Womens Impact
Since 2022, the women of the Eastern Bay Women’s Impact Fund have donated $135,000 to the Eastern Bay Community for the benefit of women and children.
The Eastern Bay Women's Impact Fund brings together generous local women from across our region, who are willing to donate $1,000 to make tangible and impactful change for women and children in our communities. (This gift is tax deductible @33.3%)
Donations for the Women Impact Fund are pooled together to make a positive and impactful difference to an initiative or project and enable significant progress towards providing building blocks that will benefit and improve the lives of women and/or children.
Donors who have contributed to the Fund can vote on who receives the funding.
How it works
The Eastern Bay Women’s Impact Fund seeks to benefit communities of the Eastern Bay of Plenty by annually awarding at least one high-impact grant to fund innovative, meaningful projects.
The concept is simple:
The annual $1,000 donations of Eastern Bay Women’s Impact supporters create the fund. The number and size of grants given out is dependent on the number of supporters. The ultimate goal is to give a grant of $100,000 each year to a non-profit organisation serving women and children in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.
All women over the age of 16 are eligible to become supporters and can renew annually.
There are a variety of ways to meet the $1,000 gift.
All donations are eligible for a 33.3% tax rebate.
Non-profits are eligible to apply for a grant. Their project must predominantly serve women and children and must be in the Eastern Bay of Plenty geographical region.
Supporters of the Eastern Bay Women’s Impact Fund may choose to volunteer to serve on a committee that evaluates the grants and selects finalist.
Finalists are chosen and a representative of each of the finalists gives a brief presentation of their charity’s proposal at a meeting of the Eastern Bay Women’s Impact Supporters. All donors of $1000 are eligible to vote to select the grant recipient(s).
Recipient agencies are given 24 months to complete their projects. Funds are disbursed as programs are implemented.
Past awardees
In 2022 Whanau Awhina Plunket, Eastern Bay of Plenty was voted the project of choice, by the 50 donors to the fund. This project aims to improve the maternal mental health of isolated rural mothers by providing positive connections and supporting structured mother and child groups in communities all across the Eastern Bay. Over 500 new mothers have been identified as being of significant risk. This project engaged with mother to build a positive future for their families.
In 2023 funds went to two local Charities, Eastern Bay of Plenty Riding for the Disabled for an accessible toilet/bathroom facility at the Awatapu arena and to the SOZO project, funding went towards a Lymphoedema screening and prevention machine to be housed at Whakatane Hospital.
In 2024 four charities were supported. Mums 4 Mums who support new mothers in our community, Financial Mentoring Services helping women and families with finances, Mona Lickfold Cancer Support assisting cancer patients in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and English Language Partners/Kiwi English facilitating English Language classes for new migrants.
Glenda Rainey and Fahima Khatun from Kiwi English classes, Charlotte McGougan and Laura Austin from Mona Lickfold Fund (Cancer support in EBOP), Karen Griffen from Mums 4 Mums (support for new mothers/families) and Tui Edwards Financial Mentoring Services
Whanau Awhina Plunket EBOP with Foundation Trustees Viv Barr & Robyn Woolsey 2022
EBOP Riding for the Disabled with Foundation Trustees Viv Barr and Robyn Woolsey 2023
SOZO machine Lymphoedema support and prevention project committee with Foundation Trustees Viv Barr and Robyn Woolsey 2023
Looking to 2025
The Eastern Bay Women's Impact Fund for 2025 will once again gather women together, to pool their resources for the benefit of local women and children.
Please consider being a part of the magic that happens when we all come together, to facilitate positive changes.
Timeline for 2025 Fund
January - June 2025
Donations underway
Luncheon
June
Fund amount revealed
EOI invited from local charities and organisations
Luncheon
July
EOI's close
Grant applications open for smaller grant amounts 2 x $5,000
August
Committee review of grant applications
Meet the final applicants donor luncheon and donor vote
September
Awards Dinner/Luncheon
Donate
To sign up for the 2025 Eastern Bay Women's Impact Fund please complete our Donor Sign-up form and send to: support@easternbaycommunityfoundation.nz or contact us today to find out more.
Apply for funding
To apply to the Eastern Bay Women's Impact Fund, please submit the following documentation as an expression of interest in the fund and send to: support@easternbaycommunityfoundation.nz
Email: admin@easternbaycommunityfoundation.nz
Call: 021 336 226
Registered Charity Commission: #CC42087
Find us:
15 George Street, Whakatane
PO Box 435, Whakatane 3159
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