After I have gone

Colin Toop worked hard all his life. After he retired he started thinking more about how he could make a lasting difference to his community.

His wife, Patricia, died in 1996 and their only child Clive died in a shooting accident when he was only 21, so Colin has no dependants. He had left his estate to his sister and brother-in-law, with some money going to the charities he has supported throughout his life.

"As time went by, though, I realised that my sister and brother-in-law had done well for themselves. They were established. They didn't need my money as well as their own." Colin started to look around for options.

"I wanted to maybe do something for someone else, but I was very vague about just what. Because I don't have a family I want to make sure the proceeds of my estate will be used wisely".

Quite fortuitously, Colin mentioned his dilemma to a stockbroker friend who suggested he might look at the Acorn Foundation. Colin did considerable research on this before deciding it was the perfect fit for him.

The Acorn Foundation is a charitable trust for Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty residents. It encourages people to establish their own named endowment fund. It lets you support a charity that has special significance to you, or you can leave it to the discretion of the foundation to allocate funds to local causes.

The Colin Toop Fund (in memory of Patricia and Clive Toop) was born. Colin did not stipulate any causes but asked that his money not be used for animal welfare. Every time funds from his estate are allocated, recipients will be told the name of the fund that donated.

Colin said this exercise taught him that it is important to think about how your money will be spent once you're gone.

"If you've got on reasonably well in life, no doubt taken advantage of a good education, health, things like that, it may be time to give something back to the community that helped you."

Colin Toop died in February 2006.