Ten worthy community organisations have benefited from the latest round of quarterly grants from The Harcourts Foundation in New Zealand, Harcourts New Zealand CEO Bryan Thomson announced today.

The recipients - a surf life saving club, a pre-school, a primary school, a foodbank, a Citizen's Advice Bureau, a retirement village, two hospices, a Ronald McDonald House and an organisation that redistributes surplus food industry products to organisations working with disadvantaged people - were recently awarded grants totalling more than $13,500, having each made successful applications to The Harcourts Foundation in New Zealand.

These latest New Zealand grants together with a number made in Australia recently take the total amount donated since the Foundation was established in August 2008 to more than $290,000 to 61 charities to date.

As Mr Thomson explains, The Harcourts Foundation was set up by Harcourts in New Zealand and Australia with the aim of providing financial support that helps, grows and enriches local communities, and in just over 18 months half a million dollars has been raised for it.

"These funds have been raised voluntarily by dedicated Harcourts team members in New Zealand and Australia through various fundraisers and from individual and office donations, with additional support coming from some of our business partners and clients," Mr Thomson says.

"As a result it means The Harcourts Foundation can support the efforts of a variety of deserving charitable organisations doing valuable work in the community which is fantastic and a very special legacy for Harcourts in the community."

Mr Thomson notes that all of money raised for The Harcourts Foundation is donated as Harcourts International Ltd funds the Foundation's running costs, and aside from a small portion set aside to support major emergency relief efforts the money raised for the Foundation in a particular region goes back into that area.