Fidelity Life has channelled $90,000 to 18 organisations across New Zealand after asking insurance advisers to identify community groups they already back with their own time or money. The grants, distributed under the name We Support Who You Support, covered causes ranging from rural mental health and melanoma screening to youth mentoring and food relief. The programme was introduced at Engage on tour, a Fidelity Life adviser event series.
Individual grants ranged from $2,000 to $10,000. Rather than setting a centralised nomination process, Fidelity Life approved the grants while allowing Strategic Alliance Partners FMG and NZHL Home Loans to manage how their respective adviser networks put names forward. “Advisers are often at the heart of their communities. They understand local needs and are already giving back in meaningful ways. This programme allows us to stand alongside advisers and amplify the impact they’re already making, directing support where it can genuinely make a difference on the ground,” said Bronwyn Kirwan, Fidelity Life chief commercial officer.
NZHL Home Loans generated the largest share of nominations, with 10 organisations each receiving $2,000. The recipients covered a broad range of causes:
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FMG nominated three recipients:
Rochelle Carly, co-founder of R&P Insurance, nominated Wāhine Wanawana – Ara ki Angitu Charitable Trust, which received $10,000. Fidelity Life’s contribution went toward Wāhine Wanawana: Money Moves, a financial literacy event held at Te Papa in Wellington on May 3. Attendance reached 150 women, compared with 100 at the trust’s first event the year prior. Proceeds from the event were directed back to the community and to future workshops. “The support from Fidelity Life enabled us to reach more women in our community, removing barriers to participation. The turnout was incredible, with inspiring speakers and stories, strong female representation, and a real sense of connection in the room. The impact extends well beyond a single event, and we’re grateful for the industry support that helped make it possible,” Carly said.
Three other advisers nominated organisations that also received $10,000 grants. Rowan Shanks of Risk Specialist Ltd nominated A Star is Born, a charitable trust that provides professionally made keepsakes and photography at no cost to New Zealand families who lose a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death. Kenny Kaushish and Ting Yuan of Ladbrooks Financial Services nominated the Migraine Foundation, the country’s only registered charity focused on migraine disease. Lewis Price-Milne of Insurance People nominated Everybody Eats Onehunga, a restaurant that takes rescued surplus food and serves it as three-course meals on a pay-what-you-can basis. Ben Sharplin of Insurance Design nominated Coast Youth Community Trust, which works with rangatahi and families on the Hibiscus Coast through mentoring and community programmes.
Beyond the grant funding, Fidelity Life employees have worked directly with some of the nominated organisations. Staff volunteered alongside Everybody Eats in Onehunga, an arrangement the insurer described as consistent with how it intends to remain connected to the communities its advisers operate in. “For us, this isn’t about writing a cheque and walking away. By partnering with advisers, we’re able to direct support where it can have real, local impact, and in many cases, rolling up our sleeves to work alongside them to support those organisations,” Kirwan said. The insurer said We Support Who You Support would continue, with work underway to identify further ways to engage with adviser-nominated groups. “We Support Who You Support reflects our commitment to stand alongside advisers – not only in their businesses, but in the customer networks and communities they’re deeply connected to every day,” Kirwan said.
