Giving is important to many new migrants, as a way of giving back to their new home or continuing a legacy that started in their home country, but it’s often not a part of their immigration planning.
They get legal advice, financial advice, immigration advice, and so on, but seldom philanthropic advice.
That’s where The Gift Trust comes in. We’ve been fortunate to work with many migrants, helping them find charities in New Zealand that fit with their giving strategies. We’re telling the stories of three families who’ve made a big impact on their new home, with help from The Gift Trust.
Connecting with charities
Suzanne and Brian* immigrated to New Zealand from the U.S. as young adults, settling in the South Island and raising their children there. Having been referred to us by a friend, we helped
them develop a giving strategy, focusing on:
- Literacy and numeracy for children up to age 5 and pregnant teens
- Environmental issues and climate change, with a special focus on cycle trails and cycling
- Social inequality advocacy
We drew on our connections across the community and philanthropic sectors, as well as data from Charities Services, to find large and small organisations doing the mahi that Suzanne and Brian care about. Inspired by our research, they also identified charities of their own, which we conducted due diligence on. From this collaborative process, they decided on their first set of organisations to support.
The outcomes were remarkable – Suzanne and Brian had chosen to think outside the box with their giving, and they filled gaps that other funders hadn’t even seen were there. They built close relationships with the organisations they chose to support, and have increased their giving to support them as they grew. It’s been a delight and a privilege to work with the two of them. As their connections and knowledge have grown, so has their generosity. We look forward to working alongside them in the years ahead.
Building on a solid strategy
Olivia and Tan* have a deeply-held set of values, and a desire to tell stories that reflect those values. They’ve long had a focus on partnership with indigenous communities and environmental
regeneration, and when they moved to Aotearoa a few years ago from Singapore, they wanted to continue giving in that spirit.
We’ve worked with them and their advisers to facilitate grants to projects that are diverse in scope, but connected in values. From mana whenua-led ecological intelligence close to home, to ocean health and food sovereignty projects across the globe, the projects they support have a common thread of environmental protection and co-operation.
While now based in New Zealand, their giving involves a range of global partners, advisers, and institutions based in other countries. Every new project we work on for them is an opportunity to learn and grow, and to learn about the charitable regulations in other countries.
An evolving relationship
In the fifteen years since brothers Matthew and Brian Monahan came to Aotearoa from the U.S, they’ve done an extraordinary amount of good, and we’re proud to have played a part in it.
Their first philanthropic venture (hosted by The Gift Trust in NZ, and by Silicon Valley Community Foundation in the U.S.), granted more than $6.5 million NZD in its ten-year spend-down period. We gave donations on their behalf during that time to a range of causes in the environmental field and those responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Upon the fund’s completion, the Monahan family started a new philanthropic and environmental regeneration charitable entity, Biome Trust Aotearoa (biometrust.earth), for which The Gift Trust is a facilitator and grantmaking partner. Our U.S. funder relationships enabled the efficient and effective transfer of Biome’s endowment to Aotearoa, where it now supports planetary health and regeneration.
The Monahan family have also played an important role as connectors, building relationships within and around the philanthropic sector in Aotearoa, and developing experimental and innovative ways of giving. Their story, like those of all of our migrant donors, shows the potential of migrants to support a thriving Aotearoa.
Looking to the future
The Gift Trust began with a migrant donor, and migrants have always been an important part of our donor whānau. As a recognised donee organisation for New Zealand visa purposes, and with a strong set of international partnerships, we’re excited for what the future holds.
*Names have been changed, out of respect for our clients’ privacy.
Photograph courtesy of Storytime Foundation.
