The Acorn Foundation is the community organisation category winner at the 2011 Tauranga Westpac Business Awards.

Acorn Foundation trustee Tracey Rae says this is an exciting time for the organisation.

Acorn Foundation staff and trustees receiving the award at the Westpac Business Awards ceremony.

'We take enormous pleasure in our recent milestone of giving back $1.25 million to our community since Acorn's inception in 2003.”

The Acorn Foundation gives money to community organisations throughout the Western Bay of Plenty.

Its general manager, Nicky Wilkins, says the win acknowledges the growth of the foundation.

'We were asked to enter last year and we were highly commended – so we entered again this year and were fortunate enough to win it.”

The foundation is a way people in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty can donate to charities by them leaving money in their wills and the investment income is distributed to local charities and community groups.

Nicky says the foundation has $6 million in investments and has recently distributed $294,000 among local community groups.

'We have a wide range of groups. We give to around 54 community groups.”