A Whanganui Community Foundation donation of $1 million will help get the Sarjeant Gallery redevelopment project over the line, says gallery trust chairwoman Nicola Williams.
Provided written pledges to the project can be finalised by the end of this month, she is confident the trust will raise enough to unlock a Government contribution of $10 million toward the $34 million project.
And getting to that total should unlock more funding still, she said.
The Community Foundation approved a grant of $250,000 to the Sarjeant project in October last year. The trust then asked for a further $750,000 to ensure the funding deadline was met.
Foundation chairwoman Alaina Teki-Clark said members agreed from the get-go that the foundation would give something.