The Rotorua Trust has reached out to 93 organisations this year with grants under the operating costs scheme totalling $500,000.
The scheme was started in 1998, at a time when other Trust and Foundations in New Zealand were not providing this type of funding. Rotorua Trust CEO Stuart Burns says that this was a bold step and the scheme was designed to assist organisations with operational funding, while at the same time giving the Trust the opportunity to limit dependency issues. That year, grants were made to 23 organisations, so the number has quadrupled since that time.
The funds assist organisations to keep operating, rather than being used for projects or programmes, so they contribute to rent, power and other costs. The scheme was set up so the funding would run over a fixed three-year period, with minimal accountability requirements.
This year the scheme has been varied to allow organisations to come in part way through the three-year period.
For more information on the
Operating Costs scheme, contact:
Alison Perrin
Donations Assessor
Rotorua Trust
(07) 347-6239
alison@rotoruatrust.org.nz