University of Otago — Education Charity in Dunedin
University of Otago is a Trust charity in the Education sector, based in Dunedin, Dunedin. CharityData rates this charity A- (89.5/100). Annual revenue: $874.3M NZD. Financial data as at December 2025.
Mission: To create, advance, preserve, promote and apply knowledge, critical thinking and intellectual independence to enhance the understanding, development and well-being of individuals, society and the environment. It will achieve these goals by building on foundations of broad research and teaching capabilities, unique campus learning environments, its nationwide presence and mana, and international links
- Registration Number
- CC28008
- Charity Type
- Trust
- Registration Date
- 2008-06-30
- Status
- Active
- CharityData Rating
- A- (89.5/100)
- Sector
- Education
- Location
- Dunedin, Dunedin
- Website
- http://www.otago.ac.nz
- financial.accountant@otago.ac.nz
- Data as at
- December 2025
Beneficiaries: General public, Other - All
Financial Summary
- Total Revenue
- $874.3M NZD
- Total Expenses
- $886.5M NZD
- Total Assets
- $2831.4M NZD
- Net Assets
- $2243.4M NZD
- Reserve Months
- 0.0 months of operating expenses
- Staff Count
- 6400
- Financial Year End
- 2025-12-31
Financial History
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Net Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $874.3M | $886.5M | $2243.4M |
| 2024 | $853.9M | $876.5M | $2256.5M |
| 2023 | $811.9M | $833.5M | $2289.3M |
| 2022 | $780.3M | $778.5M | $2108.7M |
| 2021 | $774.4M | $777.0M | $2107.0M |
| 2020 | $756.5M | $730.4M | $2173.9M |
| 2019 | $736.5M | $728.1M | $1927.4M |
| 2018 | $735.2M | $694.2M | $1737.1M |
| 2017 | $687.6M | $671.4M | $1697.4M |
| 2016 | $667.1M | $644.2M | $1469.6M |
CharityData Rating
- Overall Grade
- A-
- Overall Score
- 89.5/100
- Financial Score
- 100
- Governance Score
- 65
- Transparency Score
- 85
Board Members and Officers
Current Officers (14)
| Name | Role | Appointed |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Hopkins | Council Member | 2026-03-02 |
| Peter Bramley | Council Member | 2026-03-02 |
| David Eyers | Council Member | 2025-04-01 |
| Liam White | Council Member | 2025-01-01 |
| Ross Jackson | Council Member | 2024-10-01 |
| Nicola Riordan | Council Member | 2024-09-01 |
| Grant Robertson | Vice-Chancellor | 2024-07-01 |
| Mark Brunton | Council Member | 2024-01-01 |
| Brendan Boyle | Council Member | 2022-11-01 |
| Clare Curran | Council Member | 2022-03-01 |
| Suzanne Ellison | Council Member | 2019-01-01 |
| Patricia Oakley | Council Member | 2018-03-13 |
| Malcolm Wong | Council Member | 2018-01-01 |
| Frazer Barton | Council Member | 2016-01-01 |
Former Officers (60)
- Daniel Leamy — Council Member
- Keegan Wells — Council Member
- Helen Nicholson — Vice-Chancellor-(acting)
- Ralph Adler — Council Member
- Quintin Jane — Council Member
- David Murdoch — Council Member
- Melissa Lama — Council Member
- Michaela Waite-Harvey — Council Member
- Jack Manning — Council Member
- Melissa Lethaby — Council Member
- Charles Pigden — Council Member
- James Heath — Council Member
- Patricia Oakley — Council Member
- Caitlin Barlow-Groome — Council Member
- Lillah Hobson — Council Member
- Hugh Baird — Council Member
- Mark Fitz-Gerald — Council Member
- Laura Harris — Council Member
- Shane Montague-Gallagher — Council Member
- Martin Dippie — Council Member
Executive Compensation
| Name | Role | Compensation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Management Team (aggregate) | Senior Management including Vice-Chancellor | $4,608,000 | 2024 |
| Senior management team (aggregate) | Senior Management Team, including Vice-Chancellor | $4,608,000 | 2024 |
| Senior management team (aggregate) | Senior Management Team, including Vice-Chancellor | $4,608,000 | - |
| Council members (aggregate) | Councillor | $229,000 | - |
| Council members (aggregate) | Councillor | $229,000 | 2024 |
| Council Members (aggregate) | Councillor/Board Member | $229,000 | 2024 |
| F B Barton | Council Member | $49 | 2024 |
| Unidentified Chancellor | Chancellor | - | 2024 |
| Hon C E Curran | Council Member | - | 2022 |
| Unknown Chancellor | Chancellor | - | 2022 |
| Chancellor | Chancellor | - | 2023 |
| Mr F B Barton | Council Member | - | 2024 |
| C E Curran | Council Member | - | 2022 |
| Hone Harawira | Chancellor (Chair) | - | 2023 |
| Rudie Tomlinson | External Auditor | - | 2023 |
| Unknown Vice-Chancellor | Vice-Chancellor | - | 2022 |
| Harlene Hayne | Vice-Chancellor | - | 2020 |
| Mr M R Dippie | Council Member | - | 2022 |
| Unknown | Chancellor | - | 2023 |
| Mr F B Barton | Council Member | - | 2022 |
| Grant Robertson | Vice-Chancellor | - | 2024 |
| Rudie Tomlinson | Auditor | - | 2022 |
| Hon. Grant Robertson | Vice-Chancellor | - | 2024 |
| F B Barton | Council Member | - | 2021 |
| S L Ellison | Council Member | - | 2021 |
| M R Dippie | Council Member | - | 2021 |
| Unknown Vice-Chancellor | Vice-Chancellor (Chief Executive) | - | 2023 |
| M R Dippie | Council Member | - | 2022 |
| F B Barton | Council Member | - | 2022 |
| Unknown Chancellor | Chancellor | - | 2023 |
| Vice-Chancellor | Vice-Chancellor | - | 2023 |
Major Funders and Contracts (FY2024)
As disclosed in University of Otago's annual report.
- Government (Crown funding) — $356,604,000 (42.4% of revenue) — Government grants and performance-based research funding
- Various external research funders — $180,278,000 (21.4% of revenue) — Externally funded research
- Multiple (externally funded research) — $180,278,000 (21.4% of revenue) — Externally funded research contracts and grants
- External research funders — $180,278,000 — Externally funded research
Service Providers
- Audit New Zealand
- Audit New Zealand
- Audit New Zealand
Similar Charities in Education
- The Hato Paora Trust Board — Education
- Otago Presbyterian Girls' College Board of Governors Incorporated — Education
- Hawksbury Community Living Trust — Education
- Far North Reap Society Incorporated — Education
- Victoria University of Wellington Students Association and Te Aka Tauira Incorporated — Education
University of Otago
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 12. 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.
$874.3M
$886.5M
$2.8B
6,400
Financial data from Charities Services annual return (FY2025). Ratings calculated using CharityData v3.1.1 methodology.
About
To create, advance, preserve, promote and apply knowledge, critical thinking and intellectual independence to enhance the understanding, development and well-being of individuals, society and the environment. It will achieve these goals by building on foundations of broad research and teaching capabilities, unique campus learning environments, its nationwide presence and mana, and international links
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 500 peers · Education (all sizes)
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
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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: 28 September 2026.
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