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Our environment is at the heart of our home – and while it is beautiful, it is fragile.
Love Queenstown is here to champion our environment and rally the business community to ensure this special part of the world thrives long into the future. With less than 10% of our indigenous plant cover remaining, our lakes and rivers feeling the pressure of growth, and our precious biodiversity under constant threat, the time to act is now.
Donate to Love Queenstown before March 31 to claim your 33% charitable tax credit* for the 2024 financial year and play your part in protecting the environment at the heart of our home.
Need a little encouragement? We’ve compiled a list of the 33 reasons why you should join the movement, today.
Read on for all you need to know.
Giving back and leading with purpose is no longer a “nice to have” – it’s an expectation. Luckily enough, there are plenty of business perks for those who strive to do better.
1. Stand out amongst the crowd – today’s travellers are more aware of their environmental impact, with 61% of travellers actively looking for sustainable options (Booking.com, 2023). Your support for Love Queenstown helps your business stand out amongst a growing crowd of conscious consumers.
2. Raise your profile - by supporting Love Queenstown, you’ll feature on our channels as a business that’s out there, doing good, helping you raise your profile and get in front of the right kind of traveller.
3. Strengthen your connection with your customers and community – integrating Love Queenstown into your business provides you with another avenue to connect with your audience and tell them who you are, and what you’re all about.
4. Build customer loyalty – sustainability is a key driver in attracting loyal customers willing to spend more on ethical products and experiences (Accenture, ND). Giving back and making tangible commitments to the environment builds trust and will keep your visitors coming back time and time again.
5. Attract and retain top talent – 82% of employees believe company purpose is essential to job satisfaction (McKinsey, 2024). Partnering with Love Queenstown lets you bring your employees along on the mission and create a more engaged and satisfied team who are motivated by a purpose beyond profit.
6. Boost sales - 43% of travellers are willing to pay more to support sustainable travel options which can lead to increased bookings and customer loyalty (Booking.com, 2023). That’s more money in your pocket, and a lower environmental impact.
7. Protect New Zealand’s clean-green image - our region's stunning natural scenery is the primary attraction for visitors, with 62% of visitors motivated to book their trip due to the natural environment (Destination Queenstown, 2024). Think of it as an investment in the future of your business, and the environment it relies on.
8. Enhance the visitor experience – our visitors value their connection to the environment, and that our region demonstrates care towards it (Destination Queenstown, 2024). It’s therefore important that our business community continues to demonstrate positive and tangible commitments to looking after this place.
9. Support your business accreditations - support your journey towards Qualmark, BCorp, and other business accreditations through verified giving.
10. Enjoy marketing and promotional opportunities – as a supporter of Love Queenstown, you’ll receive exclusive marketing and promotional support through our channels. Depending on the nature and level of your commitment, you’ll feature across our web and digital marketing channels, receive supporter-shoutouts, and inclusion in paid media and PR activity.
“Love Queenstown plays a vital role in protecting this incredible region, ensuring that future generations can experience the same wild beauty, adventure, and crystal-clear waters that we do today. At Canyon Brewing, we’re proud to support their mission to keep Queenstown thriving, because great beer tastes even better when it’s brewed in a place worth preserving” – Mikaela Turner, Canyon Brewing
Surrounding yourself with the right people in business is not just good for morale, it’s a strategic move that can set your organisation up for future success. Join our community of changemakers and reap the rewards.
11. Connect with likeminded businesses – with over 56 businesses (and counting) joining the mission across Queenstown and Wānaka, you’re part of a community of individuals and organisations paving the way for the future. Connect with others working in this space, provide networking opportunities for your team, or lend a hand in good company.
12. Amplify your impact - no matter how big or small your contribution is, our giving model ensures your donation will make a difference. By partnering with visitors and businesses big and small, everyone has the capacity to drive impact, at scale.
13. Good governance – Love Queenstown is delivered in partnership with Destination Queenstown and the Wakatipu Community Foundation meaning we’ve got great reach with our visitors and the backing of the experts in the charitable giving space.
“Love Queenstown provides a great opportunity for local businesses to accelerate the impact we can all have. We look forward to seeing the real and tangible benefits our collective efforts will bring to the region" - Wayne Rose, GM Skyline Queenstown
Love Queenstown provides a smarter way to give, with the impact of your funding going further for you and the environment at the heart of our home
14. High intent, high impact giving – our funding is allocated to registered charitable entities who drive climate, conservation and biodiversity action in the Queenstown region, with special consideration given to organisations and initiatives that will provide long-term benefit and enrich the experience for both locals and visitors.
15. Proven results – 2023 - 2024 was a year of firsts for Love Queenstown. $25,000+was granted to support immediate needs, with a further $6,000 invested for future generations. With the 2025 Impact Grants right around the corner, we’re inviting everyone to join the mission now so they can make a difference when – and where - it counts.
16. We help your giving go further - every dollar you give is destined for big things, with 100% of our funding going direct to impact. Thanks to the generous support of our delivery partners, everything we raise is on-allocated to those who need it most.
17. Strategic and responsive giving – Love Queenstown allocates funds on an annual basis, supporting immediate environmental needs. Our Annual Impact Grants are allocated to ensure benefit across multiple areas, so the organisations and initiatives poised to create impact receive the help they need.
