Love Wānaka Community Fund

Driven by a deep passion for the outdoors, Racers Edge Wanaka has taken a bold step to protect the very landscapes that inspire their work 💫 As a founding member of Love Wānaka’s Impact Partner Programme, 1% of Racers Edge’s proceeds now support local environmental efforts -- and they're giving their customers an opportunity to do their bit, too. Read more about their commitment below, and make sure to head their way next time you're stocking up your outdoor kit. Supporting local never felt so good. https://lnkd.in/gfYfszNC

Celebrating Love Wānaka’s First Impact Partners! 💫 Last month, we proudly launched the Love Wānaka Impact Partner Programme: an invitation for our business community to come together and accelerate grassroots environmental efforts through considered and strategic giving. Today, we’re thrilled to celebrate the first 10 Impact Partners who have joined the mission: 🔺 Release NZ 🔺 Racers Edge 🔺 Wānaka Mountain Guides 🔺 Wildwire 🔺 New Zealand Photography Workshops 🔺 Active Massage 🔺 Copper Beech Lodge Wānaka 🔺 Brand+Butter 🔺 Wānaka iSite Visitor Centre (Honorary Impact Partner) 🔺 Queenstown Airport (Honorary Impact Partner) These inspiring businesses are committing 1% of their proceeds to support local environmental initiatives, leading the way with courage and a shared vision for the health and wellbeing of our environment, and the role the local business community can play in that.   Ready to join the movement? Click the link below for all the information you need to start to the journey. https://lnkd.in/gWfBA9JK A big thank you once more: Racers Edge Wanaka Wildwire Wanaka Wānaka Mountain Guides New Zealand Photography Workshops Active Massage Brand+Butter Queenstown Airport (ZQN) Release NZ- Luxury Vacation Homes & Experiences In Wanaka & Queenstown Wānaka iSite Visitor Centre Copper Beech Lodge Wānaka

We're living in challenging times, but there's still so much to celebrate 💫 Every day we're reading headlines about funding cuts, policy changes and climate "u-turns", but when you look at what's happening at the grassroots, hope is alive and well. And as Monique Kelly says, we need to celebrate that. We'll be standing alongside Wao next Thursday to tautoko (support, celebrate, amplify) our incredible community of change-makers - those who show up day-in, day-out, to give back to this incredible place of ours and help create the foundations of a thriving future. And we hope you'll be there too - to show this community that we appreciate their mahi, to let our tamariki know we care about their future, and to ensure our voice is heard loud and clear. Wao have all the details below 👇

Join the movement 🌻 Last week, we launched the Love Wānaka Impact Partner Programme - an opportunity for businesses big and small to give back and support local environmental efforts in a way that is simple, convenient, and most importantly, impactful. It’s designed to take the admin out of business giving, all the while amplifying the impact of that giving on your business and the environment at the heart of our home.   Right now, we’re building out our Founding 50 – a collective of 50 businesses each donating 1% of their proceeds to support local environmental action. Here are 5 reasons to join the movement: 🌻 It's good business Building a strong purpose into your business – and backing it up with tangible action – is more important now than ever, but it’s not only a win for the environment – it’s a win for your business, too. Giving back and leading with purpose enables you to strengthen your connection with your customers and community, attract and retain top talent, and stand out amongst the crowd. 🌻 We're in it for the collective good We pool our funds for collective impact, so no matter the size of your business or your contribution, your support drives meaningful mahi (work) that will make a real difference to this place, now and into the future. 🌻 We're all about the impact Every dollar you give is destined for big things, with 100% of our funding going direct to impact. Thanks to the generous support of our delivery partners, everything we raise is on-allocated to those who need it most, whether we’re supporting immediate environmental needs through our Annual Impact Grants or growing the Endowment Fund to benefit this place long into the future. 🌻 It's not just for us, it's for our kids, and their kids, too 20% of the funds we raise are invested into an endowment fund with the support of our friends at the Wakatipu Community Foundation. This fund will grow over time, allowing for substantial, long-term funding opportunities for generations to come. 🌻 We're backed by the experts Each year, we allocate funds to local organisations who operate in the climate, conservation, and biodiversity space, all under the guidance of our independent Distribution Committee. This Committee is made up of experts in the field, meaning the hard decisions are left up to those in the know. 🌻 Bonus tip: It's easy! You can give on an annual basis or sign-up for automated monthly contributions. If your situation changes, no stress. You can change or cancel at any time. So, what are you waiting for? Join the movement now and be part of the collective of businesses giving back and making a lasting difference to this place. Check out the Love Wānaka website for further information, and when you're ready, reach out to our team (hi, Ash Bickley!) to start the journey. 🖥 https://lnkd.in/giqcn8Mv ---

