Mō Tātou Katoa – For All of Us.

These words guide our thinking and our practice every day.  As CEO, I continue to be inspired by the people of Rotorua and the impact that Rotorua Trust has had across our community, for all of us.   

June 2024 marked a significant milestone for Rotorua Trust as it celebrated 30 years of supporting positive local initiatives. While the nature of projects has adapted over time, the Trust’s overarching commitment remains unchanged, working together towards a vibrant and thriving Rotorua.

In 2024, the Trust continued its investment in Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa – Rotorua Museum in partnership with the Rotorua Lakes Council and other funders. Rotorua Trust’s total commitment of $15 million, paid in annual instalments of $1 million from 2020 to 2035, reflects the scale of this legacy project and the Trust’s long-term view on how to provide this support while retaining annual granting to local initiatives. Once complete, the Museum will stand not only as a taonga of national importance but as a space where generations can connect with the stories of Rotorua and Te Arawa.

Another significant initiative this year has been the impact investment into Bay of Plenty Housing Equity Fund — an innovative collaboration with Bay of Plenty philanthropic trusts and like mind investors. This social investment is designed to deliver dual outcomes: it addresses the acute housing need across our region while also ensuring a responsible return on investment. We were proud to see the initiative recognised as a finalist at the Mindful Money Awards — a testament to the fund’s innovative, impact-driven approach.

In the 2024/2025 financial year, Rotorua Trust distributed $4.5 million to the community through 245 grants. Grant requests totaled over $9.2 million, reflecting the increasing demand for support across our rohe. With careful stewardship of the trust’s capital fund, we achieved an overall positive financial return for the year of 1.7% growth despite market volatility in early 2025 influenced by global events such as the US election cycle. The Trust takes a long-term view of investments, allowing for market fluctuations over time and ensuring that granting can remain a cornerstone of supporting our people.

With our community at the heart of every decision our governance and management team’s role goes beyond funding to also building community capacity and advocating for positive change. We work closely with funding applicants and recipients, other funders, Iwi, community housing providers, Te Arawa Lakes Trust, Rotorua Lakes Council, and government agencies. “Mā te huruhuru, ka rere te manu.” With feathers, the bird will fly. — Through partnership, vision, and collective effort, our community will continue to thrive.

Our small management team, of myself, Kaycie, Megan and Nicola work closely with the Board to ensure delivery of the Trust’s strategic plan. This year, the Trust management team completed upgrades to our grants portal, based on the survey results of our 2024 grantee survey. The application process has been streamlined, and in the later part of 2025 online grant agreements and accountability reporting forms will be available.

As we look to the future, our strategic direction remains focused on enabling positive impact, supporting local leadership, and listening to the voices of our people. We are privileged to be entrusted with this responsibility — and with that comes a duty to ensure that today’s decisions support the generations to come.

Mō Tātou Katoa – For All of Us

Nāku iti noa, nā

Blair

Chief Executive

Rotorua Trust