Arts and Environment

Thanks to the support of a growing number of very generous people in our local community, the following Named Funds have been established in the Arts and Environment categories and are available to receive donations and gifts of all sizes, including bequests and endowments from other generous people.

You can make a donation here to any of these Funds, simply select the Fund name from the drop down menu and make your donation.

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ARTS

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Arts Fund
Established by Geyser Trustees in 2012, the Geyser Arts Fund represents donations from individuals, organisations and businesses in the Rotorua and Taupo Districts who want to contribute towards a permanent legacy for the benefit of their community to engage with and participate in disciplines of art.

Colin & Jenny McDonald Fund
Disabled people and classical musicians in the Rotorua and Taupō District communities will benefit from this Fund, established in 2019 by Jenny McDonald to honour the memory of her late husband, Colin.

Michael Pilaar Memorial Music Fund
Michael Pilaar, a talented musician died from Melanoma in June 2017, aged 19. The Pilaar family established this Fund to honour the memory of Michael and to assist young musicians in the Rotorua and Taupō Districts reach their goals. Michael was a great communicator who was able to reach people through music. He had a great sense of fun, passion and enjoyment, and wanted to make a positive difference in their lives. The family would like to foster this spirit in other young musicians by providing financial assistance.

Rotorua Women’s Club Fund
In 2020, the Rotorua Women’s Club established this Fund to benefit women and women’s groups in the Rotorua District community.

Taupō School of Music Fund
In 2022, The Taupō School of Music established their fund with Geyser as part of a long-term strategy. Established in 1989, Taupō School of Music offers quality small group music lessons that are affordable and accessible to primary and intermediate aged children living in Taupō. Taupō School of Music tutors are experienced, well qualified tutors who inspire all students to play to the best of their ability.

The Bushman’s Son Fund
Local artist, Terry Fergusson established this Fund in 2017 to support emerging artists and writers residing or having family links in the Rotorua District community to study, engage with or participate in Visual or Written Arts, including drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, graphics, architecture, writing and poetry.

Ynys Fraser Poetry Fund
In 2023, the Family of Ynys Joy Fraser, QSM established this Fund to recognise their mother’s, grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s love of literature, and her life-long work in and contribution to the local community over many decades. Distributions from the Fund will be used for emerging or established poets residing or having family links in the Rotorua District to publish their poetry.

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ENVIRONMENT

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Environment Fund
An anonymous donor established this Fund in 2014, the income from which is directed at charitable purposes and projects which advance the protection, promotion and preservation of the natural environment, flora and fauna of the Rotorua and Taupō District communities.

Kaharoa Kōkako Conservation Fund
In 2007, the Kaharoa Kōkako Trust formed the “Kōkako Nest Egg” Fund. Renamed Kaharoa Kōkako Conservation Fund in 2015, it was transferred to the Geyser Community Foundation to manage in perpetuity. Income earned on the capital is made available to the Kaharoa Kōkako Trust to support the work they do to protect kōkako in the Kaharoa forest.

Tongariro Memorial Fund
The Tongariro Memorial Fund is a living legacy to four national park rangers: William Cooper, Keith Blumhardt, Derek White, Marie Williams, and pilot Douglas McKenzie who died in the helicopter crash in the park in December 1982. It was transferred to Geyser in 2015. The annual income is made available to Project Tongariro every year for investment in one of four key areas of focus: biodiversity, education, history or recreation, and enable continued development of projects and programmes in and around Tongariro National Park, World Heritage Area and in the wider Taupō region.