Top of the South Community Foundation

05/10/2026

Victory Boxing, Nelson, New Zealand is more than a gym. It's a place where young people in Nelson discover what they're made of.

Through generous support of donors to the Top of the South Community Foundation, Victory Boxing Charitable Trust received funding to keep their after-school youth programmes running. It gave rangatahi aged 8 to 18 a safe, welcoming space built on respect, responsibility, determination, and caring.

The results speak for themselves. Gloves on, heads up, attitude everything.

Read the full story on our blog: http://topsouthfoundation.org.nz/news/5744-more-than-a-gym/

Walk into Victory Boxing on any given afternoon and you'll find something that looks like a boxing gym — bags, gloves, a ring — but feels like something more. It's a community. A place where young people arrive uncertain and leave standing taller. Where the values on the wall —…

04/10/2026

Nathan Faavae is taking on another huge challenge, this time the Great Alabama 650, a 650-mile solo paddle race in the United States.

And he’s using the adventure to support something close to home.
Nathan is asking people to sponsor a mile for $10, with all funds raised going to the Fa’avae Pasifika Fund, managed by Top of the South Community Foundation.

The fund helps create opportunities for Pasifika youth in Nelson Tasman to get involved, build confidence and try new experiences.

Over the years, the fund has helped support programmes with Whenua Iti Outdoors, opening up new experiences and opportunities for local young people.

Nathan will do the paddling. We can help make every mile count.

Sponsor a mile, or a few, here:

Sponsor a mile of my 650-mile solo paddle and help create opportunities for Pasifika youth in Tasman.

01/10/2026

Meet Mariah, whose journey with Wild Waikawa is proof of what mentorship can do.

With support from Top of the South Community Foundation and generous donors, Mariah spent nine months working alongside the team at Wild Waikawa - Protecting Papatūānuku. She checked 23km of trapping trails each month and helped remove more than 1,000 introduced predators from the ecosystem, while building the skills and confidence to lead volunteer groups and mentor young rangitahi along the way.

Mariah has since been offered multiple conservation roles, and has taken up a position with the Department of Conservation protecting endangered birds.

As Trustee Michelle Clark shared, “This funding has created an impact far beyond the hours worked. It gave Mariah the opportunity to turn her training into real world conservation experience.”

Read the full story: https://www.topsouthfoundation.org.nz/news/5718-a-grant-that-launched-a-career/

Some grants change a landscape. This one changed a career. Over nine months, Mariah, an NMIT Kaitiaki Ranger trainee, went from a five week placement at Wild Waikawa to a trusted team member, and is now working professionally in conservation. With support from Top of the South Community Foundation a...

01/10/2026

Every gift entrusted to Top of the South Community Foundation is managed with care, with a focus on creating lasting benefit for Te Tauihu.

Our Finance, Audit, Investment & Risk Committee provides independent oversight of the Foundation’s financial management helping to safeguard the funds entrusted to us and support long-term financial sustainability.

This year, the Committee completed the Foundation’s first Statement of Investment Principles and Objectives (SIPO), replacing the previous Investment Policy Statement and establishing a clear framework for long-term investment management and performance monitoring.

With $12.2 million now under management, this careful stewardship is an important part of ensuring generosity today can continue supporting our communities for generations to come.

Following our AGM and the release of our 2026 Impact Report, Paul Nicholson, Chair of our FAIR Committee, takes us behind the scenes of the careful decisions and oversight that help protect donor capital and support lasting impact across Te Tauihu.

Read the full story → https://www.topsouthfoundation.org.nz/news/5661-behind-the-scenes-tscf-finance-audit-investment-risk-fair-committee/

Every grant Top of the South Community Foundation (TSCF) makes is only possible because of the funds behind it, and looking after those funds is a job in itself. This time, we're turning the spotlight on the Finance, Audit, Investment & Risk (FAIR) Committee, the group responsible for making sure…

24/09/2026

Behind every community foundation is a team of people who believe in the work and we're incredibly grateful for ours.

A heartfelt thank you to GoAccounting for their expert guidance and year-round support, including preparing our annual financial accounts this year. Their expertise and care help us demonstrate the transparency and accountability that our donors, grant recipients, and community deserve.

