University Of Otago Foundation Trust — Education Charity in Dunedin
University Of Otago Foundation Trust is a Trust charity in the Education sector, based in Dunedin, Dunedin. This organisation also provides funding to other charities. CharityData rates this charity B (79/100). Annual revenue: $32.3M NZD. 1 red flag detected. Financial data as at December 2025.
Mission: The advancement of knowledge and sound learning; the dissemination and maintenance of knowledge and sound learning including through teaching and research; the carrying on of any other charitable object which may seem to the Trustees capable of being conveniently carried on or calculated directly or indirectly to advance the objects of the Deed, provided that all funds expended must be for or lead to public benefit in New Zealand;
- Registration Number
- CC20440
- Charity Type
- Trust
- Registration Date
- 2008-01-09
- Status
- Active
- CharityData Rating
- B (79/100)
- Sector
- Education
- Location
- Dunedin, Dunedin
- Website
- http://www.otago.ac.nz
- fsd.treasury@otago.ac.nz
- Funder Status
- Grant-making charity (university_foundation)
- Data as at
- December 2025
Beneficiaries: Other - All
Financial Summary
- Total Revenue
- $32.3M NZD
- Total Expenses
- $14.3M NZD
- Total Assets
- $316.3M NZD
- Net Assets
- $315.1M NZD
- Reserve Months
- 16.8 months of operating expenses
- Financial Year End
- 2025-12-31
Financial History
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Net Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $32.3M | $14.3M | $315.1M |
| 2024 | $35.9M | $13.0M | $297.1M |
| 2023 | $32.2M | $12.1M | $274.2M |
| 2022 | $41.8M | $61.2M | $254.1M |
| 2021 | $31.1M | $11.6M | $273.5M |
| 2020 | $24.1M | $12.8M | $254.0M |
| 2019 | $47.8M | $11.3M | $242.7M |
| 2018 | $6.4M | $11.5M | $206.3M |
| 2017 | $28.8M | $11.3M | $211.4M |
| 2016 | $13.6M | $10.6M | $193.9M |
CharityData Rating
- Overall Grade
- B
- Overall Score
- 79/100
- Financial Score
- 95
- Governance Score
- 75
- Transparency Score
- 85
Red Flags
- 2 trustees of this charity also sit on multiple other charity boards — concentrated trustee bandwidth may warrant board-skill-mix review.
Board Members and Officers
Current Officers (4)
| Name | Role | Appointed |
|---|---|---|
| Graham Stuart | Trustee | 2026-03-03 |
| Patricia Oakley | Trustee | 2024-10-01 |
| Patricia Oakley | Trustee | 2024-10-01 |
| Simon Tyler | Trustee | 2021-07-13 |
Former Officers (20)
- Grant Robertson — Vice-Chancellor
- Helen Nicholson — Vice-Chancellor-(acting) (departed 2024-06-30)
- Frazer Barton — Trustee
- David Murdoch — Trustee (departed 2023-07-19)
- Simon Ross Tyler — Trustee
- Lillah Hobson — Trustee (departed 2025-12-31)
- Mark Fitz-Gerald — Trustee (departed 2016-11-21)
- Michael Sidey — Trustee (departed 2015-12-31)
- Stuart McLauchlan — Chair
- Harlene Hayne — Trustee (departed 2021-04-08)
- Royden Somerville — Trustee (departed 2022-02-28)
- John Ward — Trustee (departed 2020-04-02)
- Lorraine Isaacs — Trustee (departed 2015-12-31)
- Edward Weller Ellison — Trustee (departed 2008-12-31)
- Stephen James Higgs — Trustee (departed 2024-09-30)
- Susannah Adair Staley — Trustee (departed 2009-12-31)
- Lindsay Brown — Chair (departed 2008-12-31)
- Alexander Patrick — Trustee (departed 2016-04-08)
- David Skegg — Trustee (departed 2011-07-31)
- Stephen Higgs — Trustee
Executive Compensation
| Name | Role | Compensation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key Management Personnel (aggregate) | Key Management Personnel | $13,000 | 2024 |
| S J McLauchlan | Chair | $13,000 | 2024 |
| Key Management Personnel (aggregate) | Key Management Personnel | $13,000 | - |
| S J McLauchlan | Chair | $4,000 | 2023 |
| S R Tyler | Trustee | $2,500 | 2023 |
| L C Hobson | Trustee | $2,500 | 2023 |
