Apply for a grant from Sunrise - NOW

Sunrise's 2021 annual funding round is now open to apply for grants.

Sunrise supports charities and community organisations that have a charitable purpose in Tairāwhiti-Gisborne (the area covered by Gisborne District Council). 

As a community endowment foundation Sunrise invests all donations and bequests in endowment funds in perpetuity (forever), protecting and growing the capital for future generations. We then use the income from those investments to make grants to charitable causes in Tairāwhiti -Gisborne every year, forever. All the money raised here, stays here.

Glenda Stokes, Sunrise executive officer says that “through the donations from local donors Sunrise has grown endowments to $6 million since we launched in October 2014. We have a very generous community”.

“In turn this enabled us to gift grants with a total value of $568,000 to causes across the arts, education, environment, health, social services and sports communities in Tairāwhiti-Gisborne in our first six funding rounds”.

As a community foundation Sunrise is only allowed to use one percent of donations to cover overheads.

John Clarke, Sunrise chair, says that “while it is great for Sunrise donors to know that 99 percent of their donation works for our community, it does mean that Sunrise has to source alternative funding for administration costs”.

“We have been fortunate to have the backing of our funders Trust Tairāwhiti and Clark Charitable Trust, Gold Sponsors Amber Dental, Bayleys Gisborne, Larsen Sawmilling and Self-Storage Gisborne, plus numerous other sponsors and volunteers that have helped us as we strive to build a taonga for our community.”

John added that “Sunrise is the fastest growing community foundation in New Zealand, our results are years ahead of where we forecast we would be”.

“We give wholehearted thanks to our donors, funders, sponsors and volunteers, who have helped to make this happen”.

Sunrise’s annual funding round is now open for applications until 20 July 2021 at 4pm.

Please visit our Grants page for the application form and funding policy.