Kia ora tātou - Welcome to our October eNewsletter. I'm excited to join as the Chief Executive of Otago Community Trust. As I enter my second month, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting out and meeting new people in the philanthropic sector and the wider Otago community.

Below is a quick summary of our recent grant approvals for August and September 2023.

Otago Community Trust was pleased to announce that Carole Adair and Robyn McLean from Dunedin, alongside Oamaru based Fraser McKenzie had been appointed as new trustees to the Trust last month.

Otago Community Trust was pleased to report its annual results at the Oamaru Opera House late last month. Despite continued market volatility, the Trust was pleased to have approved $11.3 million in grants to over 400 Otago community groups for the year ending 31 March 2023.

💥Reminder💥- Otago Community Trust has two capability funds closing at the end of the month. Our General Capability Fund and our Tamariki & Rangatahi Sector Capability Fund which is available to not-for-profit organisations who provide services for the benefit of tamariki and rangatahi.

In 2023, the J R McKenzie Trust and CSI have partnered to develop a companion volume – The Philanthropic Landscape Volume II: Shifting Culture and Power though Mana-Enhancing Partnerships to follow on from their eariler publication - The Philanthropic Landscape: A Review of Trends and Contemporary Practices. Volume II examines the skills, mindsets, and ‘ways of being’ that philanthropy must adopt to give effect to the themes identified in Volume I.

The Wao Summit 2023 runs from the 24th to 29th of October. It is six days of workshops, kōrero, films, tours and community events about creating tangible, long term social and environmental change. The Wao Summit is dedicated to a regenerative future. Accelerating climate action through events & educational programs.

We love these great photos from Te Hā o Maru showcasing their Te Pōhā programme in Moeraki.

A significant wildfire on Sunday, October 4, 2020, devastated 48 houses in the small alpine community of Lake Ōhau. It consumed 5,032 hectares and is considered one of the costliest fires in the country.

Otago Science Into Action is excited to announce the opening of the 2024 funding round for the Otago Participatory Science Platform (PSP).

Recently, OAR FM Dunedin faced the challenge of relocating from its previous location at the Dunedin Community House. Recognizing the financial burden and logistical complexities associated with relocating a radio station, Otago Community Trust stepped in with a generous grant of $90,000 to assist with the relocation and equipment upgrades.

Did you know that one of the changes made by the Charities Amendment Act 2023 is that all charities now have a statutory duty to review their governance procedures at least every 3 years. The new legislation makes important changes to the legal framework for charities and will affect every registered charity in Aotearoa New Zealand. The requirement came into effect on 5 October 2023, so you should be starting to plan your charity’s approach.

Presented by MBIE and supported by Charities Services, the first two webinars in the series on the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022, look at what will change if your society decides to reregister under the new Act.