The J R McKenzie Trust has a proud 70-year history in helping to build stronger communities.  However, the situation in which we operate now has changed.  The Trust used to be one of the largest private grant-makers in the country.  Now, the $3 million in funding we allocate each year is dwarfed by grants from regional community trusts, the Lottery Grants Board, gaming trusts, business donors, COGS and other family trusts.  Our contribution to all funds received by community organisations each year is less than a quarter of one percent.

To make sure we continue to use our funds to achieve the most effective change for good that we can, we have undertaken a review of how we give.  This is the most comprehensive review that we have undertaken in more than 30 years.

Our review included many discussions with leaders in our fields of interest, looking at a lot of research, and careful thought about where we could contribute the most value while also fulfilling the mandate of the Trust.

As a result of this work, our strategy for 2010 - 2014 is to focus all we do as a Trust, including our grant-making, on working towards a more socially just and inclusive Aotearoa New Zealand.  We would like to contribute to long term changes to systems or ways of doing things that will improve the prospects or participation of disadvantaged people in an ongoing way.

We will shift away from making many small annual grants to fewer, larger, multi-year grants.  We will look for opportunities to build relationships with the organisations we support, and other ways alongside grants in which to support their work.

The Trust has chosen two major areas of focus for the next five years:

• Disadvantaged children and their families ; and
• Mäori development.

The Trust endorses the proverb "Iti noa ana, he pito mata" (with care a small kumara will produce a harvest).  We believe the changes will help the Trust to retain relevance and impact in the future and deliver ongoing benefits to our country.

To read some of the Frequently Asked Questions about the changes, click here.

You can see slides from briefing sessions held for some community organisations here.