Bruce Carter loves the ocean. When he lived in Australia, he was out on the water whenever he could. That time on the water gave him a deep respect for just how quickly conditions can change and for the volunteers who are there when they do.

When emergencies unfold off the Taranaki coastline, Coastguard volunteers are often the ones answering the call. Over the past year, Coastguard Taranaki has responded to more than 40 incidents across the region. Boats in distress, jump starts, a jet ski in trouble, a windsurfer swept out. No two callouts are the same. Close to forty volunteers keep the service running, and in peak summer they can be on call from 6:30 in the morning through to 9pm at night.

“You have no control over mother nature,” Bruce says. “That’s why organisations like Coastguard are so important for our community.”

It is one of the reasons Coastguard has been part of his giving through Taranaki Foundation from the start.

But Coastguard is just one part of a much bigger story.

Since setting up his fund, Bruce has donated more than $200,000 to local organisations, including Coastguard Taranaki.

Bruce has never been one for recognition. He gives because he believes that if you have the means to help, you should.

Since establishing his Fund with Taranaki Foundation in 2021, Bruce has taken an intentional approach to his generosity. Twice a year, in March and September, he directs distributions to the causes closest to his heart. With ten rounds of giving now completed, his planned commitment is making a meaningful and lasting difference across Taranaki.

The former New Plymouth Boys’ High School student spent 50 years working as a contractor in Australia before returning home to Taranaki in 2014. With no children and no next of kin, Bruce began thinking carefully about what to do with what he had accumulated.

“It’s been a big worry in my mind, having no family, nobody to leave anything to.”

Around the age of 45, retirement started coming into focus. He began putting money away and channelling every pay rise straight into a superannuation fund. “I’ve managed to save a reasonable amount of money,” Bruce says.

What he built over those decades has become something remarkable, a legacy now supporting people and organisations across the region.

Giving Where it Matters Most

Since setting up his fund, Bruce has donated more than $200,000 to local organisations. The causes are diverse, spanning groups that support the young, the old, the unwell, and those facing hardship. Among them, alongside Coastguard New Zealand, are Taranaki Women’s Refuge, Hato Hone St John, Taranaki Rescue Helicopter Trust, Lifeline Aotearoa, MS Taranaki, Motor Neurone Disease and the Taranaki Health Foundation.

What makes Bruce’s giving particularly valuable is its simplicity. There are no strings attached, no application process and no conditions. Just reliable support that organisations can use where it is needed most.

In their own words, the charities he supports sum it up best.

“Thank you so much to Bruce, a regular and generous supporter. What treasures we have in Taranaki who continue to help support those who need it most.” Shona Smith, Taranaki Women’s Refuge.

“After a busy summer on the water, and with the cost of delivering our services soaring, this generous support will make a real difference. Contributions like this help ensure our volunteers can be there to rescue people when a day on the water takes an unexpected turn.” Nia Oxburgh, Coastguard NZ.

“Thank you to the Bruce Carter Fund so very, very much.” St John.

For Bruce, those words mean everything.

“I get the feeling of immense satisfaction when my giving has been welcomed by each organisation. I feel that I have helped in a small way to assist those that are unable to help themselves, and that is a good feeling.”

A Gift That Keeps Giving

What makes Bruce’s story particularly powerful is that his generosity will not stop when he is no longer able to administer his giving.

Through Taranaki Foundation, Bruce has also established an endowment fund and has made provision in his will to ensure that donations will continue flowing to the organisations he currently supports long after he is gone.

“I’ve worked out my estate can probably last for about 15 years. It will just keep on giving. I’m very passionate about the organisations I support. I just want to keep on giving to them.”

It was Bruce’s professional advisor, Steve Waite of BDO Taranaki, who first suggested he contact Taranaki Foundation to ensure his giving could be strategic, meaningful and simple to manage.

Before that, Bruce was sending individual cheques to every organisation, maintaining his own records and tracking multiple accounts. When banks discontinued cheques, the complexity only grew.

“By making one donation through the Taranaki Foundation and providing them with a Giving Plan, they are set up to liaise with most of my giving organisations without my input. I only have one amount to consider in my tax return claim.”

Freed from the administration, Bruce could focus on what he loves most, the giving itself.

And for the organisations on the receiving end, that simplicity translates directly into impact.

“Bruce’s generosity means a great deal, both to us at Taranaki Foundation and to the organisations he supports,” says Theresa Cayley, Funding and Relationships Manager at Taranaki Foundation.

“The work these groups do is becoming ever more needed within our communities, and yet the costs of delivering that work continue to rise. This kind of consistent, thoughtful giving makes a real difference to their ability to keep showing up for the people who need them most.”

Steve Waite, who is a Principal of BDO Taranaki, suggested Bruce contact the Taranaki Foundation to ensure he could give back to the community in a strategic and meaningful way.

An Invitation to Others

Bruce’s story is one many people will recognise. Anyone who has spent a lifetime building something, and wants it to matter beyond themselves, can find their own version of this story.

“I would thoroughly recommend using Taranaki Foundation to manage your giving, especially if you are giving to multiple charities. Taranaki Foundation can lighten the load and help make the coordination of giving much simpler for tax purposes too”, says Bruce.

Bruce just wants to know the place he grew up in is a little better for his having been here. At Taranaki Foundation, that is something we will always be proud to be part of.