Latest news with #Cadogan
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
'Embarrassing': Clutha's water breaches more than rest of NZ
A small Otago council has recorded more drinking water quality breaches than the rest of New Zealand combined, a damning report has revealed. The Water Services Authority report, publicly released yesterday, said it received 565 notifications in 2024 that drinking water was, or might be, unsafe. Clutha District Council was responsible for 338, or 59.8%, of the country's drinking water quality breaches. Mayor Bryan Cadogan said yesterday he could not ignore the report's findings. "They're embarrassing." The supply with the most E. coli notifications was Waitahuna Rural (24), which is owned by Clutha District Council and is on a permanent boil-water notice. In March 2023, the authority issued a direction to Clutha in response to aluminium levels breaching standards across five of the council's supplies. In January 2025, the council met the remaining requirements of the compliance order. Mr Cadogan said the council accepted responsibility for the "damning indictment", but it had been the after-effects of issues that had been ignored for decades. "So, in the 1970s, Clutha developed the most extensive water scheme in New Zealand for our size. We're the third-longest in New Zealand. It is Auckland, Christchurch, then Clutha. "So, what we've done is we've set up a council-run extensive water system supplying to virtually all our rural and all our towns. No-one else does it. "But the problem with that for us is that when you have council-run schemes, you have consent and you have to abide." The water supply was built for 1.2 million stock units across all the towns. "Unfortunately, that's a real problem now that system is no longer compliant with the New Zealand Water Standards. "The scheme was not only working 100% the way it was meant to, it's producing better water now than it has in all its lifetimes. "But unfortunately, it's like trying to turn a car into an aeroplane." It was only relatively recently the council started addressing the problems, Mr Cadogan said. "That's why our debt [has increased], because our council had no debt only five years ago. "We've got 150-odd-million dollars of debt and all the water plants that we've upgraded are about to be commissioned." Back in the 1970s, the government funded 50% of Clutha's new drinking water system, and struck similar deals with other councils, he said. In contrast, Clutha had needed to pay for all of the upgrades this time, Mr Cadogan said. "And that's why I am horrified at the rate rises that are coming through." "We're stuck with this dichotomy of having the third-longest water recirculation network in New Zealand behind Auckland and Christchurch ... and a population of 19,000." Water Authority head of operations Steve Taylor said it had been working with Clutha District Council to make improvements. "From the outset, Clutha District Council was open to engaging with the authority, sharing information, being honest about their challenges and responding to the directives issued by the authority. "It should also be noted that this report is for the year to December 2024 and considerable work has been completed by the council in the past six months. "We will continue to work closely with Clutha District Council as it addresses issues across its supplies." Clutha District had 13 distinct communities, all with water and sewage, Mr Cadogan said. "Within those 13 communities, there's 27 either water or sewage plants. "If you've got 30-year consent, that means you're doing up at least 27 plants over 30 years. You're basically doing up one a year." Each of those upgrades were in the vicinity of $5m to $20m, he said. Although the authority's report was tough reading, it noted there had been some improvement on last year — Clutha had 98 fewer breaches in 2024. "You just keep on going. It is never-ending. "So, the environmental expectations and the financial capacity and ability for communities like Clutha is really going to test people's ability to pay like never before."
