Rabobank has launched an advertising campaign highlighting the work it is doing to help grow and strengthen rural communities across New Zealand.
The campaign features a television commercial that introduces the Rabo Community Fund and showcases four of the major initiatives it supports: Garden to Table, Growing Future Farmers, Meat the Need and Surfing for Farmers.
The advert follows a farmer in his tractor, which passes by several organisations supported by the Rabo Community Fund.
The campaign will also feature billboard, print and radio advertising.
Rabobank New Zealand CEO Todd Charteris said one of the aims of the campaign is to raise awareness of the Rabo Community Fund, which was set up to contribute to the vibrancy and resilience of rural New Zealand.
“The fund is based on the international Rabo Foundation, the global agricultural banking co-operative’s social fund, which has operated for more than 45 years investing in farmers’ self-sufficiency in a range of countries around the world,” he said.
“The Community Fund was set up here in New Zealand in late 2021 and is funded by an annual contribution from Rabobank New Zealand. Since then, the fund has contributed more than $2 million into over 100 community initiatives across New Zealand.”
Decisions on where to allocate funding are made by the bank’s four regional Client Councils – groups of Rabobank’s farming client representatives who work with the bank to address key industry and community challenges in farming and agribusiness.
The councils have identified six key themes: long-term industry capacity and agricultural education, environmental sustainability, the rural/urban connection, rural wellbeing, adaptation/disruption and natural disaster resilience.
Charteris said funding is directed into community initiatives connected to each of these themes.
“On top of the four initiatives highlighted in the new campaign, we also support a whole host of other initiatives across the country. In some cases, this funding is being channelled toward existing organisations undertaking activities which align with our selected themes, while in other cases we’ve teamed up with other industry organisations to develop completely new initiatives,” he said.
