Dress for Success and Murupara Budget Advisory were among community organisations to get funding in BayTrust's latest grants round.
Dress for Success Rotorua manager Jane Henry said having opened only late last year, the trust "doesn't have a healthy bank balance".
"To receive $10,000 from BayTrust is really precious atthis stage. It gives us some certainty and means we can carry on with our work."
Dress for Success works with women job-seekers, providing interview skills and an outfit, including shoes, handbag and accessories. "When you're dressed right, you feel good about yourself and you're much more likely to present yourself better in an interview situation," Ms Henry said. "That's certainly reflected in the 85 per cent success rate our clients have achieved and everyone who gets work then receives a second outfit so they've got the best possible start to their new job."
She said the trust was getting great support from referral agencies and Rotorua women who donated the clothes and accessories.
Murupara Budget Advisory Services manager Carolyn Meihana said its $10,000 BayTrust grant was greatly appreciated.
"It relieves the financial pressure on us and means we can continue to provide much-needed budgeting advice and advocacy for people in an area stretching from Kaingaroa and Waiohou right up to Ruatahuna and Te Whaiti."
She said one of the services' key jobs was to help families facing financial difficulties to negotiate payment plans with their creditors and establish budgets which allowed them to live on their household income.
"For many beneficiaries, it's hard to make ends meet and in this area, people who do have work often have to spend a lot of their income on travel costs, so there's always a big demand for budgeting advice."
Also awarded grants were Bay of Plenty Music School ($2500 towards camp costs) and Rotorua Lakes Volunteer Coastguard ($7500 towards motor and equipment costs).
