22 Years Later, $25 Million of Local Impact

Thanks to the generosity of more than 500+ donor funds, Acorn Foundation has gifted over $25 million since 2003 to hundreds of local community organisations and scholarship programmes.

Make a gift that keeps on giving

Unlike a one-off donation to a specific charity, gifts given through the Acorn Foundation’s Smarter Giving Model are invested in perpetuity, generating income that is distributed annually to community organisations in the Western Bay of Plenty. This means that a gift from a generous donor will continue to give back to causes close to their heart, for many years to come.

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News and updates

How Acorn's Local Impact Funds Were Created

24 Oct 2025

How Acorn's Local Impact Funds Were Created

Discover how David and Susan Campbell’s generosity led to the creation of the Kaituna–Maketū Local Impact Fund with Acorn Foundation — a lasting legacy supporting the community for generations to…

Partnering to Prosper

22 Oct 2025

Partnering to Prosper

Discover how Acorn Foundation and SociaLink are partnering to prosper – building stronger, more sustainable communities through collaboration and shared impact.

Wills Month: How Edna Brown Planted the First Acorn

28 Aug 2025

Wills Month: How Edna Brown Planted the First Acorn

How a quiet bequest from Tauranga resident Edna Brown became the very first Acorn Foundation fund, sparking more than $84k in grants (and counting) for medical charities while her original gift keeps…

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