Celebrating our 30th year, we reflect on the moments that mattered most - the partnerships, the inspiring kaupapa and the collective action that has really shaped this milestone. Looking back features a small selection of the stories and organisations that made 2025 memorable.
In February this year, The Tindall Foundation trustees and staff returned to Waitangi together for the second year, to stand in the place where Aotearoa’s founding promises were made.
Being there was more than a commemoration – it was a chance to reflect on our role as a New Zealand philanthropic foundation in honoring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and strengthening relationships with Māori communities.
From the dawn service at Te Whare Rūnanga to the vibrant celebrations on the Treaty Grounds, the experience reminded us of the importance of kotahitanga and the power of listening with intent and humility. We left with a renewed sense of responsibility: to show up, to learn, and to work alongside Māori in shaping a future where wellbeing is shared across generations.
This journey is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure Te Tiriti o Waitangi is embedded in our work – not just with words, but in action. It strengthens our resolve to encourage other funders to do the same and to keep building trust through genuine partnership.
We feel incredible fortunate to have been able to experience this together.
Celebrating Local Impact Together
Every two years, The Tindall Foundation brings together our 23 Local Donation Managers (LDMs) and Local Allocation Committees (LACs) for a special workshop – a time to connect, reflect, and celebrate the incredible impact happening in communities across Aotearoa.
Held across 2-days, this event is an opportunity to:
Over two days, we heard from LDMs and LACs who see many of the same challenges in their regions. The workshop provided a valuable space to share learnings, explore ways of working, and deepen relationships. A strong theme throughout was the growing focus on building connections with marae, hapū, iwi, and Māori-led initiatives – supporting aspirations that are central to thriving communities.
“There are so many good people doing great mahi across NZ, together we are all making a difference and like the pieces of a jigsaw this adds up to something really significant.”
– Local Donation Manager reflection
We were privileged to be joined by the wonderful Shamubeel Eaqub, who shared insights from his research on understanding the state of social cohesion in Aotearoa. His presentation showed that New Zealanders’ sense of cohesion is fragile at the moment and sparked rich discussion about the importance of upholding belonging, inclusion, trust and cohesion – all values that sit at the heart of The Tindall Foundation’s work and are a key part of our LDMs contribution.
This workshop was especially meaningful as we celebrated our 30-year anniversary together. We took time to reflect on key milestones, honouring a few significant years – many of which we have shared with these long-standing partners. It was very special to hear a few words from both of our founders, and to be reminded of the journey they’ve walked over the past 30 years.
“We were blessed to reconnect with our 23 partners spread right across the motu. Their work in particular reflects the heart of our beautiful co-founder Margaret Tindall, who has long volunteered in the social services sector. The LDM network is very treasured – it embodies the grassroots community spirit at the core of everything we do.
– Martina O’Driscoll, TTF Funding and Relationships Manager
In this year's review, we are proud to spotlight a selection of the incredible initiatives shared by our LDMs during the workshop. Work supported through our Local Donation Managers makes up a significant portion of the organisations we fund and the donations we distribute each year.
Supported by Community Waikato
Many whānau living in social housing experience isolation and disconnection. Auahatanga ki te Kāinga was born to change that, an initiative that placed creativity at the heart of community connection and wellbeing.
Supported by Nikau Foundation
Based at Ōrongomai Marae, Te Hikoitanga is a reintegration programme that provides holistic, long-term support to reduce re-offending and build pathways to independence. Over the reintegration journey, the team works alongside these individuals and whānau to identify risk.
Supported by Acorn Foundation
Safe Man Safe Family works to break intergenerational cycles of domestic and whānau violence by engaging directly with perpetrators and their whānau. Using a holistic, peer-led and professionally supported approach, the programme focuses on...
Supported by Northland Community Foundation
RainbowYOUTH's Northland services are providing vital support for queer, gender diverse, takatāpui and intersex young people across Te Tai Tokerau.
Presbyterian Support New Zealand
Little Things is built on a simple idea: small, practical supports can make a big difference for families under stress. First piloted locally in 2023 through our LDM partnership, the success of Little Things...
WWF-New Zealand
For more than 25 years, The Tindall Foundation has partnered with WWF-New Zealand to deliver community-led conservation and education initiatives across Aotearoa.
Taranaki Foundation
Taranaki Foundation celebrates 10 years of growing generosity and lasting impact.
Supported by Common Good Foundation
Te Hāpai Mokopuna (THM) was developed by Papatūānuku Support Services to provide tailored support for tamariki aged 7–12 who were slipping through the cracks.
Local Donation Managers are trusted regional, environmental and faith-based social service providers who support us to distribute donations to locally-led services and initiatives across Aotearoa. They understand the unique needs and priorities of their communities and work closely with local organisations to allocate funding where it will have the greatest impact.
Regional Donations Highlights
Since 2018, alongside our national donations, The Tindall Foundation has focused support in three key regions; Te Tai Tokerau, Horowhenua/Whanganui, and Tairāwhiti, with hopes of creating deeper, more sustainable impact and strengthen the inspiring work already underway.
