The board undertook a strategy refresh at the end of 2020 with the aim of sharpening our strategic intention and to clarify the Trust’s priority communities. We are pleased to report that we have now finalised our new Strategic Plan for 2022 - 2027.

New Funding Pillars

Our refined strategic focus aims to cement our priorities and outcomes into four core funding pillars that now give direction to our work from 1 April 2022. These areas are: 

1. Empowered Communities, 
2. Improved Health and Wellbeing, 
3. Increased Access to Opportunities and
4. Thriving Children and Young people. 

Please note that our old Funding for Change strategic priorities of Warm Homes, Youth Health, Wellbeing and Employment and Regionally Significant Cycle Ways will phase out and form part of our new funding pillars.

As part of  our strategy refresh the Trust also identified that some groups within the community are more likely to confront barriers to getting equitable outcomes. Trustees therefore have identifed priority communities and from 1 April 2022 we may prioritise funding to the following priority communities with the aim to address the inequities they experience:

Our Priority Communities

• Children and Young people,
• Māori, 
• Pasifika, 
• former refugees, 
• new migrants,
• Rainbow communities, 
• those experiencing mental health issues, 
• people living with a disability, rurally or in isolation and 
• those facing hardship.

Going Forward

Our new Strategic Plan will take effect from 1 April 2022, however between now and then we will be working on amending all application forms slightly and as a result our Grants Portal will close down for a short period in the new year.

Closer to the time we will communicate when exactly this will be.

Liz Harburg, our dedicated Community Engagement Advisor has been hard at work engaging with many community groups, especially those affiliated with Otago based child and youth (tamariki and rangatahi). 

As part of our new Strategic Plan specifically under the new funding pillar Thriving Children and Young People we will have some dedicated funds earmarked to empower tamariki, rangatahi and their whānau. The Trust intends to be ready to release more information on the potential new funding framework for Otago based tamariki and rangatahi in early 2022. 

We welcome you to get in touch if you have any questions on our new Strategic Plan.