Payroll giving + investment fund = win win win

The Team from Momentum Waikato

Coupling IRD’s Payroll Giving scheme with a philanthropic investment fund has been a ‘win win win’ for a Waikato engineering firm, its employees and the social service providers they’ve supported.

Longveld started up its fund in 2019 at Momentum Waikato, their local community foundation, and ever since has dollar-for-dollar matched their team’s donations towards it.

Payroll Giving takes the agreed donations out of pay packets in the same manner as income tax or student loan repayments, with the tax on the donation being able to be claimed back at tax return time.

Once a year the team votes on where to grant a portion of the fund’s income, which Managing Director Pam Roa describes as “a fun process”.

“Our payroll giving and funding vote brings together our support team and our trade crew for a common purpose unrelated to work,” says Pam.

Longveld fabricated Ngaa Pou Karohirohi (pictured) on Hamilton’s city river jetty, a project led by artist Eugene Kara, Ngaati Korokii Kahukura, in collaboration with local hapuu representatives.