Types of Award

Normally the Trust offers two types of award each year:

- second-chance education awards for women without qualifications currently studying at the tertiary level

- research awards for individual women or groups undertaking research into issues of interest to women.

In 2008, three additional types of award are offered:

- the Ria McBride Public Service Management Award, sponsored by the State Services Commission and available to women in the Public Service (up to $15,000) .

- the Sonja Davies Peace Award, to honour the work and achievements of Sonja Davies, and to promote women’s initiatives to advance the cause of peace ($2500).

- the SROW Elsie Locke Award, to honour author and activist Elsie Locke, to encourage women's research and writing on topics of concern to Elsie.

For more information please visit our awards page.

Information about the Trust Awards

The first awards were presented in 1993, and 167 awards have been made to date. Total value of awards in 2007 was over $73,000 and over the life of the Trust more than $496,000 has been awarded.

Awards for 2007 were presented in ceremonies in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, attended by friends, families, sponsors, and educational institutions, in September. It is hoped to extend these to other centres in the future.

In 2007, the Trust received over 130 applications for its 17 second chance education and training awards – only one award available for every 8 applications made. Awards are generally for amounts of $2000 – $3000.

Funding - the 250 List and the 500 List

The Trust is funded entirely from donations, from individuals, women’s organisations, other community organisations and grants from charitable trusts, or other sponsorships. Over the last few years, the Trust has centred its fundraising efforts on building a good-sized endowment fund, and has now reached its first target of $250,000. A central feature of this fundraising has been the 250 List, a list of all people and groups who have contributed $250 or more (up to April 2007), or $250 - $499 after that date. The 500 list, launched in April 2007, is a similar list of those who have contributed $500 or more after that date. The List is updated quarterly.

The Structure of the Trust

The Constitution limits the size of the Board to 12 trustees. Currently there are nine, living in Wellington (5), Christchurch (1), the Dunedin area (2), and Opononi (1). Trustees are nominated by a number of organisations, including BPW New Zealand, National Council of Women, NZ Federation of Graduate Women, PACIFICA, PPSEAWA, Society for Research on Women (SROW), Women’s Committee of the CTU, and Zonta, among a number of others. However once elected, trustees do not represent those organisations.