Gift Accounts for Families

Why Families Choose a Gift Account

Shared Giving

Involve children, grandchildren, or extended family in selecting causes and making grant recommendations.

Legacy Planning

Build a fund that can continue giving across generations, preserving your family’s philanthropic values.

Flexibility

Add funds at any time, set recurring grants, and adjust your giving strategy as family priorities evolve.

Tax Efficiency

Donations qualify for New Zealand tax credits, maximising the impact of your giving.

Ways Families Use Their Gift Accounts

Continuing a Family Legacy

Josh and Charlotte’s Gift Account* was originally set up by Josh’s mum, as a way of sharing her good fortune with others. After Josh’s mum sadly passed away, he and Charlotte decided to continue her legacy of doing good. They make the funding decisions, sometimes involving other members of the family, to benefit causes in the areas they’re interested in and that their parents cared about. Their Gift Account works like an endowment, with the money invested and the interest donated out – this means the family legacy will continue for generations to come.

Involving Children in Giving

Tim’s Gift Account* gets his adult children involved in philanthropy. We ran a workshop for him and his family, so they could set their strategy and pick the causes they were most interested in. Tim funds the Gift Account, and each of his four children tell us how they’d like their portion given away – we handle the rest. Setting up a family Gift Account is a great way to build a culture of generosity in your whānau.

Personalised Philanthropic Support

We provide guidance to help families define giving strategies, select charities aligned with their values, and manage multi-generational involvement. The Gift Trust handles the administrative work while your family focuses on impact.

*Names changed to protect client privacy.

“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

Get in touch

PO Box 19120, Marion Square
Wellington, New Zealand

04 391 4438

info@thegifttrust.org.nz