18. Amplified impact – we’re fortunate to have such a caring and passionate business community, but unless we’re inviting our visitors to do their bit for the environment, we can only get so far. Love Queenstown ensures every visitor has the opportunity to lower their impact and give back in a way that makes a real and lasting difference.
19. Invest in nature-based solutions - when you give in this way, you (and the rohe / region) reaps the benefits in multiple areas: tree planting isn’t solely about carbon mitigation, it’s about supporting local biodiversity, improving soil and waterway health, beautifying the environment, and supporting climate resilience. That’s good bang for your buck.
"To have relationships and collaborations with the likes of Love Queenstown is just vital. It allows us another avenue to bring local businesses and community members along with us" – Sararose Brown, WRT (Impact Grant Recipient)
We’re proud to be creating lasting change and helping to shape tourism’s legacy in our rohe (region)
20. Investing for the future - 20% of every dollar we raise is invested into an endowment fund with the support of our friends at the Wakatipu Community Foundation. This fund will grow over time, allowing for substantial, long-term funding opportunities for generations to come.
21. Funding for long-term benefit – we carefully consider each project or initiative to ensure our funding supports environmental efforts that will make a difference long into the future. Think of it as planting the seeds of tomorrow.
22. Creating a legacy we can be proud of – Love Queenstown provides an opportunity for our industry to leave a legacy we can be proud of and to inspire change the world over. Destinations around the world are looking to Queenstown as leaders in this space, and we want to show them what’s possible.
Know how. Can do.
23. Unlock expert guidance - our independent distribution committee is tasked with allocating funds to the organisations and initiatives who can drive impact where it’s needed most. This committee consists of local experts in both the grant-making and sustainability / environmental space so you can be confident knowing your donations will make a difference.
We’re proudly local
Love Queenstown is all about channeling the love we have for this place into meaningful action, with 100% of our funding supporting grassroots efforts within this region.
24. Look after the place you love - every dollar we raise goes straight back to this region, with funding exclusively allocated within the Queenstown-Lakes. You’ll get to see and feel the benefits of your support and be part of creating a more resilient environment for all.
25. Drive impact where it counts – by supporting Love Queenstown, you’re not only looking after your own backyard, you’re also investing in the environment at the heart of our visitor industry. That’s good for you, and good for business.
26. Shift the local tourism narrative – we’re here to evolve the way tourism can and does impact our people and place, and part of that is the telling of a new story about the direct and tangible benefits our industry brings. Your support contributes to the good-news-story and ensures our community continues to feel the value of tourism long into the future.
We’re here to make it easy for businesses to scale up their giving and take the hassle out of doing good.
27. Flexible giving options - make a one-off donation, or sign up for automated monthly contributions. If your situation changes, you can pause or cancel at any time. Donate online via credit card or make a bank payment.
28. Giving, without the admin – we want to simplify your giving approach, while maximising the impact it has on your business and the environment we care about. With the support of our expert distribution committee, your funds will have max impact, without the hassle.
29. One donation, multiple benefits – our funding supports grassroots environmental efforts throughout our region. With a particular focus on supporting initiatives with complimentary benefit, you can impact various areas of community need through one contribution.
Our environment needs us. And it needs us now.
30. Our environment is counting on us – despite its beauty, ours is an environment under threat. And it needs our help. With less than 10% of our indigenous plant cover remaining, our lakes and rivers feeling the pressure of growth, and our precious biodiversity under constant threat, the time to act is now.
31. Public conservation funding is under pressure – with environmental needs escalating, public funding for on-the-ground restoration efforts is simply not sufficient. It’s up to all of us to play our part in protecting the environments we love.
“Businesses have a vital role to play in protecting the landscapes and ecosystems that sustain us all. Industry engagement isn’t just good for nature—it strengthens communities, builds resilience, and ensures a thriving future for the places we live, work, and recreate. When businesses step up, they bring innovation, resources, and leadership that drive meaningful, lasting change. Now is the time for collective action” – Paul Kavanagh, Southern Lakes Sanctuary
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Enjoy the dopamine hit you get from knowing you’re doing good.
32. Get and give back – there’s no doubt about it: giving feels good. Regional Public Health NZ states that “Carrying out acts of kindness, whether small or large, can increase happiness, life satisfaction and general sense of wellbeing”. There is no arguing with that.
33. Enjoy charitable tax benefits – thanks to our partnership with the Wakatipu Community Foundation, you can receive a charitable tax credit of 33%* for your donation this financial year, making your impact even more significant. That means for every $100 you give, you’ll get $33 back. Shout the team a coffee, treat yourself to an afternoon off, or simply reinvest that into growing your business. Win-win-win.
Charitable Tax Disclaimer:
Love Queenstown is delivered in partnership with the Wakatipu Community Foundation (NZ Registered Charity #CC55258).
Donations over $5 NZD are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under law.
Individual donors can claim 33.33 cents for every dollar donated. Companies are also eligible for tax deductions, providing the claim does not exceed their total annual net income. A tax deduction reduces the amount of taxable income. Click here for further information or see your tax advisor for individual tax advice.
All donations are non-refundable.
