Community budget up to $5.3m

Napier Women's Refuge manager Megan Thomassen-Clarke (left) and Veena Singh women's services co-ordinator. Photo / Paul Taylor

There will be more funding available for Hawke's Bay organisations since the Eastern Central Community Trust's budget is set to go up this year.

The trust's budget for last year was $4.75 million, while this year the budget has gone up to $5.3 million.

Community Trust general manager Jonathan Bell said the year had started well as the trust had given more than $1 million this financial year.

Napier Women's Refuge manager Megan Thomassen-Clarke said the $12,000 received from the community trust was extremely beneficial to funding and running a life skills program.

"It's available to women who have been subjected to family violence. A number of women benefit from the program," she said. Ms Thomassen-Clarke said the funding was crucial to help organisations like theirs. "It's really important that these community funding programs carry on. Without them being there we wouldn't exist."

As the foundation's assets grew so too did the benefit to the community, Mr Bell said.

"As our asset base grows then the amount of donations grows as well ... at the moment our base is approximately $168 million. Last year it was around $152 million."

Organisations work together to provide for the community, Mr Bell said.

"We are one piece in the jigsaw puzzle. Quite often we work together with funders and that's happening more often," he said.

"It's really really rewarding. It's great when you go and see the changes and improvements that our donations make to organisations or groups within our community. It's pretty neat to see, particularly young people getting the benefits of what we do."

New Zealand was a "rare breed", Mr Bell said, as other countries relied on family wealth for philanthropy.