Our Stories

As well as growing the endowment funds, The Sunrise Foundation is focused on giving back to the community. We support a diverse range of groups and organisations with grants given out each year.

Thanks Noel Leeming Thank you to the team at Gisborne’s Noel Leeming who donated $1099. 66 to the Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust Endowment Fund.

The War Memorial Theatre Gisborne Trust is the latest local charity to establish an endowment fund at The Sunrise Foundation.  

Warren Bowers wanted to gift more than just cash to his nieces and nephew at Christmas time, he wanted to involve them in the process of giving back to their community.

We’re thrilled to welcome Architects 44 to our Sunrise team since they’ve joined us as a Gold sponsor.

In 2018, Bob and Aileen Harris gifted a donation of $1.38m to Sunrise and requested it be used to create the Bob and Aileen Harris named fund. This is the largest bequest we have received to date.

At six years old Dion Williams joined the Nippers programme as a ‘grom’ at Wainui Surf Lifesaving Club and he’s never looked back.

In the early days of Sunrise, a scholarship fund was set up with EIT to support one or two students each year who are facing hardship or where financial assistance will make a difference.