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Clutha had more water breaches than all NZ — Report ‘embarrassing': mayor
ODT GRAPHIC A small Otago council has recorded more drinking water quality breaches than the rest of New Zealand combined, a damning report has revealed. The Water Services Authority report, publicly released yesterday, said it received 565 notifications in 2024 that drinking water was, or might be, unsafe. Clutha District Council was responsible for 338, or 59.8%, of the country's drinking water quality breaches. Mayor Bryan Cadogan said yesterday he could not ignore the report's findings. "They're embarrassing." The supply with the most E. coli notifications was Waitahuna Rural (24), which is owned by Clutha District Council and is on a permanent boil-water notice. In March 2023, the authority issued a direction to Clutha in response to aluminium levels breaching standards across five of the council's supplies. In January 2025, the council met the remaining requirements of the compliance order. Bryan Cadogan. PHOTO: ODT FILES Mr Cadogan said the council accepted responsibility for the "damning indictment", but it had been the after-effects of issues that had been ignored for decades. "So, in the 1970s, Clutha developed the most extensive water scheme in New Zealand for our size. We're the third-longest in New Zealand. It is Auckland, Christchurch, then Clutha. "So, what we've done is we've set up a council-run extensive water system supplying to virtually all our rural and all our towns. No-one else does it. "But the problem with that for us is that when you have council-run schemes, you have consent and you have to abide." The water supply was built for 1.2 million stock units across all the towns. "Unfortunately, that's a real problem now that system is no longer compliant with the New Zealand Water Standards. "The scheme was not only working 100% the way it was meant to, it's producing better water now than it has in all its lifetimes. "But unfortunately, it's like trying to turn a car into an aeroplane." It was only relatively recently the council started addressing the problems, Mr Cadogan said. "That's why our debt [has increased], because our council had no debt only five years ago. "We've got 150-odd-million dollars of debt and all the water plants that we've upgraded are about to be commissioned." Back in the 1970s, the government funded 50% of Clutha's new drinking water system, and struck similar deals with other councils, he said. In contrast, Clutha had needed to pay for all of the upgrades this time, Mr Cadogan said. "And that's why I am horrified at the rate rises that are coming through." "We're stuck with this dichotomy of having the third-longest water recirculation network in New Zealand behind Auckland and Christchurch ... and a population of 19,000." Water Authority head of operations Steve Taylor said it had been working with Clutha District Council to make improvements. "From the outset, Clutha District Council was open to engaging with the authority, sharing information, being honest about their challenges and responding to the directives issued by the authority. "It should also be noted that this report is for the year to December 2024 and considerable work has been completed by the council in the past six months. "We will continue to work closely with Clutha District Council as it addresses issues across its supplies." Clutha District had 13 distinct communities, all with water and sewage, Mr Cadogan said. "Within those 13 communities, there's 27 either water or sewage plants. "If you've got 30-year consent, that means you're doing up at least 27 plants over 30 years. You're basically doing up one a year." Each of those upgrades were in the vicinity of $5m to $20m, he said. Although the authority's report was tough reading, it noted there had been some improvement on last year — Clutha had 98 fewer breaches in 2024. "You just keep on going. It is never-ending. "So, the environmental expectations and the financial capacity and ability for communities like Clutha is really going to test people's ability to pay like never before."
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
GoFundMe is refurbishing a little-known financial tool in a bid to supercharge everyday giving
NEW YORK (AP) — GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan had some complications while fundraising on his own website last fall. Several friends wanted to help Cadogan reach his $28,000 goal as he crowdfunded for a Los Angeles area wilderness rescue team. But they tried to donate through a lesser-known wealth management tool called a donor-advised fund, or a DAF, a no-frills investing vehicle for money earmarked as eventual charitable gifts. After cutting checks and waiting three weeks, Cadogan said, the money finally arrived. 'It was just a bit of a thing,' he added. "If they were using a Giving Fund, it would take ten seconds.' Giving Funds are GoFundMe's latest in a flurry of product rollouts with the purported goal of moving stagnant U.S. charitable contributions beyond the 2% GDP mark where totals have long hovered. But the for-profit company's DAF, announced Monday, enters a crowded market of more than a thousand providers — products often with older, wealthier clienteles that are often criticized for warehousing gifts. To transform the way that everyday users plan their donations, Cadogan will have to widen the appeal of DAFs beyond the likes of the technology entrepreneur's circles. And he wants to change public perceptions of his company as just a crowdfunding site. 'We're also hopeful that more people will start using GoFundMe for a broader set of things in their lives: not just that one fundraiser they're supporting, not just that one nonprofit. But they're coming in and they're managing their giving portfolio with us and through us,' Cadogan said. 