A 45-year-old moustache is soon to be the generous donor towards an upcoming project benefitting homeless men.

The project is a collaborative community initiative run by Tauranga Moana Nightshelter, Habitat for Humanity, Beca and BayTrust, which aims to build transitional studio units for homeless men.

The nightshelter must raise $100,000 to kick start the project which has a total build cost of $410,000.

The remaining $310,000 required, will be sought through application to BayTrust for a low interest loan.

Francis Sydenham, a semi-retired car dealer and the man behind the moustache, is helping to raise money towards the cause by shaving off his moustache.

'I've been a motor vehicle dealer in Tauranga for a number of years. I'm not world famous but I am well known.

'I'm semi-retired and I've been looking around for things I can help fundraise for.

'I decided to shave off my moustache, which I've had for nearly 45 years, to help raise money for something worthy.”

He says he's well-known for his moustache which has become his defining feature over the years.

'It's quite a hairy moustache. At first I thought I'd shave it off just to see what I'd look like because I was a completely different person 45 years ago.

'Then I wondered if I could get some mileage out of this to help support a charity.

'I thought I'd make a big deal of it, put it on Facebook and get whatever attention I could get to help raise money for the Tauranga Moana Night Shelter.

'The work they do at the men's shelter is great, so that's what has prompted me. I'm looking at shaving it at the end of the month.”

He says he doesn't know if he'll miss his moustache until after the shave.

Francis has set up a crowd funding page, which has already raised more than $3000 towards the cause.

If you would like to donate to the cause, visit his Givealittle page.