Supporting Local Charities
in the Nelson Tasman region

RG & EF MacDonald Trust has invested and grown a capital fund since it was gifted for Charitable purposes. Income from investments is applied to grants on a quarterly basis as determined by the Trustees. Grants are in general confined to organisations of a charitable nature who disperse the funds locally, which satisfy the criteria set out below:

For the relief of poverty and support for organisations providing wellbeing, healthcare and education to their members and service recipients in the Nelson/Tasman community.

These grants must be made to charitable organisations and not individuals. Organisations can apply for funding once a year and it is up to the trustee’s discretion on how much the RG and EF MacDonald Trust Board will grant.

Organisations we have supported

Legacy of Generosity

The trust was established in 1972 by Effie MacDonald. She and her husband had owned department stores in Nelson and Motueka which traded under the name “McKays”. The bulk of their estates were settled on their charitable trust.

In 1979, the trust altered its name to “RG and EF MacDonald Trust” and it was incorporated under the Charitable Trust Act 1957.  In their old age, they were motivated to use their accumulated wealth to make a difference for people in the Nelson region.

Complete the Application
Form to apply for funding

Our Trustees

  • Ross McKechnie

    Ross McKechnie is a retired solicitor who lives in Nelson. Originally hailing from Invercargill he moved to Nelson in 1981 and worked in a Nelson law firm for 40 years specialising in the property and commercial fields. Ross has been a trustee of the R G & E F MacDonald Trust for 25 years

  • Nicole Akuhata

    Nicole Akuhata joined the RG & EF MacDonald Trust in 2023. She is the Director of Māori & Pasifika Success at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) and a trustee for local Iwi, Ngāti Apa ki te ra tō. She lives in Whakatū with her husband and four sons.

  • Darren Mark

    Darren is a Chartered Accountant and long-time Nelson resident. He is a Partner at Findex Nelson and has been with the firm for over 30 years. His work involves providing business advice to a wide range of clients. He has a specialisation in business valuations and carries out a number of governance roles. He lives in Richmond with his wife, their 3 daughters have moved from Nelson for study and work.

Trustees History

Trust deed states it must have no less than three and no more than five trustees.

1972

Original trust formed “The RG and EF MacDonald Trust”

Trustee 1: Effie Fraser MacDonald (settlor)

Trustee 2: Brian Joseph Yates (chartered accountant)

Trustee 3: Terrance Grant Ralfe (solicitor)

2024

Current trustees

Trustee 1: Nicole Jane Akuhata

Trustee 2: Ross Hannay McKechnie (solicitor)

Trustee 3: Darren Nicholas Mark (Chartered accountant)