Our Focus Areas

Ngā Kaupapa Matua

Each year, the impact of Toi Foundation funding reaches across generations, shaping the future of our region. Our focus areas drive our purpose of a thriving, inclusive, and equitable Taranaki, ensuring support is directed where it’s needed most.

Improved Environment

Investing in sustainability, conservation and climate solutions.

Toi Foundation’s Improved Environment focus area is aimed at safeguarding the ecological integrity and resilience of the region’s precious natural landscapes, with commitment to the protection, care, and long-term sustainability of Taranaki whenua and diverse ecosystems, and a strategic and proactive approach to environmental stewardship.

At its heart, this focus area embodies a holistic approach to environmental conservation, recognising the interconnectedness of ecological health with the wellbeing of communities. Through collaborative efforts, funding and investment, the Foundation works to cultivate a shared sense of responsibility towards the care of Taranaki land, waterways, and biodiversity.

Our Improved Environment Strategy underscores the imperative of resilience-building, recognising the ever-evolving challenges posed by climate change and other environmental stressors.

improved environment strategy

Enhanced Child and Youth Wellbeing

Backing initiatives that improve wellbeing and opportunities.

Toi Foundation prioritise Child Youth Wellbeing by providing children and young people with the best start to life. By focusing on health, education, culture, identity and parental support, the Foundation helps to dismantle systemic barriers for those most in need, and builds stronger, more inclusive communities for children, young people and their families.

Our commitment goes beyond immediate impact; it’s about fostering a legacy of resilience, opportunity, and wellbeing. Through strategic investments, we lay the groundwork for a brighter tomorrow, one where every young person in Taranaki can thrive and contribute meaningfully to society.

The Foundation’s Enhanced Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy is a guiding document informed by our community that sits at the heart of our efforts and endeavours, directing resources towards initiatives addressing the varied and often complex needs of our young people. From education and healthcare to social inclusion and cultural enrichment, our impact extends far beyond the confines of a strategy document.

It’s felt in the classrooms where students discover their passions, in local communities where participation, engagement and connection thrive, and in homes across Taranaki.

The ripple effects of our investments are tangible. Through mentorship programmes, skill-building workshops, events and access to vital resources, we equip our youth with the tools they need to navigate life’s challenges and seize opportunities with confidence.

child youth wellbeing strategy

Rangatiratanga – Empowering Māori Aspiration

Supporting kaupapa Māori-led initiatives and partnerships.

Rangatiratanga, Empowering Māori Aspiration is a strategic focus for Toi Foundation embodying a steadfast commitment to Māori aspiration and fostering Māori self-determination across all levels of society. Anchored in the belief that Māori ecosystems, encompassing whānau, hapū, iwi, and mātāwaka, are foundational to the prosperity of Taranaki and wider Aotearoa, this strategic endeavour is focused on Taranakitanga – cultural identity, Taiao – environment and guardianship, Mātauranga – knowledge and education, and Oranga – social and economic wellbeing.

Central to this initiative is the pursuit of equitable opportunities and relationships that empower Māori individuals and communities.

By actively engaging with Māori stakeholders and partners, the Foundation seeks to cultivate mutually beneficial collaborations that honour the principles of partnership and reciprocity.

This strategic focus aims to dismantle systemic barriers to economic, social, and cultural inclusion, by creating an environment where Māori aspiration can flourish, and pathways are created for Māori empowerment and advancement.

Grounded in the principles of tino rangatiratanga – the absolute sovereignty of Māori – our Rangatiratanga Empowering Māori Aspiration focus represents a bold step towards realising a future where Māori communities thrive as vibrant and self-determined contributors to the fabric of Taranaki.

rangatiratanga strategy

Increased Access to Opportunities

Strengthening communities, fostering belonging and providing experiences.

Through our Strengthening Community Fund, we increase people’s ability to access and participate in opportunities that meet their needs and aspirations. At its core, this fund is designed to break down barriers and facilitate connections by bolstering individuals’ ability to access and engage with a diverse array of opportunities. By providing support that spans from skill-building and knowledge enhancement to facilities, events and programmes, the Foundation aims to equip both individuals and groups within the community with the tools they need to flourish.

Increased Access to Opportunities funding and investment initiatives embody a commitment to fostering inclusive, vibrant communities where individuals can thrive.

Central to the Foundation’s approach is the cultivation of a sense of belonging, inclusion, and connectedness. Through collaborative efforts that bring together people from all walks of life, the Fund endeavours to champion diversity and amplify voices that can be marginalised, whilst fostering a sense of community cohesion and mutual support.

The Foundation funds where there is greatest need and in doing so, works to create spaces where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute.

By increasing access to opportunities across Taranaki, the Foundation is not only contributing to the provision of resources, but also nurturing a culture of empowerment, where every individual has the chance to pursue their passions, and fulfil their potential within an inclusive community ecosystem.