The Thomas George Macarthy Trust

June 2026 Grant Round

IMPORTANT: Please read the information below to assist you in completing your application online. Applicants should carefully consider the criteria, which may be varied from time to time.

Thomas George Macarthy of Wellington, was a Brewer who died in Wellington on 19 August 1912. The Trust created by Mr Macarthy's Will, as varied by two Acts of Parliament, provides for as much of the income as the Board of Governors sees fit to be distributed among registered charitable or educational organisations operating in the old Wellington provincial district. Learn more about Thomas George Macarthy here.

Applications are open from 9am on 1 June until 5pm on 30 June 2026

Grant outcomes will be communicated by the end of August 2026

To be eligible for funding your organisation needs to be providing support to one or more of the Trust's priority communities and your application needs to align with our priority initiatives. Please carefully read the Trust's full criteria here: TG Macarthy Trust - Contestable Grant Funding

Application groups

This grant round is for General Grants in Groups 1 and 2. You will need to select which group you are applying in.

Grants for a contribution to operating expenses will only be accepted in Group 1.

Group 1: Community support. Applications between $5,000 and $15,000

Grants will be provided for initiatives contributing to the Trust’s vision and mission including funding towards operating expenses, a contribution towards existing salary or wages, small projects or programmes, small equipment purchases or replacements, capital purchases up to $15,000. 

 Group 2: Community impact. Applications between $15,001 and $50,000

Applications must show a strong alignment to the Trust’s vision and mission and create beneficial impact for priority communities through priority initiatives. 

Grants must be for specific projects or programmes. Requests can include salaries and administrative overheads related to the specific project or programme. Programmes can be new or existing. 

The Trust will also consider medium capital grants up to $50,000 in this group. 

Supporting Documents

Applicants are expected to have a formal governance structure and must supply the following information to support their application:

• A set of financial statements completed in line with the reporting standards required by Charities Services and the External Reporting Board.  
• Proof of bank account, such as bank deposit slip, a bank statement or a letter from the bank confirming account details.
• A budget is strongly recommended.
• Quotes are recommended for applications for specific equipment or capital projects.

Application Guidelines

• Organisations may only submit one application per calendar year.  
• In exceptional circumstances where an application has been declined, the Trustee may allow a new application to be submitted in the same year after consultation with the Trustee.  
• All funding is GST exclusive.  
• Applications for assistance with drama, music, arts, crafts and cultural activities, or their promotion, will only be considered if they are aligned with the Trust’s mission and must be for initiatives that enable equitable participation for the Trust’s priority communities.  
• Grants are not made to tertiary education institutions unless the application relates to a special project which benefits the wider community and aligns with the Trust’s mission and priorities. 
• Applications from controlling bodies are preferred, however, in certain circumstances applications from both a controlling body and branch may be considered.  
• Applicants are expected to have made endeavours to raise funds independently.  
• The significance of government funding will be taken into consideration when assessing applications.  
• Applicants are to provide an indication of income expected to be received from other sources.  
• Grants for purposes not yet commenced will only be considered if the Board is satisfied that the applicant can achieve the purpose(s) of the grant.  
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How to apply

Step 1: Determine eligibility

• Please ensure you have read the Trust’s funding eligibility criteria on the Public Trust website.
• If you are unsure if your organisation is eligible to apply or of the suitability of your funding request, contact Public Trust Charities on 0800 371 471 or TGM-Trust@PublicTrust.co.nz 

Step 2: Register or login to apply online

First time users will need to register.

Hint: you will need an email address to register.  If your organisation has a ‘generic’ email (e.g. info@organisation.org) using this may allow other staff members to use the same login in future (as long as they know the password).

Your login can be used for any trust managed by Public Trust granting via SmartyGrants and can be used in future grant rounds.

Note: Please store your login details in a safe place for future reference.

Once registered, you can login to the system and start your application.

Step 3: Complete your application

The application is best viewed/completed on a non-mobile device.

Complete all of the required questions – mandatory questions are marked with an*

Attach all required supporting documents

Note: Our preferred format for attachments is PDF, Excel, Word or JPG.  Supporting materials cannot exceed 25MB in size, as files exceeding this will not upload.

Hint: Save your work regularly so it is not lost if you time out or lose your connection.

You can save your application at any stage and return to it later.

Make sure the spell checker is switched on in your browser to prevent spelling errors.

Step 4: Review and submit your application

When you are satisfied with your application press the review button to ensure that all required sections of the application have been completed (you must do this before the submit button is enabled).

Submit your application.

Note: Once you have submitted your application no further editing or uploading of supporting documents is possible.

Step 5: What happens next?

You will receive an automated email confirming your submission with a copy of your application attached and information about how/when your application will be assessed.  This will be sent to the email you used to register.

If you do not receive a confirmation email then your application has not been successfully submitted (don’t forget to check your spam email folder when looking for the email).

We will contact you if we require any further information to consider your application.

We will contact you after the board has considered the applications. Outcomes are expected 6-8 weeks after the round closing date.

If you need more help using this form, download the help guide for applicants or check out applicant frequently asked questions (FAQ's)

If you have any technical difficulties using the online SmartyGrants portal email service@smartygrants.com.au