Womens Entrepreneurs Fund
The Christchurch Foundation is lucky enough to work with an incredible donor, Joy Shivas who has funded the establishment of our Women's Entrepreneurship Fund.
We will be giving several scholarships and grants to female entrepreneurs. Joy knows that our future will be forged by today’s entrepreneurs, and she is passionate about supporting more women to get involved in this important mahi.
We are excited to announce that we will be granting another three $10,000 grants for Female Entrepreneurs!
In New Zealand, only about 1 in 5 start-ups are led by women. 85% of venture capital goes to men.
We have a solid start-up ecosystem in greater Ōtautahi Christchurch. You might be about to embark on an entrepreneur incubator programme in our forward-thinking city or going out on your own to start your first business. In greater Ōtautahi Christchurch there is easy access to business mentorship, networks of experts in your field and education in the skills you’ll need for greater chance of success.
But what about covering the bills while you’re on this journey?
If you are a new female entrepreneur, (or maybe not quite...maybe you’re a woman with a vision for your future business) then we want to hear from you. These grants can cover personal expenses, childcare or living costs – if you’re putting your day-to-day work on hold to support your fledgling company then we want to support you.
One of the key issues for female entrepreneurs is that they can feel like they’re alone. Joy, our donor, is shifting the dial on gender inequalities in the start-up world in hopes these grants can offer the encouragement and financial safety net for you to take that leap.
Criteria for grants:
- A person who identifies as a female
- based in greater Ōtautahi Christchurch (Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri districts)
- working on an exciting new venture/start-up (early stage, pre-funding or capital raise)
- who is happy to share their story as a female founder/entrepreneur
These grants are a donation to the individual to cover the living and personal costs of a female entrepreneur to help ease financial burdens while she works on her new business/venture.
Applications are OPEN!
Please apply now via this link. Application Close 4th October.
Port Hills Fire Regeneration
In response to the 2024 Port Hills fire this fund has been established to assist with the regeneration of endemic natives in the impacted area.
There is scientific evidence that natives are more fire resistant and can significantly contribute to the resilience and protection of at-risk ecosystems and communities.
The funds raised will be actively managed by The Christchurch Foundation and distributed with support of the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust and Te Kākahu Kahukura. These two reputable entities are already working in the impacted area and have extensive experience in the establishment of native plants in a best practice manner with participating landowners (private/public and charitable).
Funding could be applied not only to securing new plants but could also include pest management, weeding and other activities to support the regeneration of the area safely.
The intent is to help increase the fire protection on the port hills as well as also increasing the biodiversity of the area.
Maurice & I
Maurice & I is a feature-length documentary celebrating Sir Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney’s influential architectural partnership, and their fight to save the magnificent Christchurch Town Hall from demolition after the devastating 2011 earthquake.
We are supporting the crowd source campaign to raise the final $60,000 required to take this story to the world.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available: Please contact Rick Harvie rick@belmont.co.nz for information about these.
