Strategic Plan

Foundation North’s vision is enhanced lives. Our Strategic Plan guides our mahi to support that vision.

A circular diagram made up of green lines that create three rings, the largest ring surrounds a medium size ring which surrounds a smaller ring. The phrases “Te Tiriti o Waitangi” and “Climate change action” are prominently displayed in the largest ring. The icons representing Foundation North’s Funding Focus Areas are displayed in the largest ring. The Foundation North priority communities are evenly spaced within the smallest ring, they read – Tangata Whenua, Pacific Peoples, Communities of Northland, Communities of South Auckland, New migrants, Former refugees, Children and young people, Rainbow communities, People living with a disability.

Our Funding Framework

To achieve our vision, we aim to fund across four focus areas.
Hāpai te ōritetanga | Increased Equity
Whakauru mai | Social Inclusion
Whakahou taiao | Regenerative Environment
Hāpori awhina | Community Support

Our Priorities

We take a considered approach across the four focus areas and prioritise initiatives that are clearly, ‘by’, ‘for’ and ‘with’ one or some of our priority communities. These include Tangata whenua, Pacific peoples, communities of Northland, communities of South Auckland, children and young people, former refugees, new migrants, Rainbow communities and people living with a disability.

We also prioritise activities that focus on increasing understanding and giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Climate Action.

A woman and young boy are crouched outdoors in the bush smiling and planting a small sapling in the dirt, behind them is a diverse group of individuals planting saplings.

Our Funding Pathways

The funding framework and priorities apply across both Community Funding and Impact Funding pathways.

Community Funding

Our Community Funding pathway aims at being responsive to the aspirations and needs of the community. There are two ways that Community Funding can support:

Quick Response Grants can support up to $25,000
Community Grants can support over $25,000

Impact Funding

Our Impact Funding enables us to be proactive, flexible and innovative in our approach to supporting. This might include:

Supporting prototypes or trial approaches
Seeding new ideas
Investing in building capacity and capability
Taking projects to scale
System change focus

A simple white map graphic of the top third of the North Island set against a grey background, the areas of Auckland and Northland are coloured green to display the Foundation North funding boundaries.

Foundation boundaries

If your organisation is outside the boundaries of our region, an application can still be considered if it will provide benefit to our region.

Please contact us to find out whether you should apply.

The Foundation's southern boundary is from Port Waikato Head following the Waikato River to the Whangamarino River, then along the Whangamarino River, before following the Mangatangi Stream to where it adjoins Mangatangi Road. The boundary then runs from the corner of Monument and Miranda Roads straight to Miranda. Our region covers all areas north of this, up to Cape Reinga and including the islands in the Hauraki Gulf.

Watch: Our Strategy

A head-and-shoulders shot of a young woman smiling to the camera while standing outdoors, in the background is a white chapel building with a white picket fence lining bright green grass. — Pehiāweri Marae

Whakatauki

Unuhia te rito o te harakeke,
Kei hea ke te kōmako e kō,
Whakatairangitia,
Rere ki uta,
Rere ki tai,
Ui mai koe ki ahau e aha
te mea nui o te ao,
Māku e kī atu,
He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata,
Tihei mauri ora

If you should tear out the heart of the flax bush,
Where will the bellbird be,
Will it fly inland,
Fly out to sea,
Or fly around aimlessly,
But if you should ask me what is the greatest thing on Earth,
I will tell you,
It is people, it is people, it is people.

- Mere Ngaroto, Te Aupōuri

Funding story

Experiencing Marine Reserves

The aim of Experiencing Marine Reserves is to raise awareness, understanding and involvement in marine conservation through provision of dynamic experiential environmental education opportunities in New Zealand.

Read their story