FAQ'S
The Western Bay Emergency Response Fund (WBERF) was created between five local entities: Acorn Foundation, Bay Trust, TECT, Tauranga City Council, and Western Bay of Plenty District Council. This fund provides a co-ordinated and collaborative approach to fundraising for the community in the event of an emergency. The fund is aimed at providing quick-turnaround financial support to registered charitable organisations assisting their communities during and after an emergency event.
There is no minimum donation amount. However, tax-deductible donation receipts can only be issued for donations over $5.
Thank you for considering a donation to the WBERF. Your tax-deductible donation receipt will be sent to the email address registered on the payment widget.
Acorn Foundation is a trusted and registered recipient on most banking platforms in New Zealand. If you wish to donate using Internet Banking in New Zealand, please search for Acorn Foundation – Grant Account. Please ensure to include “WBERF” as the Particulars and “TWBWE” as the Reference in the payment details. If you haven't donated to Acorn Foundation before you will need to email your first and last name to info@acornfoundation.org.nz to enable us to send you your receipt.
No. Donations made to the WBERF are treated as pass through funds and will not be invested by the Acorn Foundation.
Acorn Foundation fees for this fund are set at 4% to cover the amount that we are charged for the merchant fees to process the donations.
The administrative duties for granting will be managed by TECT, with all funding partners involved in evaluating applications. The criteria and process for funding applications and distribution from the WBERF will be shared shortly.
Because the funders are bound by New Zealand Charities Commission rules, grants can only be made to community-based organisations, not individuals. Priority will be given to applications that assist charitable organisations to continue or modify services critical to community wellbeing during the emergency or recovery period. Generally, funding will not be provided for applications that are made by individuals, informal groups, or entities without charitable status.
The WBERF is focused on the regions administered by Tauranga City Council and the Western Bay of Plenty District Council which stretches from Waihi Beach in the north through to Otamarakau in the east.
Thank you for considering making a donation to WBERF. The fund is designed to help organisations continue or adapt their services to meet community needs through the crisis and recovery phases, until the event stabilises or available funds are fully allocated. Therefore, unfortunately, donors won’t be able to designate their donations to a specific grantee.
We are truly sorry for what you have experienced. While the fund is unable to accept applications from individuals directly, we encourage you to reach out to a community-based organisations that are currently supporting individuals affected by the event. In addition, the councils have additional resources to support homeowners whose property has been affected by this weather emergency.