Collaborating With Others

In November 2020, Foundation North and The Tindall Foundation co-sponsored an event at Te Mahurehure Marae that aimed to connect and share learnings from important kaupapa in the fields of Māori science, education and health. The event built on a Foundation North funded project which Kaumātua Rereata Makiha, a highly esteemed maramataka (traditional Māori lunar calendar) expert, had been leading involving scientific observations and a series of wānanga, with the primary objective of restoring certain species of fish to waterways where they had once been abundant. Matua Rereata referred to the collective mahi of those attending as ‘a critical mass’ which he, fellow Tohunga, respected Kaumātua, Kuia and whānau had been leading and supporting in Te Tai Tokerau and collaborating regions.

We are very excited to continue our journey in participatory grantmaking with the panel of Pacific Youth Future Makers. This year concluded the second iteration of this experimental initiative involving ten Pacific youth leaders participating in fund design, promotion and decision-making with Foundation North. Over two rounds, more than $100,000 in small grants has gone to projects that benefit Pacific communities in South Auckland – with most applications coming from groups new to the Foundation. In 2021 we will be working with a largely new panel of Pacific youth leaders with the initiative now co-funded in partnership with Ministry of Youth Development.

We have a long history of co-funding with others and appreciate the value that partnering with others in this way can bring. For over 15 years Foundation North has worked in partnership with the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (EECA), contributing over $25 million to home insulation projects with EECA since 2005. Most recently a grant of $1 million added to EECA’s $18 million investment, enabling 6,500 homes to be made warmer and healthier across Auckland and Northland.

Both EECA and Foundation North partnered with South Auckland production company Bright Sunday 4pi to produce a video highlighting the enduring relationship and the impact on the communities of Auckland and Te Tai Tokerau. The digital story highlights employment for a local service provider, GreenSide, and how Ihumātao resident Mavis Roberts' life changed as a result of a warmer home.

Co-funding relationships extend not only the financial support available to our communities, but also our strength of relationship with others. Through the work of others such as The Tindall Foundation and Rule Foundation, our connection and support of rainbow young people has extended. We were invited to take part in a hui the Youth Sector Rainbow Collective held with a number of funders. The hui’s aim was to collaboratively explore ways to support the Collective to work together more cohesively and build the leadership opportunities for rainbow young people across Aotearoa. Flowing from this hui, Foundation North contributed seed funding ($25,000) alongside the Ministry of Youth Development Partnership Fund and Rule Foundation to support the Collective to further progress and develop a longer-term strategy and plan for their mahi.

This strengthened connection with the Youth Sector Rainbow Collective also led to our involvement in supporting a 3-year collaboration between RainbowYOUTH and Te Ngākau Kahukura, looking at systems change in housing security for rainbow young people. One connection led to another, enabling us to increase impact for the communities across our rohe.