Business growth

Building a strong foundation: How Kura Tāwhiti is redefining philanthropy in Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri

2 Mar 2026

At the heart of New Zealand’s fastest-growing region, Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri are gaining traction. A rising populace and recent economic upswing, set against a flourishing cultural backdrop, are paving the way for local innovation and investment.

With this momentum comes a real opportunity, and responsibility, to align regional success with community impact that continues to support everyone, in perpetuity. Now more than ever, pro-social and long-term thinking is needed to translate present growth into future well-being, and ensure no-one is left behind.

While philanthropy may not be a term that resonates with many New Zealand businesses, purpose and sustainability certainly are. Environmental and social impacts are becoming increasingly important to staff, stakeholders and customers alike, which is why long-term investment in community wellbeing is not only about charity, but also about resilience.

Kura Tāwhiti – Canterbury Community Foundation, formerly known as the Christchurch Foundation, supports individuals and organisations to give back locally in a structured, sustainable way. One of 18 community foundations across Aotearoa New Zealand, Kura Tāwhiti runs a well-established model of place-based philanthropy used in more than 1,800 communities worldwide. Rather than treating gifts as a one-off expenditure, community foundations pool donor contributions into professionally managed endowment funds that grow over time, distributing returns as grants to local charities and causes.

KT Logoscape - Kura Tāwhiti

The organisation rebranded to Kura Tāwhiti in November 2025, following a major restructure over the previous two years. Originally established to manage major philanthropy and partnerships to support the region's recovery and long-term wellbeing, the foundation has doubled down on building organisational sustainability, strengthening local ties, and making giving more accessible and aligned with community needs.

CEO Lynne Umbers says that rebranding was “a major milestone", marking a new chapter in how the foundation serves Christchurch City and the Selwyn and Waimakariri districts. The new logo and brand identity captures the cultural and regional significance of the new name—Kura Tāwhiti—gifted by Ngāi Tahu leader Te Maire Tau and eponymous with Castle Hill.

“The transformation was intended to provide greater transparency and clarity of purpose, better alignment between language and values, and a clearer emphasis on long-term thinking. We wanted a brand that embodies what we stand for and reflects our shift in purpose to build long-term funding streams that will support future generations,” Lynne says.

Early indicators suggest that this shift is taking hold. Borne out of the generosity of local people and businesses, Kura Tāwhiti has delivered almost $395,000 to community causes in the last financial year, bringing total distributions to $15.7 million since inception. The Foundation is growing a Discretionary Fund to provide urgent support to civic emergencies as they arise (think the Port Hills Fires), and a Green Philanthropy Fund, which welcomes contributions of any size to support reforestation and other conservation projects. Named and purpose-led funds, such as the Women Entrepreneurs Fund established by Joy Shivas in 2022, allow donors to personally direct their means to causes that matter to them, in this case providing untied grants to support female start-up founders with living expenses.

Team shot- Kura Tāwhiti

Kura Tāwhiti works with Canterbury businesses to create structured approaches to support the wider community, including initiatives such as In Business, For Good, which focuses on staff engagement, networking opportunities with values-aligned businesses, and guidance on bespoke giving solutions. An example of this in action is the Urban Forest initiative with Christchurch City Council, where local organisations can support the planting and care of fruit trees in urban areas to increase the city’s food resilience and overhead canopy.

For businesses, partnering with a community foundation is one way to invest in the social and economic systems that underpin a healthy region—both today, and for the generations that follow. Canterbury’s renaissance is well worth celebrating, but its future can be further galvanised by responsible growth, long-term thinking, and collective generosity.

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