Top of the South Community Foundation

21/09/2026

September is Wills Month. It’s a chance to reflect on the people, places and causes that matter to you, and the difference you might like to make in the future.

After providing for family and loved ones, you may also choose to leave a gift to support the community you care about.

One of our donors shared what making that decision means to them:
“We’ve already left a gift in our Will and we know the money we leave through the Top of the South Community Foundation will have a ripple effect. It’s a wonderful thing, as we contemplate the end of our lives, to think about our resources being used far into the future.”

Through Top of the South Community Foundation, your gift is invested so it can keep giving. The original gift remains protected, while investment income is distributed each year to local charities and community organisations across Te Tauihu.

Whether you’re preparing your first Will, updating an existing one, or simply exploring your options, Chelsea would be happy to have a conversation.

There’s no obligation, just an opportunity to talk about what matters to you and how your gift could make a difference for generations to come.

Chelsea Routhan
CEO, Top of the South Community Foundation
027 205 3111
[email protected]

16/09/2026

This week our CEO Chelsea Routhan, Board Chair Jane Peterson and board member Alex Hannant joined community foundation leaders from across Aotearoa in Kirikiriroa Hamilton for the Community Foundations of Aotearoa NZ 2026 Conference, Building Connected Communities.

It was a chance to connect, share ideas and reflect on the role community foundations play in building strong, connected communities, no matter what else is happening around us.

The theme running through the conference was social cohesion, the idea that community foundations are critical infrastructure for connected communities. It takes courage to keep stepping into that role, and to keep showing up for community regardless of the political climate. That felt like an important reminder for us.

A few things that stood out:
• We are one of 18 community foundations across the country, together stewarding $366m in community endowment funds
• This year alone, $17m has been granted into New Zealand communities through 2,130 grants
• 785 gifts in Wills have already been committed, securing community funding for generations to come

We were also delighted to see our own board member Alex Hannant appointed to the Community Foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand Board. Congratulations Alex, it’s great to see Te Tauihu represented at a national level.

The conference also marked 10 years to the day since Community Foundations of Aotearoa began. A reminder of how far this movement has come, and how much further it can go when we work together.

A closing quote from Leonard Gardner, former Chair of Momentum Waikato Community Foundation and Strategic Lead, BNZ Theatre, gave us a gentle reminder:
“Philanthropy isn’t about writing cheques. It’s about something far richer: people contribute relationships, influence, expertise, time and care.”

Thank you to Momentum Waikato Community Foundation for hosting, and to everyone who showed up ready to connect. We’re bringing that energy home to Te Tauihu.

15/09/2026

There's something deeply personal about writing a will. It's an act of love for the people you're leaving behind.

For many that love often extends further than family – to a place and a community. Often to the people and spaces that helped to shape you. And a gift to The Top of the South Community Foundation can do that, as well as honouring your commitment to family.

Latest research shows us that across New Zealand, local community impact is one of the top reasons people include a charitable gift in their will. Not instead of providing for their whānau. Alongside it.

Because for most of us, the place that raised us matters almost as much as the people who did.

September is Wills Month.

Source: Giving in Aotearoa NZ, BERL 2026

15/09/2026

This week is Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, celebrating and encouraging the use of te reo Māori in everyday life across Aotearoa.

At Top of the South Community Foundation, this whakataukī speaks closely to our purpose:

Hei whakakakaha i ngā hāpori o Aotearoa
Strengthening the communities of Aotearoa New Zealand.

A fitting message for a week that celebrates the language, identity and connections that strengthen our communities.

Kia kaha te reo Māori.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori runs from 14 to 20 September.

09/09/2026

Annual Grant Recipients for 2026 Announced!

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we’re pleased to share that over 70 initiatives across Te Tauihu have received funding through our Annual Grant Round for 2026, chosen from over 200 applications received this year.

This year, we received over 200 applications from community organisations across Te Tauihu, reflecting both the level of need in our communities and the breadth of work being done across the region.

Congratulations to all our successful applicants, and thank you for the important work you do to strengthen our region and care for our people and places.

And to everyone who applied, thank you. We appreciate the time and effort that goes into every application and recognise the valuable contribution you make to your communities every day.

A heartfelt thank you also to our generous donors, who make this support possible.

👉 Read the full list of recipients here: https://www.topsouthfoundation.org.nz/news/5673-top-of-the-south-community-foundation-announces-2026-grant-round/

09/09/2026

Great to see Top of the South Community Foundation featured in the latest Nelson Weekly.

New research shows strong support for charitable gifts in wills, and a real opportunity to grow lasting generosity across Te Tauihu.

A gift today can keep giving for generations to come.

07/09/2026

Protecting our precious pekapeka takes a huge community effort.

We’re proud to support the Forest & Bird's Te Hoiere Bat Recovery Project through the Marlborough Environment Fund, helping fund the Predator Control Officer who coordinates more than 1,000 traps across the Pelorus and Rai catchments and supports 45 dedicated volunteers.

Together, their work is helping reduce predator pressure on our nationally critical long-tailed bats, while also protecting the forests and native species that share their habitat.

Thank you to our generous donors for making this support possible, and to everyone involved in this important mahi.

We’re excited to share that the Te Hoiere Bat Recovery Programme has received funding from the Top of the South Community Foundation (TSCF) through the Marlborough Environment Fund.

The grant will help fund our Predator Control Officer, who coordinates our network of more than 1,000 traps across the Pelorus and Rai catchments and supports the 45 volunteers who contributed over 1,500 hours last year.

This work aims to keep rat tracking rates below 5%, reducing predation risk for our nationally critical long-tailed bats/pekapeka-tou-roa while also benefiting the native species and forests that share their habitat.

A big thank you to TSCF and the local donors whose generosity makes this work possible. Learn more: https://www.topsouthfoundation.org.nz/about/

07/09/2026

It’s fantastic to see funding turning into practical conservation action across Te Tauihu.

Through our latest grant round, Te Tauihu Environment Trust is supporting Kelly’s Conservation Forest, Roading River Catchment, Friends of Snowden's Bush, Motueka Catchment Collective and the TET Conservation Hub for their mahi.

These grassroots projects are helping restore local environments, support volunteers and strengthen conservation efforts across our region.

Thank you to Te Tauihu Environment Trust for the work you do alongside these groups, and to our generous donors who make this funding possible.

07/09/2026

A powerful story of resilience, generosity and looking to the future.

After rebuilding her life following a serious brain injury, Nelson’s Gay Sweeney has chosen to leave a lasting legacy by supporting brain injury services through a gift in her Will.

Her story is a beautiful example of how giving can grow beyond our lifetime, helping ensure others facing similar challenges feel supported and less alone.

Read Gay’s story below.

Legacy aims to end brain injury isolation

30/08/2026

Some gifts keep giving long after they're made.

When you leave a gift in your will to your local community foundation, it won’t be spent and then gone. We can invest and protect your gift, and put to work for your community every single year.

And the causes you care about? They can keep on benefiting, long after you're gone.

Edna Brown made a bequest to her Tauranga community in 2001 and it's still generating grants today. https://communityfoundations.org.nz/latest-news/a-mighty-legacy

And she's not alone. Here in Nelson Tasman, Gay Sweeney made the same choice for the same reason. Read her story: https://www.topsouthfoundation.org.nz/news/5438-finishing-well-a-gift-in-her-will/

September is Wills Month. We'd love to kōrero.