| F B Barton | Trustee | $2,500 | 2023 |
| S J Higgs | Trustee | $2,500 | 2023 |
| R J Somerville KC | Trustee | - | 2023 |
| F B Barton | Trustee | - | 2024 |
| S R Tyler | Trustee | - | 2024 |
| P A Oakley | Trustee | - | 2024 |
| L C Hobson | Trustee | - | 2024 |
| G M Robertson | Trustee | - | 2024 |
| S J Higgs | Trustee | - | 2024 |
| H D Nicholson | Trustee | - | 2024 |
| D R Murdoch | Trustee | - | 2023 |
| H Nicholson | Trustee | - | 2023 |
Major Funders and Contracts (FY2024)
As disclosed in University Of Otago Foundation Trust's annual report.
- University of Otago — $11,617 (32.3% of revenue) — Distribution of funds for research, teaching, scholarships and prizes
Service Providers
- Financial Services Division, University of Otago
- Financial Services Division, University of Otago
- Rudie Tomlinson
- Gallaway Cook Allan
- Gallaway Cook Allan
Similar Charities in Education
- The Hato Paora Trust Board — Education
- Otago Presbyterian Girls' College Board of Governors Incorporated — Education
- Hawksbury Community Living Trust — Education
- Far North Reap Society Incorporated — Education
- Victoria University of Wellington Students Association and Te Aka Tauira Incorporated — Education
University Of Otago Foundation Trust
Financial data as at December 2025. Sourced from Charities Services register.
$32.3M
$14.3M
$316.3M
Financial data from Charities Services annual return (FY2025). Ratings calculated using CharityData v3.1.1 methodology.
Endowment Foundation
Special Entity TypeThis is an endowment foundation that holds investments and provides grants. High reserves are expected and appropriate - this is not an operating charity.
Rating Note: Endowment foundations are rated using specialized criteria that recognize high reserves as appropriate. Metrics like grant distribution rate and investment returns are prioritized over program spending ratios.
Funder Profile
GrantmakerThis organisation makes grants or donations to other charities and organisations.
About
The advancement of knowledge and sound learning; the dissemination and maintenance of knowledge and sound learning including through teaching and research; the carrying on of any other charitable object which may seem to the Trustees capable of being conveniently carried on or calculated directly or indirectly to advance the objects of the Deed, provided that all funds expended must be for or lead to public benefit in New Zealand;
Who We Serve
Key Statistics
Financial Trends
Financial Trends (18 Years)
Revenue Breakdown
Expense Breakdown
API DataBased on annual return data. Detailed program/admin breakdown not available.
Financial Health Dashboard
Based on latest annual return data. Metrics are calculated from reported financial data and may not reflect the full picture. View methodology
Revenue Diversification
HHI (Herfindahl–Hirschman Index) measures concentration across 6 income categories. Lower HHI = more diversified. Score above 60 indicates healthy diversification.
Peer Comparison
Ranked against 500 peers · Education (all sizes)
Top Peers in Group
Peers are charities in the same sector and revenue size band. Rankings are based on the latest available data.
Rating History
Rating
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Sector & Activities
Data sourced from Charities Services register and publicly available annual returns. Our datasets may not be complete. Automated analysis can produce errors. Scores are calculated using disclosed methodology and are analytical tools, not investment ratings or recommendations. If you believe any data on this page is incorrect, please contact us at hello@charitydata.co.nz. For informational purposes only. Not investment advice. Last updated: 27 September 2026.
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