Our mission is to build healthy, thriving and resilient communities across Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Māui the Greater Wellington region.

Nikau Foundation was established in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington in 1991 with the goal of growing generosity throughout Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Māui the Greater Wellington region. Inspired by the success of community foundation movements globally, Nikau was the first of its kind in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Today, there are 17 community foundations throughout the country, each working to make a positive and lasting impact within their respective regions. Across the network, we have given out over $50 million throughout Aotearoa New Zealand in the last five years, with over $230 million managed nationally. Nikau is honoured to be the guardian of almost $32 million that has been invested to support our communities forever.

  • Transformative

    We create meaningful change in our communities by building reliable funding streams and practicing effective grantmaking

  • Ethical

    We approach every aspect of our work with transparency, fairness and integrity.

  • Flexible

    We offer a tailored approach to giving, allowing donors to give to the people and places they love. We are adaptable to the changing needs of our communities and region.

  • Inclusive

    We value the diversity in our communities and strive to build a culture of respect, consideration and understanding to minimise barriers to inclusion.

  • Collaborative

    With deep roots in the community, we work to maximise our impact through communication and partnerships.

Download our 2023 - 202 strategy

With a collective passion for Wellington and the wonderful people that makes it thrive, the Nikau Foundation team bring a wealth and skills to our organisation.

Meet the team

Our Team

Our supporters

We are honoured to have so many people playing a part in our story. Some choose to give to our funds as a one-off or monthly gift while others support our operational costs as part of our Nikau Club. We also receive an overwhelming amount of in-kind support, enabling us to focus our resources on growing community generosity and maximising local impact. Through this support, we can continue to deliver transformational change and increase our reach across our region.