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 D (48/100). Annual revenue: $35.9M NZD. 1 red flag detected. Financial data as at December 2024.
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
- D (48/100)
- 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 2024
Financial Summary
- Total Revenue
- $35.9M NZD
- Total Expenses
- $13.0M NZD
- Total Assets
- $298.8M NZD
- Net Assets
- $297.1M NZD
- Reserve Months
- 274.3 months of operating expenses
- Volunteers
- 0
- Financial Year End
- 2024-12-31
Financial History
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Net Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $35.9M | $13.0M | $297.1M |
| 2023 | $32.2M | $12.1M | - |
| 2022 | $41.8M | $61.2M | - |
| 2021 | $31.1M | $11.6M | - |
| 2020 | $24.1M | $12.8M | - |
| 2019 | $47.8M | $11.3M | - |
| 2018 | $6.4M | $11.5M | - |
| 2017 | $28.8M | $11.3M | - |
| 2016 | $13.6M | $10.6M | - |
| 2015 | $18.0M | $9.2M | - |
CharityData Rating
- Overall Grade
- D
- Overall Score
- 48/100
- Financial Score
- 65
- Governance Score
- 75
- Transparency Score
- 65
- Program Spending Ratio
- 0.9%
Red Flags
- Holding 274.3 months of expenses in reserves ($297.1M) — above the 18-month threshold
Board Members and Officers
Current Officers (0)
| Name | Role | Appointed |
|---|
Former Officers (19)
- 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
- Mark Fitz-Gerald — Trustee (departed 2016-11-21)
- Stuart McLauchlan — Chair
- Michael Sidey — Trustee (departed 2015-12-31)
- 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)
- Alexander Patrick — Trustee (departed 2016-04-08)
- David Skegg — Trustee (departed 2011-07-31)
- Lindsay John Brown — Chair (departed 2008-12-31)
- Susannah Adair Staley — Trustee (departed 2009-12-31)
- Edward Weller Ellison — Trustee (departed 2008-12-31)
- Stephen James Higgs — Trustee (departed 2024-09-30)
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 |
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
- Smart Waikato Trust — Education
- Internet New Zealand Incorporated — Education
- Trees For Survival Charitable Trust — Education
- Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoors Education Trust — Education
- Tauranga Regional Free Kindergarten Association Incorporated — Education
University Of Otago Foundation Trust
CC20440Dunedin, DunedinRegistered 9 Jan 2008
Data updated: Today
Financials31 Dec 2024Rating9h ago
Financial data as at December 2024. Sourced from Charities Services register.
D
48/100
Reduced by penalties
Financial
65
Governance
75
Transparency
65
Revenue
$35.9M
Expenses
$13.0M
Assets
$298.8M
Financial data from Charities Services annual return (FY2024). Ratings calculated using CharityData v3.1.1 methodology.
1 red flag identified- Review the Rating tab for details
This rating may reflect incomplete data
This charity's grade of Dis based on limited data from the NZ Charities Register, which does not provide detailed expense breakdowns. Without verified program vs admin spending, efficiency scoring is unavailable and the financial score relies on health metrics only. This charity's actual performance may differ from what the available data suggests.
Funder Profile
GrantmakerThis organisation makes grants or donations to other charities and organisations.
Funding Sectors
Education
Beneficiaries
General Public
Geographic Focus
Nationwide
About
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;
Key Statistics
Annual Revenue
$35.9M
Total Expenses
$13.0M
Net Assets
$297.1M
Volunteers
0
Financial Trends
Financial Trends (17 Years)
Revenue Breakdown
Expense Breakdown
VerifiedFinancial Health Dashboard
Cents to the Cause
90c
For every $1 spent, 90c reaches programs
Strong
Sustainability
24.7mo
Could operate 24.7 months with zero revenue
Over-capitalized
Fundraising Cost
-
No fundraising data
No data
Based on latest annual return data. Metrics are calculated from reported financial data and may not reflect the full picture. View methodology
Revenue Diversification
19
Score /100
Highly Concentrated
HHI: 8,073
High Concentration: 89% of revenue from Investment Income
Investment Income89.2%
Donations10.8%
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)
Rating Score
48
Revenue
$35.9M
Reserve Months
274.3
Surplus
$23.0M
Staff Cost %
0%
Top Peers in Group
Peers are charities in the same sector and revenue size band. Rankings are based on the latest available data.
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Claim This ProfileContact Details
Registration
Registration NumberCC20440
Entity TypeTrust
Registered9 Jan 2008
StatusRegistered
Sector & Activities
Primary Sector
EducationData 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: 23 April 2026.
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