Meet some of our Donors

The work of Advance Ashburton is only possible due to the generosity of our donors.  Whilst some donors chose to leave a bequest in their will, other donors choose to donate during their lifetime, thereby sharing in the joy of philanthropy and seeing the added value that their donation is contributing to our community.
Graham Gunn

​“You can see the positive difference Advance Ashburton Community Foundation is making in our community, and I feel very comfortable knowing that my legacy is in very safe hands”.

Graham Gunn is a man of many talents - a horticulturist, organist, choir singer, and a dahlia enthusiast, national judge, and patron. Graham is also passionate about the Ashburton District, and says,

​ “I was born, raised and lived all my life in Ashburton, and I feel very fortunate to have done so. It gives me great satisfaction to know that through Advance Ashburton Community Foundation, I have set in place an effective, lasting way to give something back to the community that has been so good to me.”​ 
​Through a gift in his will, safeguarded by Advance Ashburton Community Foundation, Graham will be enabling scholarships to encourage, foster and support talented students in all things musical. The remainder of the income from his gift will provide for general purposes in the Ashburton District, and will support – forever - the greatest needs in his community.
Dr Dale Abbott

"Since moving to Ashburton for work in 2016 I have been consistently impressed by the community spirit I see all around me here.  I have also been impressed by the good works you folks do at Advance Ashburton, and when I donate to the Foundation I see results directly.  New Zealand has been very good to me, both personally and professionally, and I feel fortunate that I can give a bit of that back.
Please keep up the good work."
Alister Smyth

​“I am single and have no children but felt I could give back to the community I have lived and worked in.
There are many young people who are in need of support to further their tertiary education and I have had great pleasure meeting some of these talented young people and seeing my money working for good.
My fund helps give deserving young people a ‘leg up’ in their tertiary studies.”
Pictured above - Bob (left) and Alan with the SimBaby their generosity purchased for the Rural Health Academic Centre, based at Ashburton Hospital.
Bob and Alan Johnston

“We wanted to do something for the people of the Ashburton district in our lifetime. We have chosen to give to causes in that support health in the District, including giving annual scholarships to those young locals studying health. It's interesting to meet the young people who receive our scholarships and to hear about the difference it will make to them. 
Why wait until you are gone? It’s great to see the money working in our lifetime. Family comes first, but maybe people might think that they could put something aside for Advance Ashburton and the work they do. Every little bit will help”.
Sue Gluyas

Hi, my name is Sue, and years ago I became aware of the Foundation and what it achieves through my work as a legal secretary at the then named firm, Russell Moon & Fail. As my interest and understanding of the Foundation grew it soon became a priority of mine to keep any donations I made from my hard earned dollar local. I am not opposed to supporting charities such as the Westpac Helicopter, St John’s, or Plunket (the list goes on), but I am opposed to a large percentage of my donation being absorbed in administration/promotion fees.
Because the Foundation has approved donee status with the IRD, employees can make regular donations direct from their wages. If you visit the IRD website and search Payroll Giving you will find the process very simple. The Foundation receives immediate and regular funds, and the donor receives immediate tax credits in the form of reduced PAYE so no more waiting until the end of the year to hand in your little receipts.
For example, a weekly payroll donation of $6.00 costs the employee only $4.00 because the rebate of one-third is immediately credited against the tax to be deducted for each week. Over a five year period, 15 people donating $6.00 per week will result in $23,400 being donated to Advance Ashburton Community Foundation, and tax rebates for the employees totalling $7,800.
By making small donations over time, you are going to make a big difference to what the Foundation is able to do for our local community. Your money stays LOCAL. Like me, I believe most of you have charities that you have donated to, probably still donate to, but are concerned about the amount of your donation that actually gets used for the reason you give your donation for. For this reason, keep it local. I think the team idea within any workforce makes it so easy for people to give affordably to a worthwhile local charity. The challenge is to “Give where you live”! ​