Teresa Moore

For the last 46 years, charities throughout New Zealand have applied to the Catalytic Foundation for grant funding. Through this process we have identified key stresses on organisations that can prevent or take them away from their core community work.

We are often told about the need for coaching and specialist services, such as fundraising, organisational development, IT and HR, for community organisations, so we have decided to help.

The Catalytic Foundation professional team and our skilled volunteers have set up the Hearts@Work programme to provide services that can build capacity, strong foundations and networks for charities, often at no cost to the charity.

Applications are currently available for this service, please fill out the form below for further information.

For the last 46 years, charities throughout New Zealand have applied to the Catalytic Foundation for grant funding. Through this process we have identified key stresses on organisations that can prevent or take them away from their core community work.

We are often told about the need for coaching and specialist services, such as fundraising, organisational development, IT and HR, for community organisations, so we have decided to help.

The Catalytic Foundation professional team and our skilled volunteers have set up Hearts@Work programme to provide services that can build capacity, strong foundations and networks for charities, often at no cost to the charity.

Applications are currently available for this service, please contact us today for further information

Thank you to Cavell Leitch for hosting our Community Grant Awards event in Christchurch. It was an amazing event and we heard from each charity we support about the important work they do in Canterbury. 

Through the generosity of our donors including The Tindall Foundation, and payday donors from Christchurch businesses such as Pinnacle & Co. Ltd, we were able to award 34 charities in the Canterbury region a total of $136,277 in funding.

Thank you to our volunteer ambassadors who met and assessed the community charities that we supported. All community organisations received an endorsement from the Catalytic Foundation to help their fundraising. 

Congratulations to the recipients.

* Project Esther Trust
* Queenspark Community Trust
* Adventure Specialties Trust
* Community Development Network
* Phillipstown Community Hub
* Rowley Community Centre
* Lyttleton Community House
* Women's Centre Incorporated
* Moral Compass Trust
* Spreydon Youth Community Trust
* Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Canterbury
* The Hope Community Trust
* Pathway Trust NZ
* Compassion Trust
* Shirley Community Trust
* 24-7YouthWork
* Big Brothers Big Sisters of Christchurch
* Rachel's House Trust
* Youthline Central South Island
* Papanui Youth Development Trust - PYDT
* La Vida Youth Trust
* Waimak Open Door
* Life Education Trust - Canterbury
* The Loft Charitable Trust
* Graeme Dingle Foundation Canterbury
* Battered Women's Trust
* Victim Support NZ
* Kidz Need Dadz Christchurch
* English Language Partners Christchurch
* Strengthening Linwood Youth Trust
* Crossroads Youth With a Future Trust - Stay Real
* Birthright Canterbury
* Wainoni Avonside Community Services Trust
* PIPS Pregnancy Infancy Parenting Support

This month the Catalytic Foundation, with the help of our donors and volunteer ambassadors, we have distributed over $120,000 in donations to 19 community charities across the Manawatu, Horowhenua and Whanganui regions.

We would like to thank the Palmerston North City Council and Mayor Grant Smith for the wonderful function they put on for our community charities. It was great to hear from the hardworking and passionate charities we are supporting.

Thank you to Catalytic Foundation Payday donors from Gallagher Insurance and Palmerston North City Council.

And thank you to The Tindall Foundation for your generous contributions towards this community fund over the last 25 years!

The Community Charities we supported are:

Unlocking Your Potential this International Women’s Day 

As a way to say thank you for your support of the Catalytic Foundation, we invite women in business to join us for a special morning tea this International Women’s Day on Friday 8 March, 10-11.30am at Huami, SkyCity, Auckland.

This event will be a celebration of women in business and a morning of inspiration as we delve into the topic, “Unlocking Your Potential”.

Teresa Moore our CEO will be facilitating a lively discussion with four exceptional women over refreshments, coffee and specialty teas.  Our guest speakers are leaders of community organisations that are making an outstanding impact in their fields: 

• Michelle Blau, Fair Food General Manager (Food rescue) 
• Tamara Grant, Xabilities CEO (Neurodiversity and inclusion advocacy) 
• Barbara Williams, Kindred Family Services Executive Director (Women’s refuge and support services) 
• Cat Percy, Crescendo CEO (Supporting rangatahi through music) 

This event is our special way of saying thank you to 40 of our supporters, donors and friends, and is hosted by Catalytic Foundation and proudly supported by SkyCity. 