Within this focus, we prioritise partnerships with Māori-led organisations that identify their own challenges and design solutions – by Māori, for Māori, to enhance wellbeing for all. In this year’s review, we celebrate some of the incredible mahi happening in Te Tairāwhiti, where organisations are driving positive change through innovation and creating pathways for rangatahi.
In 2025, we supported the Tolaga Bay Innovation Hub – a social enterprise at the heart of Uawa dedicated to indigenous empowerment through enterprise and technology. TBI provides wraparound support for grassroots innovators and entrepreneurs who are creating economic and environmental opportunities for their communities.
Their business hub offers co-working facilities, mentorship, and access to global networks, alongside initiatives like the Tolaga Evergreen Fund, which provides seed loans and guidance for Māori entrepreneurs. Their tech hub provides inhouse and online training programs for emerging technologies including AI, blockchain and digital asset management. Most recently their environmental project Slash for Cash, transforming forestry debris into organic biochar fertiliser, won the Transformational Leadership at the NZ 2025 Sustainable Business Award.
Māori and Pasifika communities face systemic barriers to entrepreneurship and employment and TBI works to address these challenges by fostering innovation and creating sustainable livelihoods.
Tolaga Evergreen Fund are currently seeking ten more service businesses to join their 4 Cohort of participants.
The Tindall Foundation continues to back Tōnui Collab’s kaupapa, Pā Hangarau. This kaupapa celebrates Māori knowledge and digital innovation coming together to inspire the next generation. We recently supported the team to deliver Pā Hangarau at Waihirere, thanks to the haukāinga of Parihimanihi Marae. This multi-day wānanga gave tamariki hands-on opportunities to experiment and create digital content that celebrates te Ao Māori. Guided by Mere Tamanui, tamariki experimented with water testing in the awa and plant identification in the ngahere, learning about the threats to our taiao and what we can do for restoration and protection.
Tōnui Collab’s STEMM Navigators then supported tamariki to use their newly acquired knowledge to design computer games themed around kaitiakitanga o te taiao, blending cultural learning with technology.
Pā Hangarau concludes with whānau joining to celebrate tamariki achievements, learn about the importance of STEMM education, and discuss digital equity initiatives. These gatherings strengthen community connections and ensure tamariki are supported to thrive in future-focused industries. Tonui Collab
Our long-standing relationship with Pūhoro STEMM Academy has grown to support their scoping of potential expansion into Te Tairāwhiti as a priority region. Pūhoro is a by-Māori, for-Māori capability pipeline for rangatahi into STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Mātauranga Māori). The programme supports Māori students from secondary school through tertiary education and into STEMM careers, offering internships, scholarships, and industry connections that open doors to high-value employment opportunities in the sector.
Over time, Pūhoro has expanded the programme into a number of new regions across Aotearoa. With TTF’s support, Pūhoro is working to; understand the regional STEMM opportunities and explore potential interconnecting collaborations that could further benefit rangatahi Māori. The intention being once understood, to create a bespoke Pūhoro engagement expansion model, that meets the needs of the region.
Māori participation in STEMM remains disproportionately low, and as a structurally youthful population, this limits access to future-focused careers in the sector. Pūhoro has already demonstrated transformative impact in other regions by improving academic achievement and creating employment pathways. Our intention is to understand how we may support similar outcomes in Te Tairāwhiti.
With the ultimate goal being Pūhoro expansion into Te Tairāwhiti, this foundational work lays the pathway for the Pūhoro STEMM Academy to strengthen opportunities for rangatahi, whānau, hapū, and iwi, while fostering collaboration among schools, STEMM organisations, and industry partners collectively.
Watch: The Hui feature on Pūhoro
The Tindall Foundation partners with national organisations that are helping to enable intergenerational wellbeing across Aotearoa. This year, we reflect on a selection of 2025 donation highlights - each contributing to the essential building blocks of thriving communities.
Since 2022, The Tindall Foundation contributed to Te Whatu Ora’s Early Years Community Innovation Fund, supporting 14 organisations until the fund concluded in 2025. Today TTF continues to back incredible initiatives that emerged from it - including Mamia and Tupuna Parenting, two kaupapa Māori programmes that are transforming early childhood and maternal wellbeing.
Tūpuna Parenting revives the gentle, respectful parenting practices of tūpuna Māori, empowering whānau to nurture happy, strong and loved pēpi and tamariki. Through their professional development journey, Ngākau Aroha for Kaimahi, kaimahi who support whānau Māori are equipped with mātauranga and practical tools to "inspire whānau to parent with aroha and understanding - as our ancestors did."
Mamia’s purpose is to transform maternal and child wellbeing through a kaupapa Māori, marae-based model grounded in aroha and connection. Mamia provides safe, nurturing spaces where māmā and whānau can access practical support, cultural affirmation, and community care during pregnancy and early parenting. Beyond immediate needs, Mamia seeks to strengthen the Māori maternal and child wellbeing workforce and address systemic gaps in culturally appropriate care.
