Trust Aoraki

What Trust Aoraki does

Trust Aoraki Limited is a New Zealand not-for-profit community funding organisation established in 2006 and headquartered at 10 Royal Arcade, Timaru, South Canterbury. The company is licensed under section 52 of the Gambling Act 2003 to conduct class 4 gambling via gaming machines hosted at 8 hospitality venues across South Canterbury, including Old Bank Cafe & Bar, Crown Hotel Temuka, Temuka Hotel, Pleasant Point Hotel, Fairlie Hotel, Kurow Hotel, Boots & Jandals Hotel Omarama, and Top Hut Twizel. Its core function is the collection and 100% redistribution of net gaming machine proceeds to community organisations in six named communities (Timaru, Temuka, Kurow, Twizel, Omarama, and Fairlie), with a "locals for locals" governance model in which local board members adjudicate grant applications. For the 2024/2025 financial year, the trust distributed NZD $1.72 million to local causes.

Operationally, Trust Aoraki runs a small administrative team (~6 staff including CEO Kate Bain, Community & Compliance Coordinator Linda Kenny, and Finance and Business Support Lead Bev Skea) supported by a board of 5 directors. The underlying technology stack consists of an online grant application portal hosted on comssystems.cloud, used for self-serve application submission, status tracking, and notifications, with payments executed via direct credit to recipient bank accounts. The trust conducts six funding rounds per year.

Trust Aoraki's business model is structured around a regulatory passthrough framework rather than commercial revenue generation: the organisation collects gaming machine proceeds from 8 venue operators and distributes them as grants to community recipients (sports clubs, cultural organisations, health charities, and educational institutions) in compliance with Authorised Purposes approved by the Department of Internal Affairs. Grant allocation follows a 70%-plus minimum for amateur sports purposes. There is no equity ownership, parent company, or institutional investor structure — the entity operates under a board-governed, locally-funded non-profit model.

Name

Trust Aoraki

Legal name

Trust Aoraki Limited

Website

https://trustaoraki.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Trust Aoraki is a Timaru-based, non-profit community trust that distributes 100% of gaming machine proceeds as grants to sports clubs, community organisations, and charities across six South Canterbury communities in New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Grant Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Community grant funding
• Gaming machine proceeds
• Not-for-profit trust
• Charitable grants distribution
• Local community funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Timaru

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Gaming Machine Proceeds Distribution: Trust Aoraki receives proceeds from gaming machines operated by participating venue operators (hotels and cafes) in the South Canterbury region. These proceeds are then distributed as grants to community organizations, sports clubs, and charitable causes. The organization does not retain any funds for operational use - 100% of available funds are distributed back to the community.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Trust Aoraki is a not-for-profit organization that raises funds through gaming machines operated at eight local hospitality venues in South Canterbury, New Zealand, and distributes 100% of net proceeds as grants to qualifying community organizations. Grants are directed toward amateur sports clubs (minimum 70% net income allocation), cultural and arts organizations, health charities, and educational institutions, with funding decisions made by a local board through six funding rounds per year.

Product overview

Trust Aoraki is a not-for-profit community funding organization, not a technology product company. It distributes gaming machine proceeds as grants to local community projects, sports organizations, and charitable causes in South Canterbury, New Zealand. The organization operates a grant application portal and manages a funding schedule with multiple rounds per year. No technology products, modules, or platforms are offered for external sale or use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.72 million distributed to local communities in 2024/2025 financial year

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Old Bank Cafe & BarcoreOthersTimaru-based hospitality venue that runs gaming machines contributing proceeds to Trust Aoraki. This venue was one of the founding establishments to join the trust's community funding model.
• Crown Hotel TemukacoreOthersTemuka hotel venue contributing gaming machine proceeds to Trust Aoraki for community distribution in the Temuka area.
• Temuka HotelcoreOthersTemuka hotel venue operating gaming machines that generate proceeds for local community funding through Trust Aoraki.
• Pleasant Point HotelcoreOthersHospitality venue contributing gaming machine proceeds for distribution to the Pleasant Point local community.
• Fairlie HotelcoreOthersFairlie-based hotel operating gaming machines that fund local community grants through Trust Aoraki.
• Kurow HotelcoreOthersKurow hotel contributing gaming machine proceeds to support the local community through Trust Aoraki's distribution model.
• Boots & Jandals Hotel OmaramacoreOthersOmarama hospitality venue participating in Trust Aoraki's community funding initiative through gaming machine proceeds.
• Top Hut TwizelcoreOthersTwizel venue operating gaming machines that contribute to Trust Aoraki's community fund for the Twizel area.
• Department of Internal AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment department that provides regulatory oversight and support for Trust Aoraki's distribution process. The trust operates under authorization from the Department of Internal Affairs pursuant to section 52 of the Gambling Act 2003. The department reviews and approves authorized purposes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Pub Charity: One of the largest New Zealand class 4 gambling societies, distributing gaming machine proceeds as community grants. Operates a near-identical model to Trust Aoraki but at national scale, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Acorn Foundation: New Zealand community foundation in Hawke's Bay that manages endowment funds and distributes grants to local causes. Comparable grantmaking function to Trust Aoraki, though funded by donations and endowments rather than gaming proceeds.
• The Lion Foundation: Major New Zealand gambling proceeds charity that distributes funds to community organizations nationwide. Directly comparable funding model, regulatory framework (Gambling Act 2003), and grantmaking approach to Trust Aoraki.
• Bay Trust: Regional New Zealand community trust in the Bay of Plenty that distributes grants from various sources including gaming proceeds. Operates a comparable local-board decision model and grantmaking structure.
• New Zealand Community Trust: Large New Zealand community trust distributing grants from gambling and investment returns. Shares the same regulatory framework and grantmaking mission as Trust Aoraki, though at significantly larger scale.
• The Southern Trust: New Zealand community trust operating in the Southland region, distributing grants from various funding sources. Comparable local grantmaking model and community focus to Trust Aoraki.

Regional players

• Trust Waikato: Regional New Zealand community trust serving the Waikato region with grantmaking activities. Comparable community trust structure and local decision-making model, but operates in a different geographic area.
• Aoraki Foundation: South Canterbury-based foundation specifically referenced in Trust Aoraki's board connections (Director Murray Roberts is a Trustee). Operates in the same geographic region with a health endowment focus, making it an adjacent community grantmaking organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/trust.aoraki.limited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trust-aoraki

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trust Aoraki