Please click here to RSVP by Tuesday 5 March for you and your colleagues to attend.  

We are incredibly grateful to have experienced such heartwarming support for the 2023 Christmas Shoebox Project!

Here are the highlights of the campaign which provided over 2905 Christmas boxes for kiwi kids around Aotearoa.

SANTA'S GROTTO HAS BEEN BUSY

In Auckland we are thankful for the gracious support of SkyCity, who opened the doors of Federal House to us so we could set up Santa's Grotto - a bustling hub for packing and distribution in the heart of the Auckland CBD. 

In Wellington we are thankful for the help from Wellington Helicopters and East by West Ferries, who helped out in so many ways to get the boxes in, sorted and distributed to charity partners.

In Christchurch, thank you to Mike and the team at Christchurch Community House, always a pleasure to work with you. 

In Dunedin, Thank you to Steve and Sue at Volunteer South and the Dunedin Community House. 

Also, in Dunedin thank you to Laura and the team at Forsyth Barr who opened their doors for over 20 volunteers to sort and wrap boxes. 

CORPORATE TEAMS LENT US THEIR MAGIC

The true stars of the Christmas Shoebox Project? 171 volunteers from Auckland, Wellington, Whanganui, Canterbury, and Otago. We're immensely grateful to SkyCity, Hays Recruitment, Grant Thornton, Rockwell Automation, JETNZ, NZ Post, Spark, Cavell Leitch, Forsyth Barr, Chorus and Volunteer South for their invaluable help in organising gifts, volunteers and the assembling many of the boxes.

DONATIONS OF SPECIAL ITEMS RECEIVED

A special acknowledgement goes to those who generously provided incredible products for the boxes — Deloitte, Dow (Mike and Mel Robb), Pitney Bowes, the NZ Dental Association, NZ Olympic Committee, PlaceMakers, Scholastic Books, Author Karen McMillian, Arvida, Kohler, and The Soap Factory. whose contributions made these Christmas boxes extra special.

A NEW MILESTONE THIS CHRISTMAS

This year marked an extraordinary milestone for us as we collaborated with the NZ Team and PlaceMakers on the 'Give the Gift of Play' campaign. A heartfelt thank you to the NZ Olympic Committee and athletes for contributing sports gear, and to PlaceMakers for hosting collection boxes. Together, we amassed 143 items that will bring joy to kids all over the country.

In the South Island, Dunedin's Golden Centre Mall hosted a special display to help people donate gifts resulting in an array of lovely gifts. 

THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

We could not run this campaign without the charity relationships we have, and their reach into the community. Thank you for supporting whānau throughout Aotearoa, from Invercargill to Kaitaia.

Special thanks to Lyttleton Community House, Corstorphine Community Hub in Dunedin and Hakeke St Community Centre in Whanganui, who got their communities involved in the Christmas Shoebox Project and community Christmas events.

UP NEXT: BACKPACKS 4 EDUCATION

As we turn our eyes to 2024, we're excited to announce our next campaign. In the lead up to the new school year, we'll be seeking monetary support and donations of school supplies and devices for children in need. We'll also be looking for teams of volunteers to help put backpacks together. If you or your team would like to contribute, please reach out to us now. Let's keep the spirit of giving alive. 

Thank you once again to everybody involved for your incredible support.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and we look forward to making a difference together in 2024.

Thank you to Rockwell Automation for volunteering with the  Christmas Shoebox Project and Backpacks4Education campaigns.

We had fun putting together over 200 Christmas boxes and backpacks filled with lovely gifts and items for School.

These items will be distributed to families, nominated by our community partners, in time for Christmas.

Thank you also to SkyCity Entertainment Group for hosting our Santa's Grotto in Auckland.

This is where our volunteers will be busy making up the special boxes of gifts until Christmas🎄 👍

Chubb Insurance Team supports I AM HOPE 

Why are the team at CHUBB Insurance doing this WALK FOR HOPE fundraiser on Friday, October 13th?

Last year 3500 young people tried to take their lives. To honour these young people, we are doing a 3.5km WALK FOR HOPE with Gumboots, that's a minimum of 3500 steps per person!

The WALK FOR HOPE starts at the CHUBB Insurance office, Princes Wharf and follows a trail around Auckland's Viaduct with fun activities on the way.

To follow the activities on social media #IAMHOPE #Youthmentalhealth #catalyticfoundation

Please support our WALK FOR HOPE by donating here and help us raise $3,500 in donations for I AM HOPE and youth counselling services.

