Making an Impact - big winners announced
KiwiHarvest and Lakes District Museum are the two major winners from the Impact100 Wakatipu grant awards.
The two charities received $100,000 each at a gala dinner held last night, where the philanthropic organisation's 208 members voted on their preferred charities, after presentations.
Queenstown Trails Trust, The Lightfoot Initiative and the Southern Lakes Sanctuary share the remaining $8,000 in donations.
"It was an amazing evening where we celebrate community and giving, and to see these two projects get the green light is fantastic," Chair of Impact100 Wakatipu, Clare Irons, says.
"Our total giving over four years is now just shy of $700,000 and we are so looking forward to celebrating our fifth birthday in 2024.
"Any of our five finalists would have been worthy winners, and it will be exciting to see the impact the grants have on both KiwiHarvest and Lakes District Museum."
KiwiHarvest plans to use the money to fund a new refrigerated truck, replacing its old one. The charity rescues 131 tons of food annually which is then redistributed to local charities such as Baskets of Blessing and the Salvation Army, who support approximately 765 people a week with meals.
Lakes District Museum is in the process of digitising its precious historical and recent records, to ensure they are preserved and protected. Being available in digital format also increases accessibility.
Jennifer Belmont, of the Wakatipu Community Foundation, adds: "The Community Foundation is delighted to have Impact100 be a part of our growing family of initiatives, designed to grow local philanthropy and foster a spirit of community giving.
"We look forward to working with the winning projects and their impactful work in the Wakatipu."
The next call for applications from local charities will be in May 2024. The opportunity for women to join and be part of the group closes on 30 April, after which the money available to be granted is determined.
"Our events team have already organised a number of events over the next six months for people to come and find out more, and we welcome all women to come along and hear from our growing list of grant recipients."