It takes a village and Go Accounting are a valued part of ours. Ngā mihi nui.

24/09/2026

Our 2025/26 Impact Report and Performance Report are here.

Shared with our community at last nights AGM, this year's report carries the theme Giving that grows forever, reflecting a simple idea at the heart of our work: local generosity can keep making a difference long into the future.

This year's report shares the people and stories behind that impact, from donors and the causes they care deeply about, to community organisations doing incredible work across Nelson, Tasman, Golden Bay and Marlborough.

It also marks an exciting next chapter for the Foundation. We now have over $12 million under management, and our refreshed Strategy to 2030 sets an ambition to grow that to $30 million, creating even greater potential to support Te Tauihu, forever.

Over the past year, we distributed more than 100 grants totalling $610,686 to community organisations across our region. Since the Foundation began in 2010, that support has grown to more than $1.4 million across 341 grants. Behind every one is a donor who chose to give, and a community that felt the difference.

Inside, you'll find the stories of three of our generous donors, thirteen grant funding stories from across the region, and a look at our 15 Community Group Funds.

For those who would like the full financial picture, our Performance Report is also available to read alongside the Impact Report.

To everyone who has been part of this year, thank you. This report is a celebration of what your generosity, time and belief in Te Tauihu makes possible.

Giving that grows forever.

📖 Read our 2025/26 Impact Report:https://www.topsouthfoundation.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/TSCF-202526-Impact-Report.pdf
📊 Read our Performance Report:https://www.topsouthfoundation.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/TSCF-2026-performance-report-signed.pdf

24/09/2026

Giving that grows forever. That was the theme of our 2026 Annual General Meeting, and it was wonderful to see it come to life on Wednesday evening at the Nelson Centre of Musical Arts. Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate a year of growth and share our vision for the years ahead.

This year has been about strengthening the foundations that make lasting impact possible. Together with our donors, we:

🌿 Awarded over 100 grants worth $610,686 across Te Tauihu
🌿 Grew our funds under management to over $12 million, creating funding that will keep giving forever
🌿 Saw future gifts in Wills expected to exceed $20 million
🌿 Established three new Community Group Funds, bringing the total to 15
🌿 Launched our Professional Advisors Network
🌿 Became a Local Donation Manager for The Tindall Foundation

We also shared our Strategy to 2030, with an ambition of $30 million under management. That number is the measure, not the purpose. The purpose is more reliable funding for Te Tauihu, supporting the people, places and nature of our region for generations to come.

A real highlight was hearing from three cadets whose units were supported through The Wares Family Fund. Their stories were a powerful reminder of what local generosity makes possible for young people in our region.

A huge thank you to Craigs Investment Partners for sponsoring the evening, and to Arron Perriam, Director of Philanthropy and Intergenerational Wealth, for his insights into the intergenerational transfer of wealth happening across New Zealand, and the opportunity to keep more of it working right here in Te Tauihu.

Every guest took home a native seedling, with a label that reads: "A community flourishes when people plant trees under whose shade they will never sit." A fund, a gift in your Will, or any act of generosity works in much the same way. A decision made today can grow into something far greater over time.

Thank you to our trustees, operations team, donors, partners and everyone who came along, and to Martin De Ruyter for capturing the evening so beautifully in photographs. Lasting change happens when a community chooses to invest in its own future, and we are so grateful you are part of it.

Copies of our 2025/26 Impact Report and Performance Report were shared on the night. You can read them and find out more about giving that grows forever at https://www.topsouthfoundation.org.nz/faqs/resources/

22/09/2026

When whales strand in Mohua / Golden Bay, local knowledge and quick action can make a real difference.

With support from Top of the South Community Foundation donors, Project Jonah New Zealand brought its Marine Mammal Medic course to Golden Bay in December 2025.

The one-day course gave local participants practical skills to safely support stranded whales and dolphins, helping build a stronger network of trained responders in one of the world’s whale stranding hotspots.

It’s a great example of donor generosity building skills that stay in the community long after the funding is given.

You can support Project Jonah by following their mahi, training as a Marine Mammal Medic, signing up for their newsletter or making a donation at: www.projectjonah.org.nz

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.