'That connects directly to our mission, which is we want to help people help each other.' A DAF boom — but for whom? Donor-advised funds grew popular over the last decade among ultra-high net worth individuals as a tax-efficient instrument for grantmaking without the hassle of a more sophisticated charitable foundation. Donors can immediately write the contribution off on their taxes but face no deadline for giving the money to a nonprofit. The idea: account holders could invest money they wanted to ultimately donate, let the funds grow tax-free while they sit and give themselves time to identify the recipients best aligned with their giving goals. There's since been a rush to court average givers. Legacy financial services firms such as Fidelity Charitable lowered the minimums to open accounts. Fintech startups such as Daffy contrast their flat fees with the hidden expenses they allege their competitors charge. All that traction brought IRS proposals last year to impose penalties on those who abuse DAFs and Congress has considered legislation that would require some deadlines for disbursements. GoFundMe's Giving Funds will have no minimum balances, zero management fees and donations starting at $5. Users can load their DAF through their bank accounts or direct deposits for free. Credit card payments will be covered through the end of the year and then face the company's standard transaction fee of 2.2% plus 30 cents. Contributions can then be invested in a choice of exchange traded funds from managers including Vanguard, Blackrock and State Street Global Advisors. Cadogan pitches Giving Funds as a way to be more intentional about giving — something he said user feedback suggests more people want. As he sees it, widespread adoption hasn't occurred because DAFs have been framed as 'wealth management products.' 'This is a giving product,' Cadogan said. 'It's something for everybody. And you don't need to know the words 'donor advised fund.' It doesn't show up.' Moving the needle DAFs remain scrutinized for allowing donors to reap tax benefits before they ever redistribute any money to charitable causes — even if the notion that the channel is being exploited is fiercely debated in the nonprofit sector. Opaque disclosure requirements make it difficult to put a number on the overall assets held within the funds. The National Philanthropic Trust placed the total at more than $250 billion in 2023. Cadogan believes GoFundMe's culture is uniquely suited to nudge users with targeted spotlights of the 1.5 million charities already active on the platform. Giving Funds holders will be peppered with information about local nonprofits, crisis responders, their friends' charities of choice and potential beneficiaries that address their selected issue areas. That 'dynamic, alive community' is very different from the 'fairly static, passive' financial vehicles in the current market, according to Cadogan. 'It's essentially inspiring the money to move,' he said. Other features seek to encourage contributions by simplifying things. Users can set annual giving goals by a percentage of their income or a fixed number. Their gifts will tally up in real-time records to track their progress and ease year-end tax planning. Streamlining the process was one area for improvement identified in the DAF Research Collaborative's recent survey of more than 2,100 donors. But Jeff Williams, one of the researchers, said DAFs are currently hitting the 'sweet spot of convenience and connection to nonprofits.' The challenge for any new player, he said, is that it's a competitive environment with many different options. Plus, he added, many DAFs already are 'available-to-everyone vehicles" considering that half run balances under $50,000. 'Givers are voting with their feet that DAFs are increasing with popularity. More options are generally better,' Williams said. 'Anything that makes sure we maintain or enhance the ease of giving, it makes me happier.' But Direct Relief CEO Amy Weaver, previously the CFO at Salesforce, described GoFundMe's entrance as 'a game changer' that could unlock additional funds. Direct Relief, a nonprofit that supplies free medical resources worldwide, reported receiving more than 18,000 DAF gifts totaling $116 million over the past five years. Weaver acknowledged DAFs have been traditionally used by those with more substantial wealth. But she encouraged people to view them as a 'savings account" for "good works." 'And GoFundMe, with its name familiarity and the fact that it really attracts people making smaller gifts, I think could be incredibly powerful if they can bring DAFs to that group of people,' she said. ___
3 days ago
- Business
GoFundMe is refurbishing financial tool in a bid to supercharge everyday giving
NEW YORK -- GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan had some complications while fundraising on his own website last fall. Several friends wanted to help Cadogan reach his $28,000 goal as he crowdfunded for a Los Angeles area wilderness rescue team. But they tried to donate through a lesser-known wealth management tool called a donor-advised fund, or a DAF, a no-frills investing vehicle for money earmarked as eventual charitable gifts. After cutting checks and waiting three weeks, Cadogan said, the money finally arrived. 'It was just a bit of a thing,' he added. "If they were using a Giving Fund, it would take ten seconds.' Giving Funds are GoFundMe's latest in a flurry of product rollouts with the purported goal of moving stagnant U.S. charitable contributions beyond the 2% GDP mark where totals have long hovered. But the for-profit company's DAF, announced Monday, enters a crowded market of more than a thousand providers — products often with older, wealthier clienteles that are often criticized for warehousing gifts. To transform the way that everyday users plan their donations, Cadogan will have to widen the appeal of DAFs beyond the likes of the technology entrepreneur's circles. And he wants to change public perceptions of his company as just a crowdfunding site. 