With the distressing scenes that have emerged from Ukraine in recent days, as well as the devastation caused by the eruption and tsunami in Tonga in January, a large number of our donors have been asking us how they can help support effective international relief efforts. We’ve been working with our partners Move92, as well as with the Pacific Funders Network, to determine some of the best ways to help. Some of our existing donors and philanthropic advisory organisations have also been supporting international environmental, health, and education causes for years, and we’re highlighting some of our international donation success stories here.

Supporting the humanitarian response in Ukraine

Photo by Max Kukurudziak on Unsplash

One of our partners Move92 is an international philanthropic advisory team with expertise in helping donors find and fund grassroots organisations making a real impact in their communities. You can read more about them below, where we discuss the good they do through their Gift Account with The Gift Trust. Move92 are recommending waiting two months before committing any large-scale support to Ukraine – by then, the large international NGOs will have largely ceded their work to local leaders and projects who know what’s needed in the community for the long-term. If you want to support the direct humanitarian response now, they recommend supporting smaller organisations like Hands On Global who are working in Ukraine and on its borders to directly help refugees get into long-term safety.

If you want to work with Move92 to get advice on your international giving, let us know – we’d love to connect you with them.

Responding to the Tongan eruption and tsunami

Photo by Nick Thompson on Flickr

We’ve been engaging with the philanthropic community in New Zealand and across the world in learning about what’s been happening in Tonga, and ensuring that we’ve got the very best information for our donors. On Thursday April 28 at 1pm, we’ll be hosting an exclusive Zoom event for Gift Trust donors featuring an expert on Pacific funding, who will be sharing the most effective ways to support the Tongan recovery. That event will also feature a New Zealand sector expert, who’ll be discussing the ways charities in Aotearoa are responding to Omicron. Donors will be able to ask questions of our experts and our team to better inform their giving decisions.

If you’re a Gift Trust donor, and you wish to be a part of this online event, please get in touch with our team: info@gifttrustdev.wpengine.com.org.nz.

Connecting with global causes

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

The Gift Trust has a proven track record of supporting our donors to connect with diverse and effective global causes. Here are just a few examples of the work we’ve helped enable:

Coalition for Rainforest Nations and Carbon Critical Net-Zero Fund

Photo by Eutah Mizushima on Unsplash

Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) is a highly-effective international non-profit that helps tropical governments, communities and peoples to responsibly manage their rainforests. Healthy rainforests in turn protect against a changing climate, generate needed biodiversity, and provide safe habitats for endangered species.

Carbon Critical Net-Zero Fund, one of our Gift Accounts, has given more than $40,000 to CfRN since 2020, thanks to a strong community of donors. Support their work today.

Miracle Feet and Seed The Change | He Kākano Hāpai

Photo by Miracle Feet via Innovations in Healthcare

The vision of Seed the Change | He Kākano Hāpai is for a sustainable, equitable and joyous world. Its work is threefold; incubating changemaking seed initiatives; investing in early-stage companies with environmental and social outcomes at their core; and using its giving portfolio to champion causes that can bring about transformative change.

One such recipient of its giving is Miracle Feet, whose mission is simple: provide access to treatment of clubfoot for children worldwide. Two million children are growing up with this birth defect that can cause a lifetime of physical disability and the inability to walk, but which can be treated for less than $500 USD. The non-surgical medical procedure is straightforward with a 95% success rate and literally transforms lives.

Seed The Change | He Kākano Hāpai has partnered with The Gift Trust since 2017, and continually looks to explore opportunities to enhance the ‘giving’ value proposition. Acknowledging the role of regular ongoing support, Seed the Change established recurring donations in 2017 for Miracle Feet, and to date has gifted more than $12,000 NZD to them. Support their work today.

Finding Refuge and Move92

Photo by Julie Ricard on Unsplash

Move92 is a philanthropic advisory team dedicated to helping donors find and fund grassroots organisations around the world. They’ve got a unique ability to curate direct relationships between the donor and the grassroots organisations making a real impact in their communities. Grants are direct and unrestricted, so you know exactly where the money goes, and local leaders get to design and implement the innovative programs that make a huge difference.

In 2020 Move92 partnered with The Gift Trust to enable a Christchurch-based donor to provide support to grassroots organisations in Greece serving refugees and asylum seekers. Move92 and The Gift Trust have enabled this donor to provide more than $24,000 in support to Finding Refuge – a grassroots organisation with a mission to end the homelessness of neglected displaced people such as migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Athens, Greece and beyond through either their accommodation program, emergency needs fulfilment, or vocational training and opportunities.

Making your impact real

Photo by Jordan McDonald on Unsplash

Just a note before we finish: as no more than 25% of The Gift Trust’s total annual giving can be to international causes, we do ask that you get in touch with us before requesting that an international gift be made from your Gift Account. We also conduct additional checks on international charities before we make gifts, so you can be sure they comply with New Zealand charitable standards.

Whether you’re wanting to support one of the causes we’ve highlighted, or whether you’ve got your own vision for international giving, The Gift Trust has the expertise and international connections to make it happen. To get started with a Gift Account, get in touch with our team on +64 4 391 4438, or email info@thegifttrust.org.nz.

“The Gift Trust provides a personalised service for my plan to give, donate and support the causes that are important to me at a reasonable cost.”

— Gillian, Gift Trust donor

"The gift accounts offered by The Gift Trust are a good option for individuals or organisations wanting to consolidate their charitable giving. I encourage all financial advisers to consider this important development."

– Dr Rodger Spiller, Financial Adviser, Money Matters

“An area of importance to our clients is charitable giving. The Gift Trust offers an opportunity to streamline the gifting process, while adding increased confidence and transparency. It also provides robust due diligence of eligible charities and access to additional support services for clients with complex needs.”

— Philip Stevenson, Bloomsbury Associates. CEFEX Certified Investment Adviser

“We would like to recognise and offer thanks for the support we receive though The Gift Trust’s donation. An annual donation from one of your donors is one of the largest donations that Kaibosh receives each year and has been absolutely pivotal to our ability to operate with confidence and to expand our operation across the Hutt Valley. We are extremely thankful.”

— Matt Dagger, Kaibosh, Gift Trust grant recipient

“My gift account has made my giving easy. It lets me get straight to the fun and satisfying part of giving to the causes I care about, without the hassle.”

— Anake, Gift Trust donor

"The Gift Trust provides a flexible and robust structure, to support donors' charitable giving intentions, while still enabling them to have a say in the investment of donated funds."

– David Ireland, Partner, Dentons Kensington Swan

"A Gift Account with The Gift Trust is a great option as an alternative to setting up a charity or private foundation while still preserving clients' control over their giving."

– Steven Moe, Partner, Parry Field Lawyers

"The administration and ongoing compliance requirements involved in setting up a private charity can be onerous, and even risky. Setting up a Gift Account allows The Gift Trust to look after those requirements, and provide support that allows the donor to focus on what they really want to do with their gifts."

– Sue Barker, Sue Barker Charities Law

"The Gift Trust takes the guesswork out of giving. Having support with research and due diligence on donations ensures that funds are truly making the desired impact. It has been a real pleasure to work with The Gift Trust."

– Ben, Gift Account holder