http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz en-us Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:11:15 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/post/168687/waikato-funding-report-2026/ A collaborative group of Waikato funders has released the first region-wide analysis of philanthropic funding in the Waikato, examining 4,894 grants worth more than $82.7 million distributed between April 2025 and March 2026. The report provides a valuable snapshot of where funding is flowing across communities, causes and places throughout the region.As funders with a shared commitment to the Waikato, we welcome the clearer picture this report provides. Understanding where funding is reaching c... Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:04:07 +1200 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/#post168687 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/post/167977/letting-go-to-lead-putting-my-questioning-hat-back-on/ By Melissa Gibson, CEO, Len Reynolds TrustJuly 2026On Thursday, I attended an excellent session facilitated by Philanthropy New Zealand on the idea of letting go to lead. The workshop explored mana-enhancing practice: what it means, why it matters, and what might change if funders genuinely designed their systems and relationships around enhancing the mana of communities. We considered examples of mana-enhancing funding processes, the role of power and trust in philanthropy, and what a mana-enha... Mon, 27 Jul 2026 19:34:14 +1200 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/#post167977 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/post/165536/autumn-2026-panui/ Please find below a link to our latest newsletter which is out now! Autumn newsletter... Thu, 28 May 2026 11:00:25 +1200 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/#post165536 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/post/165394/reflections-from-six-years-of-funding-tuia/ There are some funding relationships that sit neatly within the language of outputs, milestones and reporting frameworks. And then there are relationships like Tuia.Over the past six years, Len Reynolds Trust has had the privilege of standing alongside Tuia as one of a small group of collaborative funders supporting this kaupapa. Looking back now, it is difficult to describe the experience through the usual language of philanthropy, because what Tuia creates is deeply human, relational and inter... Mon, 25 May 2026 15:53:52 +1200 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/#post165394 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/post/161813/a-different-way-of-funding-a-partners-experience/ At the Len Reynolds Trust, we believe funding should be relational, not transactional. As part of our strategy, we are committed to challenging and transforming power dynamics in philanthropy, practising empathy in partnerships, and daring to be different in how we work. Recently, one of the organisations we support shared their experience of working with us. With their permission, we’re sharing their reflections below. “The experience was seamless.” “Right from ... Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:32:15 +1300 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/#post161813 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/post/160789/move-along-laws-what-kind-of-communities-are-we-building/ The Government has announced new “move along” powers, allowing Police to direct people to leave public spaces in certain circumstances.At first glance, this may appear to be a practical response to visible poverty, rough sleeping, or public complaints. But when we look more closely, we must ask a deeper question:Are we addressing harm - or simply moving it out of sight?At the Len Reynolds Trust, our vision is a Waikato where all children and young people are secure, resilient and thriving. W... Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:14:01 +1300 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/#post160789 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/post/160594/lots-of-little-fires-a-funders-view-from-len-reynolds-trust/ Lots of Little Fires (LOLF) sits at the intersection of storytelling, systems change, and community leadership. From a funder’s vantage point, it is both a practical tool and a living example of the kind of kaupapa we choose to stand behind: locally grounded, led by people with lived experience, and quietly, but decisively, reshaping how decisions get made in our region.As Len Reynolds Trust (LRT), our relationship with LOLF has moved well beyond a traditional grant. When organisational change... Tue, 17 Feb 2026 16:35:30 +1300 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/#post160594 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/post/158220/weaving-and-unweaving--reflections-from-15-years-of-weave/ A legacy report from a philanthropic collaboration in Aotearoa New Zealand1. IntroductionAfter more than 15 years of working together as a collective of family foundations, the Weave funders have agreed to bring this initiative to a close.We began (as the Working Together More Fund, later Weave) with a simple but ambitious idea: that by combining pūtea, relationships, and learning, we could back courageous community collaborations across Aotearoa and achieve more together than we could alone. O... Thu, 18 Dec 2025 08:13:15 +1300 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/#post158220 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/post/158149/whiria-te-tangata-weaving-creativity-into-the-social-fabric-of-aotearoa/ In the ever-evolving work of social equity and environmental stewardship, it's easy to overlook the quiet power of creativity and those who carry it. But every once in a while, a movement emerges that challenges the status quo and invites us to think differently about whose labour we value, and how.... Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:22:38 +1300 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/#post158149 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/post/157314/a-step-backwards-why-the-len-reynolds-trust-opposes-the-removal-of-te-tiriti-from-school-governance/ In recent weeks the New Zealand Government announced that it will remove the legal requirement for school boards to “give effect to” the Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the schooling system. This change merits serious reflection. As a philanthropic funder serving children, young people and the environment in the wider Waikato region, the Len Reynolds Trust is deeply concerned about what this alteration signifies and its potential consequences for equity, ngā tikanga Māori and our shared futu... Wed, 03 Dec 2025 10:45:26 +1300 http://www.lenreynoldstrust.co.nz/blog/#post157314