Managers Forum – sharing ideas to fund the future
Exploring ways to ensure their organisations are the best grant-makers they can be was high on the agenda of a fund managers meeting held in Whakatane last week (Friday 24 February).
Hosted by Eastern Bay Energy Trust, the Managers Forum arose from a discussion between EBET Manager Rawinia Kamau and WEL Energy Trust Manager Raewyn Jones at an industry conference in 2015.
“We recognised the need for the region’s Trusts to have a regular forum to share ideas and information and to explore areas of collaboration. Two years of quarterly meetings later, the Forum has extended to include all major funders in the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Eastland areas,” Ms Kamau explains.
‘The whole objective is to have conversations that encourage lateral thinking about initiatives that result in more effective and efficient funding organisations, for the benefit of our communities, now and in the future.”
Forum members include the Managers of Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust, Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust, Eastland Community Trust, WEL Energy Trust, Eastern Bay Energy Trust, Trust Waikato, BayTrust and The Acorn Foundation. Together the Forum member organisations have assets of $1.85 billion and have distributed $44 million to their communities in the last financial year. BayTrust and Trust Waikato were created by the sale of Trustee Savings banks in the late-1980s, while EBET, Eastland Community Trust, WEL Trust, and Rotorua Charitable Trust were formed following corporatisation of local power companies in the mid-1990s.
Ms Kamau points to the Sustainable Housing Report, produced last year, as one example of a collaborative approach spurred by the Forum.
That project saw BayTrust join forces with Eastern Bay Energy Trust, Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust, Rotorua Trust and the Acorn Foundation to commission a high-level strategic advisory paper from the Centre for Social Impact, examining a wide range of housing issues affecting Whakatane, Opotiki, Kawerau, Rotorua, Taupo, Tauranga City and Western Bay of Plenty.
Tony Gill, Manager of the Rotorua Energy Consumer Trust, says the Forum is an opportunity to discuss what’s working and what may not be working so well in the various areas, and to learn from those experiences.
“All the managers are relatively new to their roles and keen to explore common topics through frank and open discussion within the forum,” Mr Gill adds.
The newest member of the group, Eastland Community Trust Manager Leighton Evans, says he is finding the opportunity to engage with fellow managers very valuable.
“Beside the chance to discuss strategic and operational issues, the collegial support is very important. Leading a team can be quite a lonely job, so it’s good to share experiences and thoughts with others in a similar situation. There’s some great discussion on the table and I’m really looking forward to the next one.”
Meanwhile, the Eastern Bay Energy Trust announced grants to three local organisations, following its February meeting:
Opape Marae & Urupa Trust - $26,270.72 towards electrical supply, rewiring, switches, insulation, radiant heating, ceiling fans and lighting for its wharenui rebuild.
Tuwharetoa Ki Kawerau Health Education & Social Services - $4,085.00 towards supply and installation of two heat pumps.
Hospice EBOP - $2,755.00 towards sound system hire for Sunshine and a Plate Gourmet Markets.