The Dilworth Trust Board is one of New Zealand's largest charities and provides the funding to support Dilworth School.
James Dilworth left an original endowment of more than £100,000 in land and funds in his 1894 will. Since then, the endowment has been invested wisely and grown into a diversified portfolio of investments.
Dilworth Trust Board still invests mostly in property, especially commercial property close to the Auckland campuses. It also holds a number of other investments including shares, both in New Zealand and overseas. The Trust Board staff manages the property portfolio, while professional fund managers are engaged to manage the non-property investments.
All revenue generated funds the operating costs of the school and any capital development. Additionally, about 5% of the annual operating expense of the school is covered by the government grant provided to all independent schools.
Prudent strategy for future benefit
The Board invests prudently to ensure a certainty of income to fund Dilworth School. Diversity and effective risk-management are the cornerstones of our investment strategy.
The Dilworth Trust’s sole beneficiary is the school. The Board is specifically precluded from assisting any other cause, however worthy. This means it remains focused on the task set out in Dilworth's will.
The Trust Board's primary objective is to support the education of the students currently at Dilworth. Its secondary objective is expanding the Trust assets long-term, which will enable the school to grow the roll and educate more students.
The Board also has the unique duty of granting and withdrawing scholarships. While the school’s academic staff provide significant input, the final selection rests with the Trustees.