TR Moore 2026 Grant Round

This round will open at 9:00AM 1 May 2026 (NZST) for submissions.

Thomas Richard Moore Trust

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.

Public Trust is the Trustee of the Thomas Richard Moore Charitable Trust. Mr Moore was a sheep farmer who died in Palmerston North on 23 July 1935. He left the income from the residue of his estate to the Thomas George Macarthy Trust Board of Governors for distribution amongst charitable and educational organisations in the Palmerston North and Napier cities. Funding is distributed on a triennial basis and the Trust is now calling for applications for 2026.

Applications are open until 5pm on 31 May 2026

Who is eligible:

The Thomas Richard Moore Trust makes grants to registered charitable or educational organisations operating in the Palmerston North and Napier cities who;

  • Improve the quality of life for disadvantaged and marginalised people
  • Help children and young people develop and realise their potential 
  • Look after and provide dignity for older people
  • Provide essential medical and emergency services

This may be through grant making that complements other funding sources, or targets full funding when alternative sources of funding are not available.

More information relating to the Trust’s Funding Eligibility Criteria can be found on the Public Trust website.

All registered kindergartens, Playcentres, Kōhanga Reo, Plunkets and Pacific Island language groups in Napier city receive grants on an annual or biennial basis and do not need to submit an application.

The Trust will not consider applications from individuals (directly or indirectly) or service clubs.

Registered charitable or educational organisations within the Hawkes Bay or Manawatu regions may apply; however, funding must be used specifically for activities in Napier or Palmerston North cities.

Qualifying entities in Palmerston North may apply to both T R Moore and T G Macarthy Trust. Applications will be reviewed individually and on their own merits and one or both may be successful or unsuccessful.

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

  • Charities registration number;
  • Bank deposit slip;
  • A set of financial statements completed in line with the reporting standards set by Charities Services;
  • Supporting information for their application.

What funding is available?  

Grants will be for a minimum of $3,000

Applications guidelines:

  • 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.
  • Applications for religious purposes will be considered only when the organisation is providing a full and general secular education or a social service.
  • Applications for assistance or promotion of Drama, Music, Arts and Crafts will only be considered if they are primarily for educational purposes or public benefit.
  • Applications from sports organisations will only be considered if they can clearly demonstrate the advancement of education or promotion of health, for a significant section of the public.
  • It is important that all details on the application are concise and easy to read.
  • Applications that are not completed in full will not be accepted.
  • Only one application from an organisation will be considered. 
  • Decisions relating to grant applications are made on the information provided in the application, and other general enquiries. The Board of Governors may approve a grant subject to certain conditions. In such circumstances, the funds will normally be held by the Trustee until the conditions have been met.

In what circumstances will an application not be considered?

  • Incomplete or late applications
  • Retrospective funding
  • Applications from individuals, sports organisations and service clubs
  • Applications requesting funding for overseas projects
  • Applications not based in or supporting people within the Trusts funding region
  • Financial Statements that do not comply with the Reporting Standards set by DIA - Charities Services. You must attach the same completed financial statements you used with your latest Charities Filing return.

Important dates

  • Applications are open from 9am on the 1st of May 2026 to 5pm on the 31st May 2026. Please note late applications will not be accepted. 
  • All grant applications are considered by the Board of Governors whose decisions are binding and are advised to all applicants by the 31st October 2026.

Contact us: Any questions should be directed to Public Trust, Charities Team by email to funding@publictrust.co.nz or by phone on 0800 371 471.

How to apply

Step 1: Determine eligibility

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 Meeting has been held to consider the applications successful/unsuccessful.

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