"Most of the organisations are NGOs with objectives which align with ours, and we want to support and enable them so that they can, in turn, help people."
Over the last five years, ECCT has provided $24,765,778 to the Eastern & Central regions.
This encompasses the regions of Gisborne/Tairawhiti, Hawke's Bay, Manawatū, Tararua, Horowhenua, Wairarapa and some regional organisations which do work within the communities.
More specifically, over the past five years ECCT has granted a total of $8,964,671 to the Hawke's Bay region.
Clapperton, born and bred in Hawke's Bay, currently resides in Pakipaki with his wife and children.
He was formerly the chief executive of Horowhenua District Council, where he served for eight years, and prior to that he held senior leadership roles in local government.
The decision to be closer to whanau and having established a solid foundation at Horowhenua Council prompted David's decision to seek a new challenge in Hawke's Bay.
"Coming back to Hawke's Bay has always been something I wanted to do.
"I'm excited about the prospect of this role, and working with key stakeholders, ensuring everything ECCT does is seen to contribute to the well-being of the region and provides added value to the people it serves."
ECCT board chair Georgina Morrison said the trust was "excited to launch a new chapter under the guidance of David Clapperton.
"David is highly experienced, and the trustees, stakeholders and staff look forward to welcoming him to the ECCT team and seeing where his strategic strengths lead us."
Clapperton added he was keen to see the impact made by the trust through grants.
"What we are doing is making a difference. I want to see the outcomes for those in the groups we are supporting."
Grant size varies depending on which fund pathway they have applied for and range from $1,000 to $40,000 for the Grassroots Fund. The trust's Capital Assets & Facilities Fund (CAFF) will provide up to $250,000.
Clapperton said organisations that requested funding varied considerably and covered a range of sectors, from arts and culture, education and the environment to sports, recreation and youth.
The Eastern and Central Community Trust came about in 1996, when the Trust Bank Group was sold to Westpac Banking Corporation for $1.2 billion, of which the Trust received $109 million as its share of the proceeds.
The starting capital of the Trust was set at $90 million, with $19 million set aside as capital reserves.
Funds were invested in a diversified range of asset classes in New Zealand and overseas. Over the years the Trust has increased its capital to $173 million, with investment assets of $216 million.
It is the returns from those investments which enable the Trust to give grants to its communities.