Ready to level up your commitment to local environmental action? 💫 Today marks the official launch of Love Wānaka's Impact Partner Programme - an opportunity for our business community to come together and support grassroots environmental efforts in a way that is simple, convenient, and most importantly, impactful. Click the link below for everything you need to know about becoming an Impact Partner, and be quick to register your interest to be among the Founding 50 ⚡ https://lnkd.in/gWfBA9JK #lovewanaka

Wao Summit 2024 ⚡ The most impactful week for climate action and community growth in the Southern Lakes is back. Mark your diaries and score your early bird tickets below.

Announcing our 2024 Impact Grant Recipients 💫 Four incredible local organisations are set to receive some much-needed support following Love Wānaka’s first grants round, and we couldn’t be more excited to share them with you. Click through to hear all about the inspiring mahi made possible thanks to the generosity of our local business community and passionate visitors, as well as a chance to hear from the organisations themselves. A big (big!) thank you goes out to each and every one of you who got behind us in year one - Lake Wanaka Tourism Destination Queenstown Inc Queenstown Airport (ZQN) Edgewater Wanaka New Zealand Photography Workshops Whare Kea Lodge & Chalet Rhythm and Alps Red Star Burger Bar Mountainwatch Untouched World Roam Clothing The Centre for GOOD Travel Federal Diner, WanaHaka, Wānaka Lavender Farm, Discover Wānaka, Paloma Tacqueria, Drink Sidetracks, Rhyme and Reason Brewing, WellBean Cafe, The Cardrona, General Service, Copper Beech Lodge, Wānaka Top 10 Holiday Park, PE Nation, and The Alpine Group. And of course, to our amazingcharitable partners at the Wakatipu Community Foundation. We wouldn't be here without you. Here's to many more good news stories in the future 🌈 https://lnkd.in/g9Y_jSMb

Award winning films set to inspire connection with the natural world 🌿 The 2024 Wao Film Festival is a showcase of carefully curated films and documentaries that are set to inspire positive transformations, including a special piece close to our hearts. Winner of the Lake Wanaka Tourism and Monster Children Group short film awards, MAHIKA KAI follows a family of Kāi Tahu cultural conservators on their mission to rehabilitate disintegrating landscapes through the regeneration of traditional food gathering practices. Tūmai Cassidy’s tautiakitaka (guardianship) draws on the wisdom of his ancestors, restoring both Māori food sources such as tuna (eel) and Weka (bird), as well as the language intrinsic to these practices. See Mahika Kai on opening night Thursday 9 May, alongside two more locally directed and produced films as part of an “Our Place” screening. For all tickets, program and event information https://lnkd.in/gwwxe77b --- For further information on the film and all film credits, head to https://lnkd.in/gxxwiEGp

Celebrating one year of Love Wānaka 🖤 This week, 12 months on from our official launch, we're excited to announce the opening of our first charitable funding round, supporting the mahi of those on the ground driving essential action in the climate, conservation, and biodiversity spaces right here in Wānaka. Click the link below to find out more about the funding available, and if you know of a local organisation who could do with a little love, make sure to send them our way. We're proud of our efforts to date and couldn't be more grateful to those who have rolled up their sleeves and joined the mission 💫 A big thank you to our supporters - big and small - and all those who have played their part in ensuring this place thrives now, and into the future. 🖤🖤 🖤 https://lnkd.in/dmu2RsQp

Be amongst the early-adopters, the change-makers, the movers and shakers 💫   Love Wānaka is soon to celebrate its first anniversary, and with that, the opening of its first charitable funding round.   Want to be part of it?   Then now is the time.   Donate ahead of the financial-year-end, and you’ll be amongst the early-adopters, the change-makers, and the movers and shakers who have shown up and committed invaluable funds to support essential environmental mahi in Love Wānaka’s first year.   Every donation, no matter how big or small, helps drive critical climate, conservation, and biodiversity efforts so that this place can continue to thrive - now and for generations to come.   It’s one way of showing your love for this incredible place – and some might even say it’s a responsibility for those of us who get to live, work, play, and profit off this stunning yet fragile ecosystem.   Need a little more information before you put your valuable dollars towards something fresh?   No sweat – see below for the answers to our most frequently asked questions.   And thank you(!) for joining us on our mission to regenerate our rohe – we love you for it, and so does this place 💗 https://lnkd.in/gbxC7JS2 https://lnkd.in/gPvgyVpg