Mercy Hospice

What Mercy Hospice does

Mercy Hospice (trading as Te Korowai Atawhai) is a community palliative care provider serving the Auckland District Health Board area of New Zealand, founded by the Sisters of Mercy. The organisation delivers specialist palliative care free of charge to over 400 patients at any one time, operating a 13-bed Inpatient Unit at 61 College Hill, Ponsonby, and a Community Palliative Care (CPC) nursing team that handles 20–30 referrals per week and delivers 24/7, 365-day care into patients' homes. Its clinical offering is wrapped in a multidisciplinary Family Support suite covering counselling, social work, spiritual care, cultural liaison, occupational therapy and the Manaaki Day Service, alongside a free Life Story biographical recording service running since 1997.

Underlying technology is non-proprietary and operational rather than productised: a Salesforce-based online donation portal (mercyhospice.my.salesforce-sites.com) supports itemised giving tiers and recurring donations; the Mercy Learning Zone LMS (hosted externally at completelearning.co.nz) delivers palliative care education; and a standard CMS supports content marketing. There is no AI/ML capability, API, or proprietary technology platform. Care delivery depends on standard clinical hospice practice and a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, counsellors, social workers, and ~57,000–60,000+ volunteer hours per year across inpatient, retail, transport, and Life Story roles.

The business model is donation-funded rather than fee-for-service. All patient services are free; the organisation states it must raise NZD 3.5 million annually in donations, bequests, events, and grants to remain operational. Revenue streams include one-off and recurring donations (including Gift in Wills), retail revenue from nine owned op-shops across Auckland suburbs (Blockhouse Bay, Ellerslie, Mt Eden, Mt Roskill, Ponsonby, Pt Chevalier, St Heliers, Remuera), grants from a portfolio of Trusts and Foundations (Blue Waters Community Trust, Four Winds Foundation, Hugh Green Foundation, North and South Trust, Pub Charity Limited, among others), corporate sponsorship (Barfoot & Thompson, Davis Funerals, Eurovintage, Mansons, Hugh Green Foundation), and an annual event calendar anchored by '10 – A Celebration of Tastes', Tennis for Mercy, Lights to Remember, Round the Bays, Leap for Life, and the Houspice charity house project. GTM is community-led and event-driven: patient referrals arrive via self-referral, family, and clinical referrers across the Auckland DHB area, while donor engagement is driven by storytelling, signature events, and direct mail appeals.

Name

Mercy Hospice

Legal name

Mercy Hospice Auckland

Website

https://mercyhospice.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Mercy Hospice (Te Korowai Atawhai) is a community-funded Auckland palliative care nonprofit providing free specialist clinical, emotional, cultural and bereavement support to 400+ patients at a time across a 13-bed inpatient unit and community nursing service, sustained by donations, bequests, nine retail op-shops and an annual fundraising event calendar.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice & Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (62161), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Hospice (Routine Home Care) (HLADAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community-Based Palliative Care (Home-Based Non-Hospice) (HLADAHAH), Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO), Volunteer & Companion Support Services (Hospice Volunteer Programs) (HSABAFAO), Hospice Care in Assisted Living / Residential Care Facilities (HLADAHAE)

Keywords

• Palliative care services
• Hospice care
• Community health
• End-of-life care
• Bereavement support

Headquarters

HQ city

Ponsonby

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations form the core revenue stream; Mercy Hospice needs to raise $3.5 million each year to remain operational. Donations are received via one-off giving, regular giving, Gift in Wills (bequests), corporate supporters, events, and grants from Trusts and Foundations.
2. Retail Op-Shop Sales: Revenue from nine second-hand retail shops across Auckland selling donated pre-loved clothing, furniture, books and homeware. Proceeds directly fund patient care.
3. Tiered / Itemised Giving: Donors can give specified amounts tied to tangible outcomes (Medical Supplies $21, Food Package $40, Family Support $125, Inpatient Unit Care $250). Recurring ('Give Regularly') and one-off ('Give once') options available via the Salesforce donation site.
4. Trust and Foundation Grants: Grants received from a portfolio of charitable trusts and foundations (e.g., Blue Waters Community Trust, Four Winds Foundation, Hugh Green Foundation, North and South Trust, Pub Charity Limited).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mercy Hospice provides free specialist community and inpatient palliative care for people with life-limiting illnesses across the Auckland District Health Board area, delivered through home visits by Community Palliative Care nurses and a 13-bed Inpatient Unit at 61 College Hill. The service is wrapped with multidisciplinary Family Support (counselling, social work, cultural liaison, spiritual care, occupational therapy, Manaaki Day programme), a free Life Story recording service, palliative care education through the Mercy Learning Zone LMS, and is funded via donations, op-shop sales, and grants.