When you donate you will receive a tax-deductible receipt from the Catalytic Foundation. All donations will go to I AM HOPE and Youth Counselling services.

Please cheer our teams on and consider donating to this important cause.

Donate Here 

*Walk For Hope has been organised by the CATALYTIC FOUNDATION as part of our Youth Mental Health Campaign

We had an awesome day volunteering with the Pitney Bowes NZ team volunteering at Love Soup Hibiscus Coast Community garden and food storage. A volunteering opportunity inspired by Pitney Bowes dedication to food security and food security. 

In the last 3 years the Catalytic Foundation have conducted online research with our community partners to monitor the effect of Covid and the cost-of-living crisis on communities. Our findings are:

• 72% of charities have had an increase in demand - Food banks, mental health charities and those supporting youth and the elderly experienced the most pronounced spikes in demand for services

Financial poverty and inability to access food and basics was in the top 3 commonly stated needs that our charities noted.  Food security is essential for children and young people to be happy and healthy, learning and developing. Children living in food insecure households are less likely to consume nutritionally balanced diets essential for optimal growth and development, and this can have immediate and long-term negative consequences for their health and education. Household food insecurity has been associated with a wide range of child health and development problems from infancy through to adolescence.

In NZ one in five children are living in households where food can run out, and one in three are living in unaffordable housing, according to the latest child poverty indicators report.

Thank you to the Pitney Bowes NZ team for caring about education and food security in our communities

Over the last year the Catalytic Foundation has supported the following 7 community charities in the Auckland region with financial support.

This has been made possible by our Payday Donors who pay a small sum each payday, so collectively we can support important work being done in our community. 

Letter of thanks from Love Soup – The Hibiscus Coast Team

" Many of our families already experience financial hardship, then on top of that, the additional stress of damage to their homes and personal items during the floods.  It was such a blessing to be able to pass on a backpack filled with essential school items to help restore some normality for the children so they can get back to focusing on their education."

From Tracey

Congratulations to the following 9 frontline community charities who received $51,267 worth of grants from Catalytic Donors and The Tindall Foundation, to support their necessary social services. Thank you for the important work you do for people and whanau in Whanganui. Photo curtesy of English Language Partners in Whanganui.

An email of thanks we received from Liz Hoskin @ Life to the Max

“Kia ora kōrua

Thank you so much for once again endorsing and funding LTTM with a grant from the Catalytic Foundation. It is grants like these that ensure that LTTM can keep doing what's it's doing especially in these extra hard times!!! Our Board of Trustees especially send their thanks and we so look forward to continuing our relationship with you as we provide very much needed social support to vulnerable families in Whanganui.

Once again thank you so very much!!!!”

Congratulations to the 7 charities in Southland we recently endorsed with certificates, letters of support and donated $38,456 in financial grants to.

• Thank you to our Catalytic Ambassadors in Southland for assessing these charities for grants.
• Thank you to the Tindall Foundation and local donors for supporting our Southland community grants.

Thank you to the amazing team of volunteers from Deloitte who spent their day making up backpacks with educational supplies including: pens, pencils, sharpeners, highlighter, educational books, writing pads, felt tip pens, coloured pencils, pencil cases, lunchboxes and drink bottles.

The backpacks are for children in families affected by the floods, Cyclone Gabrielle and/or the cost of living crisis.

Thank you to Deloitte for also donating new laptop bags and digital charging units, these are currently being distributed to community charities around the country who know of individuals and families in need of these items. 

Deloitte people draw on our collective experience and ingenuity to make an impact that matters for our colleagues, Deloitte clients and society. Deloitte 2022 Global Impact Report

Catalytic Community Fund raises $185,553 to donated to 38 frontline community organisations in Otago. 

Congratulations to the community charities from the Otago Region who received a Catalytic Foundation Grant in 2023. Thank you to Otago Polytechnic and the Dunedin City Council for hosting the awards event. It was wonderful to see all the charities together networking and sharing their experiences.

Thank you to The Tindall Foundation, Mercy Hospital, Otago Polytechnic Charity House and our payday donors who contribute to this very important community fund.

All charities who have received Catalytic Grant funding in the last 2 years also receive a Catalytic endorsement and a letter of support, to help them apply for further funding.

