CLT marks 25 years with record $16.3m grants budget

As Central Lakes Trust (CLT) celebrates its 25th anniversary, the Trust has confirmed a record $16.3 million grants budget for the 2026/27 financial year. This is the largest annual grants budget in CLT’s history.

In addition to its normal grant funding, the CLT Board also has an appetite to provide Regionally Significant Grants. Regionally Significant Grants are for opportunities that will provide significant benefits to our wider community. These allow CLT to provide grants for initiatives that can leave a lasting legacy for the region.

“Regionally Significant Grants allow us to look beyond our normal granting activity and consider how we can support regionally significant projects that often are multi-year initiatives that require substantial financial support,” says Linda Robertson, CLT Chair. “Regionally Significant Grants, alongside our Social Impact Investments, allow CLT to assist the community with challenges such as healthcare access and housing affordability which require long term thinking and scale. This combination of granting and investment gives us the ability to support initiatives that can make a lasting difference.”

Since its establishment in 2001, CLT has now granted more than $170 million into the community. The milestone budget reflects both the growth of the Trust over the past 25 years and its ongoing commitment to supporting the wellbeing, resilience, and aspirations of communities across the funding region.

Barbara Bridger, CLT Chief Executive, says the anniversary year is a time to acknowledge the organisations and people who bring CLT’s purpose to life.

“As we mark 25 years, our focus is very much on the organisations, volunteers, and community leaders we have the privilege of supporting,” Bridger says. “They are the ones delivering change on the ground every day. We are grateful to be able to set our largest‑ever grants budget and to continue backing our grantees as they create real and lasting outcomes for communities across our region.”