'We're also hopeful that more people will start using GoFundMe for a broader set of things in their lives: not just that one fundraiser they're supporting, not just that one nonprofit. But they're coming in and they're managing their giving portfolio with us and through us,' Cadogan said. 'That connects directly to our mission, which is we want to help people help each other.' Donor-advised funds grew popular over the last decade among ultra-high net worth individuals as a tax-efficient instrument for grantmaking without the hassle of a more sophisticated charitable foundation. Donors can immediately write the contribution off on their taxes but face no deadline for giving the money to a nonprofit. The idea: account holders could invest money they wanted to ultimately donate, let the funds grow tax-free while they sit and give themselves time to identify the recipients best aligned with their giving goals. There's since been a rush to court average givers. Legacy financial services firms such as Fidelity Charitable lowered the minimums to open accounts. Fintech startups such as Daffy contrast their flat fees with the hidden expenses they allege their competitors charge. All that traction brought IRS proposals last year to impose penalties on those who abuse DAFs and Congress has considered legislation that would require some deadlines for disbursements. GoFundMe's Giving Funds will have no minimum balances, zero management fees and donations starting at $5. Users can load their DAF through their bank accounts or direct deposits for free. Credit card payments will be covered through the end of the year and then face the company's standard transaction fee of 2.2% plus 30 cents. Contributions can then be invested in a choice of exchange traded funds from managers including Vanguard, Blackrock and State Street Global Advisors. Cadogan pitches Giving Funds as a way to be more intentional about giving — something he said user feedback suggests more people want. As he sees it, widespread adoption hasn't occurred because DAFs have been framed as 'wealth management products.' 'This is a giving product,' Cadogan said. 'It's something for everybody. And you don't need to know the words 'donor advised fund.' It doesn't show up.' DAFs remain scrutinized for allowing donors to reap tax benefits before they ever redistribute any money to charitable causes — even if the notion that the channel is being exploited is fiercely debated in the nonprofit sector. Opaque disclosure requirements make it difficult to put a number on the overall assets held within the funds. The National Philanthropic Trust placed the total at more than $250 billion in 2023. Cadogan believes GoFundMe's culture is uniquely suited to nudge users with targeted spotlights of the 1.5 million charities already active on the platform. Giving Funds holders will be peppered with information about local nonprofits, crisis responders, their friends' charities of choice and potential beneficiaries that address their selected issue areas. That 'dynamic, alive community' is very different from the 'fairly static, passive' financial vehicles in the current market, according to Cadogan. 'It's essentially inspiring the money to move,' he said. Other features seek to encourage contributions by simplifying things. Users can set annual giving goals by a percentage of their income or a fixed number. Their gifts will tally up in real-time records to track their progress and ease year-end tax planning. Streamlining the process was one area for improvement identified in the DAF Research Collaborative's recent survey of more than 2,100 donors. But Jeff Williams, one of the researchers, said DAFs are currently hitting the 'sweet spot of convenience and connection to nonprofits.' The challenge for any new player, he said, is that it's a competitive environment with many different options. Plus, he added, many DAFs already are 'available-to-everyone vehicles" considering that half run balances under $50,000. 'Givers are voting with their feet that DAFs are increasing with popularity. More options are generally better,' Williams said. 'Anything that makes sure we maintain or enhance the ease of giving, it makes me happier.' But Direct Relief CEO Amy Weaver, previously the CFO at Salesforce, described GoFundMe's entrance as 'a game changer' that could unlock additional funds. Direct Relief, a nonprofit that supplies free medical resources worldwide, reported receiving more than 18,000 DAF gifts totaling $116 million over the past five years. Weaver acknowledged DAFs have been traditionally used by those with more substantial wealth. But she encouraged people to view them as a 'savings account" for "good works." 'And GoFundMe, with its name familiarity and the fact that it really attracts people making smaller gifts, I think could be incredibly powerful if they can bring DAFs to that group of people,' she said.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
GoFundMe is refurbishing a little-known financial tool in a bid to supercharge everyday giving