“I would like to pass on the thanks of our client, volunteers, board members and myself for the generous donation we received from Catalytic at last night's presentation. It was a great opportunity to make connections with other groups in our community and also catch up with some old friends. It is also good to find out some of the stories behind groups working around Otago.
The funds given make it possible for us to continue operating and being able to offer an affordable service to our clients”. Jennie Archer, Dunedin Community Transport Trust 

Catalytic Community Fund raised $159,337 and donated to 39 outstanding frontline community organisations in the Canterbury region. Congratulations to the community charities from Canterbury and South Canterbury who received a Catalytic Foundation Grant in 2023.

Thank you to the Community Trust of Mid and South Canterbury for hosting the award event in Timaru. It was encouraging to hear the stories about the work these frontline charities are doing in the Timaru and Waimate regions. 

Thank you to Cavell Leitch for hosting the awards event in Christchurch to the charities listed below. It was wonderful to see all the charities together networking and sharing their experiences. All charities who have received Catalytic Grant funding in the last 2 years also receive a Catalytic endorsement and a letter of support, to help with further funding applications. 

Thank you to The Tindall Foundation, Drummond Trust and Catalytic payday donors who contribute to this very important regional fund.

The Dunedin Night Shelter goes above and beyond for their clients!

Through the Catalytic Foundation Community Fund, which is supported by payday donors and donor organisations, we were able to provide a financial grant to the Dunedin Night Shelter in 2023. We are thankful to our donors for supporting the fund and ensuring outstanding frontline charities such at Dunedin Night Shelter receive necessary support. 

The following are social stories about the important work they do. 

Over $115,000 donated to hardworking charities from the Manawatu, Horowhenua and Whanganui regions.

Congratulations to the community charities from Manawatu/Horowhenua and Whanganui districts who received a Catalytic Foundation Grant this week. Thank you to Mayor Grant Smith and the Palmerston North City Council for hosting the awards event. It was wonderful to see all the charities together networking and sharing their experiences.

Thank you to The Tindall Foundation and our payday donors who contribute to this very important community fund.

"As a payroll donator myself, it was great to see where the funds go.
The Palmerston North City Council was very happy to host the ‘regional event’
for the Catalytic Foundation" Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith

The community charities who received Catalytic Foundation endorsement awards are:

Congratulations to these hardworking charities who support people in need in our communities.

The need is ongoing, we are still collecting quality bedding and towels, and donations are needed to buy the essentials families are asking for.

Last week we helped a grandmother with 2 daughters, who were flooded out of their refuge. Luckily, after finding her family homeless, another refuge offered her a home. The Catalytic Foundation (with thanks to our donors) gave her Warehouse vouchers, clothing, shoes, towels and bed linen. We later received an email from her saying:

“Thank you so much for all the stuff you gave, it’s wonderful to have stuff we can call our own. As we had nothing to begin with. We moved into a women’s refuge during the flood, we only had stuff at that refuge, but lost them as our room got flooded. We then moved into a civil defence centre, there they gave us clothing to wear, and what we wore, we went with to temporary accommodation, from there to the new refuge we are at, we came with just what we wore.  So, thank you so very much, not only for the stuff but also with the $200 warehouse gift card. Bless you and all you do for families like us who have lost everything. Thank you Thank you Thank you”

On Saturday 18th Feb, we provided linen, towels and New World vouchers to community charity Woven Earth, who worked with their volunteers to furnish a home for multiple families in Muriwai. Thank you to New World Long Bay for contributing a further $500 voucher for these families. 

“Thank you so much for the vouchers and the support to get all of that out to Muriwai yesterday. They cried when I gave them the vouchers. It was pretty sobering being out there. The people helping to clean this house up were all forced to leave their homes. There were very humble and so grateful for the support” CEO of Woven Earth charity  

Currently, we are supporting Woven Earth as they help to set up Muriwai Surf Club for families to live in. The club will house many homeless families from the area. 

On Monday 20th Feb, we dropped of a van load of clothes, bed linen and towels to charity Island Child, who provide transitional housing for families. This amazing charity will distribute the items to families in transition, families affected by the flooding in South Auckland families and to fruit pickers in the Hawkes Bay.

On Tuesday 21st Feb we are working with volunteers to prepare 200 backpacks with school supplies for children. These will be distributed to families affected by the floods and/or financial insecurity in the greater Auckland area. 

These are examples of the ongoing work we are assisting with. There are still many families in Mangere (South Auckland) and Muriwai (West Auckland) and the Hawkes Bay that we can support with your help. The community charities we work with advise us of the urgent necessities needed, and with your help we can support this important frontline work.