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About Us

OUR VISION IS FOR RESILIENT AND VIBRANT COMMUNITIES

What we do

At Trust Waikato our vision is for resilient and vibrant Waikato communities.   

Our mission is to invest wisely and to grant effectively.  We aim to do this by:

  • governing well,
  • utilising sound advice,
  • continually seeking to strengthen our investment framework
  • investing for impact in regional economic development.  

We aim to grant effectively by:

  • working in accordance with our principles of practice,
  • responsively giving to support and enable community aspirations,
  • focusing on long-term impact.  

We provide grants to not-for-profit community groups and projects that improve the wellbeing of Waikato communities.  

The types of groups and projects we fund is broad and includes social services, education, sport, recreation, youth, art, culture, history and the environment.

We’re particularly interested in projects that target communities with the highest need.  

The Trust’s strategic priorities for impact include:

1. Facilitating improved outcomes for the highest need communities in our region. Through this priority, the Trust will have a strategic focus on:

  • enhancing the intergenerational well-being of children,
  • young people and whānau/families,
  • increasing resilience and connectivity in a rural/small communities,
  • increasing strength-based initiatives that achieve positive outcomes for Māori.

2. Strengthening the community sector by:

  • supporting key community stakeholders to strategically increase their capacity and capability,
  • facilitating conversations about partnership and investing in collaboration,
  • enabling change-maker organisations through investment in innovation. 

To find out more, read our news stories, or check out what we fund and past grant recipients.

Our vision

Resilient and vibrant Waikato communities

Ko tō mātou moemoea kia tipu, kia hua ngā hāpori

Our mission

Invest wisely, donate effectively

Me whakatupu pai ngā rawa, kia pai ake te tohatoha

Our region

For us, it’s all about the Waikato. That’s where we’re based, where we come from, and where we focus our support.

Our funding area incorporates Thames–Coromandel, Hauraki, Matamata–Piako, Waipa, Waikato, South Waikato, Waitomo, Otorohanga and Ruapehu districts, as well as Hamilton city. It includes much of the lands of the Tainui waka, and the people of Waikato, Raukawa, Hauraki and Maniapoto iwi.

Where We Came From

The Government established Trust Waikato by statute in 1988, to hold and manage the shares of Trust Bank Waikato. In 1996, we left banking and the shares were sold, with the proceeds of the sale invested.

Since then, we have managed those investments, using a portion of the profits each year to support community groups and projects throughout the Waikato region.

You can find out more about our activities and investments in our key documents.

Keep In Touch

Follow us on Facebook and keep up to date with Trust Waikato news, updates and events.

Trust Waikato Art and Taonga Collection 

The Trust began collecting art and taonga of significance to the Waikato region in 1999. In October 2015, the collection - now comprising over 260 pieces, was gifted to Hamilton City Council for the Waikato Museum. 

Here is a short video clip taken at the gifting ceremony at Waikato Museum on 5 October 2015. (Credit: Rebekah Parsons-King / Stuff.co.nz) 

You can also view the book Treasures of the Waikato, which includes all the art and taonga in the Trust Waikato collection.

The collection can be viewed online here. 

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