Surf Life Saving New Zealand Foundation

Surf Life Saving - 100 years of lifesaving service

Members of Surf Life Saving clubs in NZ have been saving lives on beaches across New Zealand for over 100 years, with over 100,000 rescues performed and not one person lost between the flags. You can help ensure that we will be here for another 100 years saving your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, even after you are no longer here. 

In a world of many worthy causes - why support Surf Life Saving

In terms of community impact, the value delivered through surf lifesaving is hard to match. The impact of one drowning death on a family and community can be devastating, so it's hard to comprehend the consequences of hundreds of more drownings if lifeguards were not on duty. 

While numbers only tell a small part of that story, with the Value of Statistical Life ('VOSL') at NZ$4.14 million (June 2016), the cost to society if only 10% of the 1300 people rescued in a typical year had drowned would be $538 million. If it was 20% the cost would be close to $14.1 billion. Every year!

But the true value of family members returning home safely from a day at the beach is priceless. You can be part of making that happen!

Why now?

For over 100 years, the surf lifesaving movement has survived through the support of local communities. While it is an essential public service it is not a funded one, instead relying on volunteers own subscriptions, donations, and short term grant funding to get by on a year by year basis. 

In the 21st century this is no longer sustainable - running a long term service organisation that needs significant ongoing investment in people and equipment. Not knowing if the funding will be around next year to keep operating is putting the furture of the service at risk. 

Surf Lifesaving is a network of volunteer run charities - not a goverment funded emergency service that many mistakenly believe. Every year over $35 million dollars needs to be raised to keep lifeguards on beaches. 

This is where the Foundation will make a difference - creating long term secure income streams to make sure the funding support is there to allow ordinary people to keep doing extraordinary things. 

How you can support the Foundation

There are many ways you can help the Foundation and we aim to be very flexible with the type of support people can provide. 

Types of support may include: 

• Cash
• Pledges
• Publically traded securities
• Bequests (planned giving)
• Real Estate
• Other income producing assets including art, jewellery, and collectables. 
• A loan (of money or other assets to the Foundation enabling it to earn tax free income. After a specified time the capital would be returned to the lender.)

Need more information?

For more information please contact:

Matt Warren, SLSNZ Senior Executive
m | 027 475 7323
e | matt.warren@surflifesaving.org.nz