Trust & Compliance

Your generosity deserves to be protected. The Gift Trust operates under strict governance and compliance frameworks so you can give with confidence. Every grant we make follows a rigorous process to ensure your funds achieve their charitable purpose while meeting all IRD and legal requirements.

Our Governance Framework

Registered NZ Charity

The Gift Trust is a registered charitable trust under New Zealand law.

Independent Trustees

Our board provides oversight on all decisions, ensuring funds are managed ethically and responsibly.

Our Team

Transparency

We provide regular reporting on your account and publish annual financial statements.

Grant-Making Criteria

We only make grants when recipients meet our comprehensive eligibility criteria. The recipient must be a NZ-registered charity, an incorporated entity that meets equivalent legal standards, or an organisation that has agreed in writing to use funds for charitable purposes and report back on their use.

All grants must serve a charitable purpose as defined by New Zealand law and provide genuine benefit to the public rather than to individuals or donors. Recipients must comply with our grants policy, which means they cannot engage in illegal activity, hate speech, or activities that provide private benefit rather than public good.

Rigorous Due Diligence

Every gift recommendation goes through our due diligence process, which may include:

Reviewing financial health and governance of recipient organisations
Assessing income diversification and sustainability of the charity
Checking eligibility against our grants policy

Compliance With IRD Requirements

We ensure your giving remains eligible for New Zealand tax credits by:

Vetting all recipient charities for compliance with NZ charitable status
Maintaining records to meet IRD standards
Providing a single consolidated receipt each year

Investment Oversight

For invested accounts, funds are held by an independent custodian (FNZ) and managed by accredited financial advisers. Investments follow agreed strategies and are reported regularly.

Confidence in Every Donation

Learn more about how we manage and distribute charitable funds with transparency and care.

View Our Grants Policy

“The Gift Trust provides a personalised service for my plan to give, donate and support the causes that are important to me at a reasonable cost.”

— Gillian, Gift Trust donor

"The gift accounts offered by The Gift Trust are a good option for individuals or organisations wanting to consolidate their charitable giving. I encourage all financial advisers to consider this important development."

– Dr Rodger Spiller, Financial Adviser, Money Matters

“An area of importance to our clients is charitable giving. The Gift Trust offers an opportunity to streamline the gifting process, while adding increased confidence and transparency. It also provides robust due diligence of eligible charities and access to additional support services for clients with complex needs.”

— Philip Stevenson, Bloomsbury Associates. CEFEX Certified Investment Adviser

“We would like to recognise and offer thanks for the support we receive though The Gift Trust’s donation. An annual donation from one of your donors is one of the largest donations that Kaibosh receives each year and has been absolutely pivotal to our ability to operate with confidence and to expand our operation across the Hutt Valley. We are extremely thankful.”

— Matt Dagger, Kaibosh, Gift Trust grant recipient

“My gift account has made my giving easy. It lets me get straight to the fun and satisfying part of giving to the causes I care about, without the hassle.”

— Anake, Gift Trust donor

"The Gift Trust provides a flexible and robust structure, to support donors' charitable giving intentions, while still enabling them to have a say in the investment of donated funds."

– David Ireland, Partner, Dentons Kensington Swan

"A Gift Account with The Gift Trust is a great option as an alternative to setting up a charity or private foundation while still preserving clients' control over their giving."

– Steven Moe, Partner, Parry Field Lawyers

"The administration and ongoing compliance requirements involved in setting up a private charity can be onerous, and even risky. Setting up a Gift Account allows The Gift Trust to look after those requirements, and provide support that allows the donor to focus on what they really want to do with their gifts."

– Sue Barker, Sue Barker Charities Law

"The Gift Trust takes the guesswork out of giving. Having support with research and due diligence on donations ensures that funds are truly making the desired impact. It has been a real pleasure to work with The Gift Trust."

– Ben, Gift Account holder

Get in touch

PO Box 19120, Marion Square
Wellington, New Zealand

04 391 4438

info@thegifttrust.org.nz