s strategic plan. The Chief Executive Officer reports to the Board, through the Chair. The current Chief Executive is Mark Bentley who joined the Foundation in June 2009 from the University of Auckland Business School.