NEW YORK (AP) — GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan had some complications while fundraising on his own website last fall. Several friends wanted to help Cadogan reach his $28,000 goal as he crowdfunded for a Los Angeles area wilderness rescue team. But they tried to donate through a lesser-known wealth management tool called a donor-advised fund, or a DAF, a no-frills investing vehicle for money earmarked as eventual charitable gifts. After cutting checks and waiting three weeks, Cadogan said, the money finally arrived. 'It was just a bit of a thing,' he added. 'If they were using a Giving Fund, it would take ten seconds.' Giving Funds are GoFundMe's latest in a flurry of product rollouts with the purported goal of moving stagnant U.S. charitable contributions beyond the 2% GDP mark where totals have long hovered. But the for-profit company's DAF, announced Monday, enters a crowded market of more than a thousand providers — products often with older, wealthier clienteles that are often criticized for warehousing gifts. To transform the way that everyday users plan their donations, Cadogan will have to widen the appeal of DAFs beyond the likes of the technology entrepreneur's circles. And he wants to change public perceptions of his company as just a crowdfunding site. 'We're also hopeful that more people will start using GoFundMe for a broader set of things in their lives: not just that one fundraiser they're supporting, not just that one nonprofit. But they're coming in and they're managing their giving portfolio with us and through us,' Cadogan said. 'That connects directly to our mission, which is we want to help people help each other.' Donor-advised funds grew popular over the last decade among ultra-high net worth individuals as a tax-efficient instrument for grantmaking without the hassle of a more sophisticated charitable foundation. Donors can immediately write the contribution off on their taxes but face no deadline for giving the money to a nonprofit. The idea: account holders could invest money they wanted to ultimately donate, let the funds grow tax-free while they sit and give themselves time to identify the recipients best aligned with their giving goals. There's since been a rush to court average givers. Legacy financial services firms such as Fidelity Charitable lowered the minimums to open accounts. Fintech startups such as Daffy contrast their flat fees with the hidden expenses they allege their competitors charge. All that traction brought IRS proposals last year to impose penalties on those who abuse DAFs and Congress has considered legislation that would require some deadlines for disbursements. GoFundMe's Giving Funds will have no minimum balances, zero management fees and donations starting at $5. Users can load their DAF through their bank accounts or direct deposits for free. Credit card payments will be covered through the end of the year and then face the company's standard transaction fee of 2.2% plus 30 cents. Contributions can then be invested in a choice of exchange traded funds from managers including Vanguard, Blackrock and State Street Global Advisors. Cadogan pitches Giving Funds as a way to be more intentional about giving — something he said user feedback suggests more people want. As he sees it, widespread adoption hasn't occurred because DAFs have been framed as 'wealth management products.' 'This is a giving product,' Cadogan said. 'It's something for everybody. And you don't need to know the words 'donor advised fund.' It doesn't show up.' DAFs remain scrutinized for allowing donors to reap tax benefits before they ever redistribute any money to charitable causes — even if the notion that the channel is being exploited is fiercely debated in the nonprofit sector. Opaque disclosure requirements make it difficult to put a number on the overall assets held within the funds. The National Philanthropic Trust placed the total at more than $250 billion in 2023. Cadogan believes GoFundMe's culture is uniquely suited to nudge users with targeted spotlights of the 1.5 million charities already active on the platform. Giving Funds holders will be peppered with information about local nonprofits, crisis responders, their friends' charities of choice and potential beneficiaries that address their selected issue areas. That 'dynamic, alive community' is very different from the 'fairly static, passive' financial vehicles in the current market, according to Cadogan. 'It's essentially inspiring the money to move,' he said. Other features seek to encourage contributions by simplifying things. Users can set annual giving goals by a percentage of their income or a fixed number. Their gifts will tally up in real-time records to track their progress and ease year-end tax planning. Streamlining the process was one area for improvement identified in the DAF Research Collaborative's recent survey of more than 2,100 donors. But Jeff Williams, one of the researchers, said DAFs are currently hitting the 'sweet spot of convenience and connection to nonprofits.' The challenge for any new player, he said, is that it's a competitive environment with many different options. Plus, he added, many DAFs already are 'available-to-everyone vehicles' considering that half run balances under $50,000. 'Givers are voting with their feet that DAFs are increasing with popularity. More options are generally better,' Williams said. 'Anything that makes sure we maintain or enhance the ease of giving, it makes me happier.' But Direct Relief CEO Amy Weaver, previously the CFO at Salesforce, described GoFundMe's entrance as 'a game changer' that could unlock additional funds. Direct Relief, a nonprofit that supplies free medical resources worldwide, reported receiving more than 18,000 DAF gifts totaling $116 million over the past five years. Weaver acknowledged DAFs have been traditionally used by those with more substantial wealth. But she encouraged people to view them as a 'savings account' for 'good works.' 'And GoFundMe, with its name familiarity and the fact that it really attracts people making smaller gifts, I think could be incredibly powerful if they can bring DAFs to that group of people,' she said. ___ Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit
