Otago Community Trust enjoys a positive year
30 Aug 2017
The Otago Community Trust invested $7.5 million into the Otago community over the last year.
Around 80 people attended its Annual Public Meeting held in Dunedin on August 22. The Trust reported a positive year, its Investment Portfolio returning $22.5 million, representing a return of 9.2 percent.
Otago Community Trust Chair Ross McRobie said the Trust’s investment goals are to return as much as possible to the Otago community through donations, while preserving the real value of the initial capital of the Fund to maintain equity between different generations of beneficiaries. This is achieved through careful investment activity.
As a result, total Trust funds at the end of the year rose to $280 million, allowing the donations budget for 2017-18 to be set at $9.4 million. The Trust noted however that almost $2 million of this is committed to the Central Otago multi-million-dollar cycle trail project that will connect Central Otago's trail network and create 500 kilometres of continuous trail network.
The Trust also launched its new funding framework and strategic plan, setting out the direction for the Trust over the next five years. Otago Community Trust Chief Executive Barbara Bridger outlined that the Trust is committed to moving towards becoming a more strategic grant maker.
“The new proposed funding framework, due to be rolled out in the next 6 months seeks to balance the role of being a grassroots funder with also wishing to become a more strategic grant maker and wanting to work more closely with our donation recipients” Bridger said.
Prior to the Annual Public Meeting, Otago Community Trust Trustees held their regular August board meeting where over $300,000 in community donations were approved to 34 community groups across Otago.
August donations included a $50,000 donation awarded to the Port Chalmers Historical Society to assist with the final stage of their redevelopment programme. This donation will allow a new collections store room to be built on the yard at the back of the Port Chalmers Maritime Museum.
A $18,000 donation was approved to assist the Dunedin BMX Club with asphalting a second berm and the community ramp at the clubs Forrester Park track. The Club has been successfully appointed host of the 2019 South Island BMX Championships and continues to upgrade the track to meet BMX New Zealand’s specification requirements.
Other donations across the region included $15,000 to Cromwell Kindergarten for assistance with their playground development; $3,000 to Parent to Parent – Otago Branch to support parent training initiatives specifically for parents of special needs children and $615 to the Down in Edin Magazine, a magazine that helps to promote arts, culture & tourism in Dunedin and Otago.
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Otago Community Trust Community Donations, August 2017 |
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Alexandra |
Alexandra Elim Church Trust |
1,000 |
|
|
Alexandra Bowling Club |
3,540 |
|
|
Alexandra Blossom Festival Inc |
4,000 |
|
Balclutha |
Catlins Senior Citizens Club Inc |
1,000 |
|
|
Kaitangata Community Centre Charitable Trust |
50,000 |
|
Cromwell |
Lowburn Hall Society Inc |
5,294 |
|
|
Cromwell Kindergarten |
15,000 |
|
Dunedin |
Down in Edin Magazine |
615 |
|
|
Peace People |
1,000 |
|
|
Otago Secondary Schools Music Festival Society Inc |
1,495 |
|
|
Kelsey Yaralla Kindergarten |
1,945 |
|
|
Otago Southland Diabetes Research Trust |
3,000 |
|
|
Parent to Parent - Otago Branch |
3,000 |
|
|
Rotary Park Kindergarten |
3,000 |
|
|
Otago Fish & Game Council |
3,055 |
|
|
Grants Braes Kindergarten |
4,000 |
|
|
Save the Otago Peninsula (STOP) Society Inc |
5,847 |
|
|
Southern Heritage Trust |
7,000 |
|
|
Vogel St Party Charitable Trust |
8,000 |
|
|
Servants Health Centre Trust |
9,300 |
|
|
Acts of Kindness Charitable Trust |
10,000 |
|
|
Disabled Citizens Soc (Otago) Inc |
10,000 |
|
|
George Street Normal School |
12,415 |
|
|
Dunedin BMX Club Inc |
18,000 |
|
|
Port Chalmers Historical Soc |
50,000 |
|
Mosgiel |
East Taieri School |
2,500 |
|
Oamaru |
Fenwick School |
10,500 |
|
|
Maheno Rugby Club |
15,000 |
|
Otago |
The Brain Injury Assn (Otago) Inc |
1,000 |
|
|
Tangata Whenua, Community and Voluntary Sector Research Centre |
7,500 |
|
|
Massive Company Trust |
3,000 |
|
Wanaka |
Southern Lakes Arts Festival Trust |
5,000 |
|
|
Wanaka Search and Rescue |
12,190 |
|
|
Kahu Youth Trust |
15,000 |