BNZ Foundation

BNZ Foundation is a charitable trust, focused on regenerating Aotearoa New Zealand’s biodiversity, and enabling economic empowerment.

Our funding partnerships Get in touch

Our purpose

BNZ Foundation accelerates positive change by giving charities a boost. We back people, organisations, and partnerships that create truly catalytic, lasting impact for people, communities and the environment across Aotearoa New Zealand. 

We focus on long-term partnerships that align with our strategic priorities: Manaaki Taiao and Manaaki Tangata.

Manaaki Taiao – Biodiversity regeneration

Guided by the principle of kaitiakitanga (care for our natural environment), Manaaki Taiao focuses on biodiversity regeneration. This grant supports partnerships that restore the health and resilience of New Zealand’s marine, coastal, and terrestrial environments.

Manaaki Taiao grant

Manaaki Tangata – Economic empowerment

Guided by the principle of manaakitanga (care for people and communities), Manaaki Tangata focuses on housing pathways and economic empowerment. We back partnerships that support people and whānau to access the stability, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive.

Manaaki Tangata grant

Our funding partnerships

Revive Our Gulf

Revive Our Gulf aims to enhance the biodiversity and abundance of the Hauraki Gulf Tīkapa Moana, by resorting the soft-sediment kūtai (green lipped mussels).

BNZ Foundation is providing funding for a monitoring programme over a three-year period, to the Mussel Reef Restoration Trust (project kaimahi). The programme is essential for assessing the effectiveness of restoration, tracking progress, identifying challenges, and enabling adaptive management.

Live Ocean Foundation

Live Ocean Foundation is a marine conservation charity that works with exceptional marine scientists, innovators, and communicators to scale up action for a healthy ocean.

BNZ Foundation is partnering with Live Ocean to help protect and restore Aotearoa’s marine ecosystems. Together we’ll focus on the Hauraki Gulf and threatened species like the black petrel/tākoketai, one of the Gulf’s most at-risk seabirds.

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. They focus on conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends.

BNZ Foundation is partnering with TNC on their blue carbon programme. This focuses on restoring vital coastal wetland habitats and ecosystems, enhancing carbon sequestration and resilience to climate threats, and creating voluntary carbon and climate resilience credits.

What we fund

  • New Zealand for-purpose organisations, either:
    • registered as a New Zealand charity, or
    • a social enterprise with social or environmental impact at the core of your business, that has been operating for at least a year.
  • Organisations based in, and working in New Zealand, for the benefit of New Zealand and New Zealanders.

BNZ Foundation history and governance

BNZ Foundation is a registered charitable trust (registration number CC60688) with a trust board incorporated under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957. It was established in November 2022, by Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) as an independent entity to pursue charitable purposes.

Organisation structure

BNZ Foundation consists of five trustees and a foundation team who work together to accelerate environmental and social change in our local communities. 

About our people

Fund origins

The initial funds of the trust were gifted by BNZ following the sale of BNZ’s art collection in December 2022. The funds were gifted to BNZ Foundation, to be held by the trustees in perpetuity and applied to the foundation’s charitable purposes for the benefit of New Zealand communities. 

What we fund

  • New Zealand for-purpose organisations, either:
    • registered as a New Zealand charity, or
    • a social enterprise with social or environmental impact at the core of your business, that has been operating for at least a year.
  • Organisations based in, and working in New Zealand, for the benefit of New Zealand and New Zealanders.

References to third party websites are provided for your convenience only. BNZ accepts no responsibility for the availability or content of such websites.

Was this page helpful?