Top of the South Community Foundation

30/07/2026

Community organisations across Te Tauihu do incredible work, but we know time and capacity are often stretched. Kōtuitui Community Development Agency is gathering insights to help shape practical support that reflects what our sector really needs.

If you're part of a community organisation, please take five minutes to complete the survey. Your feedback will help inform the support offered across our region.

Take the survey via the original post below.

Not enough hours in the day to even ask for help? We get it.
That's exactly why we're running this survey: so support for community orgs in Te Tauihu can be timely, practical, and low-effort to access.
5 minutes. Your voice shapes what gets offered next.

https://kotuitui-sector-support.netlify.app/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTWJbZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFzZXB1SHVjV2FPM05Da0xxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHoyCGYqqHoMlFgQHfr3Ff_ZjXqlEb-4M2yi5J-MkR_sgnu82XkBynC17YJdm_aem_dU0Y_uQUKTduuGMkZqHh_w

27/07/2026

We're bringing together leaders from Rangitāne o Wairau and Craigs Investment Partners for a conversation about long term thinking, leadership and creating lasting impact in Te Tauihu.

Thursday 6 August | 5pm | Small Town Winery, 4 Horton Street, Mayfield, Blenheim

We'd love to see you there, register for the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce event today:

Join Rangitāne o Wairau, Top of the South Community Foundation and Craigs Investment Partners for an evening of conversation, connection, and future thinking. The Long View explores what it means to invest beyond the here and now—whether in our businesses, our communities, or the legacy we lea...

21/07/2026

Deep in the forests of Te Hoiere, Marlborough, a small but mighty taonga is fighting to survive. The pekapeka-tou-roa, New Zealand's long-tailed bat, is nationally critical, and every roost protected matters.

Through the generous support of donors, the Top of the South Community Foundation supported Forest & Bird's Te Hoiere Bat Recovery Project to purchase four AT220 self-resetting traps and lure which were deployed around known maternity roosts where bats and their pups are most at risk.

Read the full story on our blog: https://www.topsouthfoundation.org.nz/news/5425-fighting-for-pekapeka-how-community-funding-is-protecting-marlboroughs-long-tailed-bats/

14/07/2026

In May we had the privilege of visiting the Nelson Marlborough Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust and seeing the new H145 up close, ahead of its official launch.

What stood out most wasn't just the aircraft itself — but the incredible team behind it.

Thanks to the generosity of local donors, ongoing professional development for the medics on board is being supported — helping ensure crews are equipped with the skills and training needed when every second counts.

It's a powerful reminder that community generosity doesn't just fund equipment — it strengthens the people delivering life-saving care across our region.

👉 Find out more about the Nelson Marlborough Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust: nelsonmarlboroughrescuehelicopter.org.nz

12/07/2026

Every day across the top of the South, people are doing it tough — and generosity is what helps communities respond and thrive.

Payroll Giving is one of the simplest ways to be part of that. A small, regular donation from your pay — as little as $5 — that grows into meaningful impact over time.

No invoices. No receipts. No paperwork. Just giving, made easy.

Your 33.3% donation tax credit is applied automatically — so there's nothing to claim at the end of the financial year.

As Tanya McMurtrie puts it: "I may not be able to change everything about society today that I don't like, but I can make a difference to others through small, consistent contributions."
Good for you. Good for your community.

✅ Strengthens your connection to the place you live and work
✅ Builds pride — for as little as the cost of a coffee a week
✅ Inclusive by design — the focus is on participation, not the size of your contribution
✅ Flexible — choose how much, how often, and adjust any time

If your employer offers Payroll Giving, talk to them about adding the Top of the South Community Foundation. And if they don't — it might be time to suggest it.

09/07/2026

It doesn't take much to change a young person's life. Just someone who shows up.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nelson-Tasman matches around 170 rangatahi across the region with volunteer mentors who give 1–3 hours a week. No agenda. Just a genuine friendship that helps build confidence, develop social skills, and opens up experiences young people might not otherwise have.

It's quiet work. But for the young people involved, it can change everything.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nelson-Tasman has an established Community Group Fund with the Top of the South Community Foundation — ensuring that donations are professionally invested and the income keeps flowing back into life-changing mentoring, year after year, for generations to come.

Local giving. Lasting impact.

Read the featured article in The Nelson Mail tomorrow, Saturday 11th July.

09/07/2026

Te Tauihu Environment TrustTe Tauihu Environment Trust (TET) is a conservation hub that empowers community groups to focus on what they do best—protecting our natural world. We handle the paperwork,...

09/07/2026

Congratulations to Wild Waikawa - Protecting Papatūānuku on being selected by Ma Earth, an international funding platform supporting community led regeneration projects. Out of more than 800 applications from around the world, Wild Waikawa was one of just 200 projects chosen to receive matched fundraising.

Until 21 July, every donation made to Wild Waikawa will be matched, helping to double the impact of local giving.

It's a wonderful opportunity to support the incredible work being done to restore and protect one of Marlborough's special places, while showing the strength of community led conservation.

If you're able to, now is the perfect time to get behind Wild Waikawa and help make every dollar go even further.

Wild Waikawa's Michelle Clark, left, and Nigel Muir receive recognition from Mayor Nadine Taylor at the Marlborough Community & Volunteer of the Year Awards on 25 June. Photo: Evan Tuchinsky

07/07/2026

To restore a place, you must first remember it. Its names, its stories, and the people who have always belonged to it.

Through the generous support of donors to the Top of the South Community Foundation, Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-A-Māui Trust restored two culturally significant wetlands in Marlborough, now known by their rightful names: Waipuna and Waitoari.

Over 2,000 native plants were put in the ground where the willows were cleared. Tamariki were trained to monitor pest traps and Waipuna Stream was officially recognised as a waterway, not a stormwater drain.

01/07/2026

What does it look like when generosity meets generosity?

Claire McKenzie volunteers each week at Curtain Bank - Nelson Tasman Marlborough, helping an organisation that provides free curtains to families and whānau across Te Tauihu. By making homes warmer and healthier, Curtain Bank helps reduce energy costs for those who need it most.

Earlier this year, Claire took part in the Community Foundations of Aotearoa NZ Giving in Aotearoa Survey and won the $1,000 prize draw. Without hesitation, she donated every dollar back to Curtain Bank Nelson.

It's a wonderful example of generosity inspiring generosity.

Curtain Bank Nelson is looking for volunteers on Tuesdays and Thursdays to help sort and measure curtains. No sewing experience is needed, just a willingness to lend a hand. If you'd like to get involved, contact Claire at Curtain Bank Nelson to find out more.

That's the kind of community spirit that makes Te Tauihu such a special place to call home.

Photos by: Martin De Ruyter