Grants boosting care in the community
Public Trust is creating lasting legacies in our communities.
Each year, Public Trust’s Grants programme funds initiatives that provide care and support for our communities to the tune of
$11 million.
The money goes towards helping teenagers flourish through the Graeme Dingle Foundation, providing care for the homeless and vulnerable with the Wellington City Mission and keeping us all safe through St Johns.
Public Trust is the trustee of
450 charitable trusts. Some of these trusts pay income to named charitable beneficiaries while others distribute funds to individuals and applicants who have applied for funding. Each of these trusts was set up by a generous benefactor who wanted to create a lasting legacy in their community, long after they were gone.
Thomas George Macarthy has been helping his community for 120 years. The TG Macarthy Trust takes its name from Thomas George Macarthy, a brewer who died in Wellington in 1912. Macarthy left instructions for his wealth to be used to help build strong, inclusive, supportive communities through funding notfor-profit organisations.
His specific instructions for his generous bequeath were that the funds should be used to improve the quality of life for the disadvantaged and marginalised, help children and young people develop and realise their full potential, look after and provide dignity for older people and provide essential medical and emergency services.
Nearly 120 years later, the Trust has distributed more than $82m through regular, ongoing grants as well as a separate fund that community organisations are able to apply for.
This year more than
$2.5 million has been awarded by the Macarthy Trust Board to entities including the Royal New
Zealand Ballet, Wellington City Mission, Wellington Zoo and Wellington Women’s Refuge.
The Trust Board usually includes the Governor-General, the Prime Minister (or representative), the Catholic Archbishop of Wellington and the capital city’s mayor. 2021 was the first meeting for the new Governor-General, Dame Cindy Kiro.
Public Trust acts as trustee for the TG Macarthy Trust. Its duties include managing the assets of the Trust, reporting on the Trust’s financial position and taking part in the sign-off process for awarding grants.
HOW THESE GRANTS HELP
St John New Zealand received $150,000 from the TG Macarthy Trust last year.
‘‘This grant was used to purchase a new state-of-the-art ambulance for use in taki and the surrounding communities. St John relies on donations and grants from trusts like the TG Macarthy Trust to purchase new ambulances and lifesaving equipment and we cannot thank the trust enough for their ongoing support,’’ says a St
Johns spokesperson.
Christians Against Poverty received $10,000. The organisation says the grant has enabled Wellington families living in poverty to access free, long-term, holistic help with unmanageable debts.
‘‘I had a whole head full of worry,’’ says Luna, a Wellington client of Christians Against Poverty. ‘‘Now I can just be present and enjoy life. I’m honestly so grateful.’’’
HOW CAN YOU APPLY
There are 94 trusts managed by Public Trust that make grants to applicants.
They have a variety of purposes, such as providing educational scholarships for general or specific subjects, for the relief of poverty, for the promotion of religion, for aiding animal welfare or medical research among others.
The trusts may specify that they only benefit applicants who live or operate in a certain geographical area, or they may be open to applicants nationwide. Applicants may be individuals who wish to carry out educational study or vocational qualifications, or they may be charitable entities who wish¯toO apply for grants to help with projects or purposes that fit with the purpose of the trust.
Go online to publictrust.co. nz/grants/
This article was commissioned in response to a commercial partnership. We have produced it independently, to the same standards applied to the rest of our journalism.