The Eastern Bay Women’s Impact Fund is a dedicated giving circle focused on empowering women, children, and families in our region and has distributed almost $190,000 to vital local initiatives, since its inception, four years ago.
The impact fund recently completed its 2025 grant cycle, with 35 donors gathering at a luncheon last month, to cast their vote for the latest recipients. This giving circle, where local women pool their resources and democratically select projects, ensures maximum community benefit.
The recipients of the 2025 funding, as voted by the donors, were Waka Eastern Bay Community Transport who received $40,000 and Tautoko Mai Sexual Harm Support who received $5,600.
Waka Eastern Bay – Wāhine on the Move Project will be using the funding to enable local women, some of whom may have disabilities, to come together for social outings and assist them with transport to appointments - making transport accessible and connecting communities across the Eastern Bay.
The Funding given to Tautoko Mai Sexual Harm Support service will be used to facilitate workshops for women after they have received crisis sexual harm counselling and will focus on rebuilding, healing, and living as a survivor of sexual harm.
Trustee, Viv Barr says, “We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone of approaching $200,000 in local impact. Our giving circle is about more than just the money; it is about women coming together and directly investing in the future of the Eastern Bay, by supporting projects that benefit local women and children. We are incredibly excited and look forward to seeing the impact that Waka Eastern Bay’s project, will make.”
The Eastern Bay Women’s Impact Fund, managed by the Eastern Bay Community Foundation, is now open for the 2026 year and is seeking new and existing donors who wish to be part of this powerful giving circle. The Impact of this fund grows each year, making a difference in the lives of women and children in our community. There will be a lunch to launch the fund early next year, which will celebrate the fifth year of the Eastern Bay Women's Impact Fund.
Want to find out more? Go to https://www.ebcf.nz/womens-impact/
Renee Lubbe (Waka Eastern Bay), Angela Jackson (Eastern Bay Community Foundation), Candice Donner (Waka Eastern Bay), Robyn Woolsey, Viv Barr, Wendy Tozer (Eastern Bay Women's Impact Fund) and Chairperson Waka Eastern Bay Andrew Isles.
Viv Barr, Robyn Woolsey Wendy Tozer (Eastern Bay Women's Impact Fund) presenting the Tautoko Mai team with the funding.