As another key supporter, MAS Foundation released a beautiful video on the Mamia kaupapa.
TTF is proud to have co-funded a significant research initiative hosted by Mahi a Rongo: The Helen Clark Foundation, examining social cohesion in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Authored by economists Shamubeel Eaqub and Rosie Collins, the report revealed that New Zealanders are currently experiencing lower levels of happiness, trust in government, and financial satisfaction than Australians, among other sobering insights.
While this survey reveals a growing division, it reinforces the need for New Zealand to address the underlying causes of social and economic issues. At the official launch of this report, Shamubeel Eaqub rightly emphasized: "We must start conversing with each other, instead of trying to convert."
Since the report's public release, there has been significant national dialogue, particularly lead by Shamubeel, The Helen Clark Foundation and Netsafe and its release has informed practical action too.
The survey models one run in Australia, annually, by the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute. The aim is to undertake the survey in NZ over the next 5 years as a means of measuring changes in our levels of cohesion as well as taking a deeper look at specific areas of concern and where there are opportunities to build connection and community.
Ōtautahi Creative Spaces is part of a growing movement across Aotearoa that recognises the transformative power of creativity in community wellbeing. Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, they offer inclusive, culturally grounded spaces where people who’ve experienced mental distress or trauma can explore their creativity, build confidence, and form meaningful connections.
Supported by our Next Gen Fund since 2018, their programmes include:
So why Art? At a recent hui: Shifting the Stream, Kim Morton (Strategic Director at Ōtautahi Creative Spaces) shared that rangatahi are reconnecting with themselves and their whānau, gaining life skills, and transitioning into education, employment and further creative pathways. The message was clear: art saves lives - and grassroots, community-led creativity is a vital part of our social infrastructure.
Ōtautahi Creative Spaces exemplifies how creativity can be life-changing - and life-saving - by reducing isolation and fostering hope.
Girls Rock Aotearoa and their flagship programme To the Front, is redefining what inclusive music education looks like in Aotearoa. More than a camp, it’s a movement - creating safe, affirming spaces where young women, trans, intersex, takatāpui, queer, and gender-diverse rangatahi can explore music, form bands, and discover their voice.
Supported by our Next Gen Fund since 2019, this kaupapa has grown from a volunteer-led initiative into a nationwide charity shaping pathways for future leaders in the music community.
We sat down with CEO Eliana Gray to talk about the evolution of Girls Rock Aotearoa.
The Tāmaki Makaurau Pride Month celebrations returned, with Auckland Pride Festival - the annual open-access arts, cultural, and community fiesta that lit up the city from February 1st. With a vibrant array of events, gatherings, and creative experiences across the month, highlights included Big Gay Out, Waimahara, and Pride Elevates, as well as Auckland Pride’s powerful Takatāpui offering: Te Tīmatanga, a rangatahi-led exhibition at Season Gallery Aotearoa.
Through the Next Gen Fund and The Tindall Foundation’s Embrace initiative, we were proud to help bring Te Tīmatanga to life again this year. Our relationship with Auckland Pride is about partnership, shared values, and the collective vision of a more inclusive Aotearoa. The aim is to champion Takatāpui, Tangata Whenua, and MVPFAFF+ rainbow communities - celebrating their voices, creativity, and culture, while continuing to foster spaces where they are seen, heard, and uplifted in every aspect of society.
For young people, art is not just an outlet for creativity - it’s a vital pathway to connection, identity, and belonging and a powerful tool for nurturing wellbeing. By supporting initiatives like Te Tīmatanga, we’re investing in a future where Takatāpui artists and leaders can thrive - not just during Pride Month, but all year round.
Since 1994 our donations have totalled more than $244 million dollars. In addition, the Foundation has paid over $160 million to the Government in prepaid tax.
24/25 Annual Report
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2025: $7,355,590 (58%)
2025: $2,269,027 (18%)
2025: $1,701,937 (13%)
2025: $1,410,627 (11%)
Social Loans & Investments
Many low-income households are trapped in high-interest debt, making it impossible to get ahead. Our investment is enabling Money Sweet Spot to help families refinance debt and arrears at a lower cost, giving them breathing room and hope for a more secure future.
Safe, affordable housing is the foundation for wellbeing. Our investment with Positive Capital in Community Finance is unlocking opportunities for social housing across Aotearoa lowering the costs of construction and developments, enabling more housing to be delivered.
In the heart of the Hokianga, the Manea Footprints of Kupe experience is sharing the rich history of Kupe with visitors from around the world. Our investment supported its establishment, creating jobs for local whānau and ensuring that Te Ao Māori and storytelling remain at the center of tourism in Aotearoa.
Transport costs can be a barrier for many families. With our support, MUMA piloted Waka Aronui – a scheme leasing 20 hybrid vehicles to low-income whānau at affordable rates. The impact has shown a significant reduction in their transport emissions and costs for the families involved, improving financial stability and transport reliability. MUMA is now considering expanding the scheme.
For our full consolidated financial statements, visit Charities Services