New Zealand Opera Foundation Trust — Arts & Culture Charity in Whanganui
New Zealand Opera Foundation Trust is a Charitable Trust charity in the Arts & Culture sector, based in Whanganui, Whanganui. This organisation also provides funding to other charities. CharityData rates this charity B (79/100). Annual revenue: $0.3M NZD. Financial data as at December 2025.
Mission: The Trust is established: to encourage in the creation, production and performance of opera to a professional standard in New Zealand to educate and assist in the education and instruction of people in operatic skills of any nature whatsoever by every appropriate means and engaging tutors for that purpose in New Zealand; and for any other purpose within New Zealand (whether relating to the relief of poverty, advancement of education or religion or any other matter beneficial to the community) which are charitable according to the law of New Zealand.
- Registration Number
- CC21944
- Charity Type
- Charitable Trust
- Registration Date
- 2008-03-18
- Status
- Active
- CharityData Rating
- B (79/100)
- Sector
- Arts & Culture
- Location
- Whanganui, Whanganui
- bequest@nzoperafoundation.co.nz
- Funder Status
- Grant-making charity (foundation)
- Data as at
- December 2025
Beneficiaries: General public
Financial Summary
- Total Revenue
- $0.3M NZD
- Total Expenses
- $0.2M NZD
- Total Assets
- $4.4M NZD
- Net Assets
- $4.4M NZD
- Reserve Months
- 0.8 months of operating expenses
- Staff Count
- 1
- Financial Year End
- 2025-12-31
Financial History
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Net Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $0.3M | $0.2M | $4.4M |
| 2024 | $0.5M | $0.2M | $4.3M |
| 2023 | $0.6M | $0.1M | $4.0M |
| 2022 | $-0.1M | $0.1M | $3.5M |
| 2021 | $0.2M | $0.1M | $3.8M |
| 2020 | $0.2M | $0.1M | $3.7M |
| 2019 | $0.2M | $0.2M | $3.6M |
| 2018 | $0.2M | $0.6M | $3.6M |
| 2017 | $0.2M | $0.2M | $4.0M |
| 2016 | $0.2M | $0.2M | $3.9M |
CharityData Rating
- Overall Grade
- B
- Overall Score
- 79/100
- Financial Score
- 85
- Governance Score
- 65
- Transparency Score
- 65
Board Members and Officers
Current Officers (6)
| Name | Role | Appointed |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Ashton | Trustee | 2026-09-01 |
| Sina Wendt | Trustee | 2023-01-01 |
| Winifred Bull | Trustee | 2022-10-11 |
| Timothy (Tim) Brown | Trustee | 2022-10-11 |
| John Meads | Trustee | 2018-08-01 |
| Donald Trott | Trustee | 2008-03-19 |
Former Officers (15)
- Annabel Holland — Trustee (departed 2026-03-10)
- Philip King — Trustee (departed 2019-04-10)
- Suzanne Snively — Trustee (departed 2022-10-11)
- Robert Mclaren — Trustee (departed 2018-03-06)
- Mark Horton — Trustee (departed 2022-10-11)
- Graham Beattie — Trustee (departed 2009-10-21)
- August Van De Roer — Trustee (departed 2016-02-10)
- William Falconer — Trustee (departed 2025-12-31)
- Susie des Tombe — Trustee (departed 2016-02-10)
- Athol Mann — Trustee (departed 2017-11-16)
- Jennifer Loosley — Trustee (departed 2026-05-18)
- Margaret Hunn — Trustee (departed 2021-08-31)
- Adam Ross — Trustee (departed 2026-05-27)
- Reginald Barry Mora — Trustee (departed 2015-01-01)
- David Gascoigne — Trustee (departed 2022-10-11)
Similar Charities in Arts & Culture
- Kati Huirapa Runaka Ki Puketeraki Incorporated — Arts & Culture
- Maoriland Charitable Trust — Arts & Culture
- Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua — Arts & Culture
- Christchurch Symphony Trust — Arts & Culture
- Wanganui Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society Incorporated — Arts & Culture
New Zealand Opera Foundation Trust
Financial data as at December 2025. Sourced from Charities Services register.
Reasons to look carefully (1)
These structural observations are drawn from public data and are worth considering before a donation. They are not allegations of wrongdoing, and they don’t affect the charity’s letter grade.
- No chair recorded on the registerNo chair or presiding role is recorded in the register for this board of 6. The Charities Register does not require one to be identified, so this is a gap in the public record rather than a finding about the board.
Each signal is a data-driven observation, not a judgement. They fire automatically from the figures filed with Charities Services. A charity can address any of these by filing fuller disclosure or updating its officer register. Methodology: /about/methodology/concern-signals.
$273.5K
$181.7K
$4.4M
1
Financial data from Charities Services annual return (FY2025). Ratings calculated using CharityData v3.1.1 methodology.
Endowment Foundation
Special Entity TypeThis is an endowment foundation that holds investments and provides grants. High reserves are expected and appropriate - this is not an operating charity.
Rating Note: Endowment foundations are rated using specialized criteria that recognize high reserves as appropriate. Metrics like grant distribution rate and investment returns are prioritized over program spending ratios.
Funder Profile
GrantmakerThis organisation makes grants or donations to other charities and organisations.
About
The Trust is established: to encourage in the creation, production and performance of opera to a professional standard in New Zealand to educate and assist in the education and instruction of people in operatic skills of any nature whatsoever by every appropriate means and engaging tutors for that purpose in New Zealand; and for any other purpose within New Zealand (whether relating to the relief of poverty, advancement of education or religion or any other matter beneficial to the community) which are charitable according to the law of New Zealand.
Who We Serve
Key Statistics
Financial Trends
Financial Trends (18 Years)
Revenue Breakdown
Expense Breakdown
API DataBased on annual return data. Detailed program/admin breakdown not available.
Financial Health Dashboard
Based on latest annual return data. Metrics are calculated from reported financial data and may not reflect the full picture. View methodology
Revenue Diversification
HHI (Herfindahl–Hirschman Index) measures concentration across 6 income categories. Lower HHI = more diversified. Score above 60 indicates healthy diversification.
Peer Comparison
Ranked against 102 peers · Arts & Culture · $100K – $1M
Top Peers in Group
Peers are charities in the same sector and revenue size band. Rankings are based on the latest available data.
Rating History
Rating
BIs this your charity?
Claim your profile to view analytics, submit corrections, and improve your rating.
Claim This ProfileLatest Audit
FY2024Contact Details
Registration
Companies Office
Sector & Activities
Data 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: 4 October 2026.
Similar Charities in Arts & Culture
Other Arts & Culture charities ranked by overall score