The impact of grant funding upon communities in New Zealand: A case study

As long ago as 1601, private giving was already so well established in Britain that it justified government regulation through the Charitable Uses Act. Although private giving has a long history in New Zealand, the impact and reach of community grants giving is difficult to measure and has not been extensively studied. In this study we assess the impact of charitable community grants in New Zealand by looking at the community impacts associated with disbursements from one large charitable trust, the Lion Foundation (the Foundation), as a case study. Data were collected through an online survey from recipient organisations and analysed using standard statistical tests. We found that the work done by the organisations had a strong positive impact on health, sports, education and culture and heritage communities. We also found that, without grant funding, many of the organisations would cease to exist.