At Gateway Funeral Services, supporting our Eastern Bay community has always been at the heart of what we do. As a family-owned business, we wanted to look beyond short-term sponsorships and one-off donations to create something that provides meaningful, lasting support for generations to come.
That vision became a reality in 2022 when we partnered with the Eastern Bay Community Foundation to establish the GFS Endowment Fund.
How the Partnership Works
Instead of a traditional donation model, our contributions to the GFS Endowment Fund are invested and grown over time by the Foundation. This creates an ongoing, permanent source of funding that will continuously flow back into local initiatives across the Eastern Bay.
"This fund allows us to give back to our community in a meaningful way," says our director, Bradley Shaw. "It aligns perfectly with our goal of being an active, supportive part of the Eastern Bay community."
How It's Going
Even though the fund is relatively new, we are already seeing the real-world impact of this partnership across our region:
Youth Development: Last year, the fund supported the Whakatāne Golf Club Junior Golf Programme by purchasing several sets of golf clubs—helping introduce more local young people to the sport and build regional talent.
Community Resilience: This year, we are helping bring renowned New Zealand author and resilience expert Dr. Lucy Hone to the Eastern Bay to speak at both a open community event and the Eastern Bay Community Foundation Annual Dinner.
Building a Lasting Legacy
For our team, this initiative represents much more than standard charitable giving. As Bradley puts it, "Like many local businesses, we want to contribute to a strong, connected community. Establishing a fund gives us a way to do that not just today, but well into the future."
Eastern Bay Community Foundation manager Angela Jackson notes that business-led funds are an increasingly powerful way for local companies to leave a legacy. By taking corporate giving a step further, endowment funds turn a business’s commitment to its region into a permanent resource.
We hope our journey inspires other local business owners to think about the role they can play in shaping the future of the Eastern Bay.
If you’d like to learn more about how your business can build a lasting legacy, reach out to the Eastern Bay Community Foundation to explore setting up an endowment fund.
