Granting for a purpose
The Mackenzie Charitable Foundation was formed to assist the community of the province of Canterbury in the following ways:
Cancer
Research, treatment, provision of equipment, and the education and training of trained people.
Agriculture
Research, development, education for, and training and expansion the science and practice of agriculture.
Charitable Purposes
The Founders expressed their desire that the Trustees take into account fully the needs of young people with disabilities or have less chance in life than many of their peers.
The Founders
Alan Mackenzie
The Foundation was formed in 1976 when brothers Alan and Don Mackenzie made the decision to leave their estates to the community of Mid-Canterbury. They were successful farmers at Ealing owning nearly 2,500 acres of land, 2 stud herds of cattle and 2 stud flocks of sheep.
Each brother brought their own skills and talents to their farming business and the community. Don Mackenzie was a visionary and involved himself in farming interests and commercial activities off the farm. Alan on the other hand was the practical man that brought Don’s vision into reality on the farm. They were a complimentary team.
Don Mackenzie
Both were diagnosed with cancer in the mid-1970’s. Anticipating the end of their lives together they decided to leave a legacy to the community they had lived in and loved. Almost their entire wealth was transferred to the Foundation shortly before they died.
It is a fitting reflection of the matters that were important to them and their community that they left their wealth for cancer, agriculture and general charitable purposes.
They went on to guide the trustees to confer the greatest possible benefit on the province of Canterbury.
The trustees assumed ownership of the farming assets and continued farming until 2002 when they sold the farms and have since successfully managed a diverse investment portfolio.