Product overview

Mercy Hospice (Te Korowai Atawhai) operates as an integrated palliative care service platform rather than a single product: a core clinical offering comprising Community Palliative Care and the 13-bed Inpatient Unit at 61 College Hill, layered with a multidisciplinary Family Support suite (Counselling, Cultural Liaison, the Manaaki Day Service, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, and Spiritual Care). Education and workforce capability are delivered through the Learning & Development / Palliative Outreach Initiative Programme and the externally hosted Mercy Learning Zone LMS, alongside ancillary offerings such as the FREE Life Story Service and a network of nine second-hand Retail Shops. These clinical and support pillars are sustained by a Volunteer Programme and an annual events/fundraising calendar including 10 – A Celebration of Tastes, Tennis for Mercy, Lights to Remember, Leap for Life, the Round the Bays campaign, and the Remembering Together service — all of which fund the free provision of care to over 400 Aucklanders at any one time.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Life Story: A free service from Mercy Hospice, offered since 1997, that helps patients record, preserve, and share their life stories in their own words.
• Shop for Mercy
• Hospice Care Club
• Manaaki Day Programme
• Palliative Outreach Initiative Programme
• Mercy Learning Zone

Products and services

• Community Palliative Care (Hospice Care at Home) Specialist palliative care delivered in patients' homes and across the community by Mercy Hospice's Community Palliative Care (CPC) nursing team, handling 20–30 referrals per week. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, free of charge to those living in the Auckland District Health Board area.
• Inpatient Unit Care Specialist inpatient palliative care at Mercy Hospice's 13-bed Inpatient Unit at 61 College Hill, Auckland, providing 24/7 care for patients whose needs cannot be met at home.
• Family Support Services Multidisciplinary family/whānau support for patients, families and caregivers, including Counselling, Cultural Liaison, the Manaaki Day Service (day-stay programme), Occupational Therapy, Social Work, and Spiritual Care.
• Manaaki Day Service Day-stay programme for patients offering therapeutic group activities and social connection, supported by patient transport volunteers.
• FREE Life Story Service Free confidential service that pairs patients with trained volunteer interviewers to record, transcribe and present the patient's life story in their chosen format. Available to patients at home, in the Inpatient Unit at 61 College Hill, or elsewhere in the community.
• Palliative Outreach Initiative Programme (Learning & Development) Palliative care education delivered to individuals and groups delivering palliative care within the Auckland District Health Board and wider areas, with focus on cultural safety, diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Mercy Learning Zone Online learning management system that delivers Mercy Hospice's palliative care courses for community-based clinicians and care providers across the Auckland DHB and wider areas.
• Mercy Hospice Retail Shops (Shop for Mercy) Network of nine second-hand charity shops across Auckland suburbs that sell donated pre-loved clothing, furniture, books and homeware to generate revenue funding free palliative care.
• Volunteer Programme Structured volunteer programme under which volunteers (contributing 57,000–60,000+ hours per year) serve in retail shop shifts, hospice grounds/gardening, patient transport, drinks trolley, patient companionship, Life Story writing and fundraising.
• 10 – A Celebration of Tastes Annual flagship fundraising gala featuring Auckland restaurants/chefs and hospitality sponsors; ticketed event with restaurant tastings. 2022 edition at Cordis raised over $600,000 and 2023 at Grand Millennium raised over $500,000.
• Tennis for Mercy Annual friendly doubles tennis tournament sponsored by Davis Funerals, held at Herne Bay Ponsonby Rackets Club and Pompallier Lawn Tennis Club and followed by a gourmet lunch at Mercy Hospice.
• Lights to Remember Annual Christmas remembrance campaign held in the grounds of Mercy Hospice at College Hill, where supporters dedicate a light and leave messages to loved ones.
• Remembering Together (Remembrance Service) Annual remembrance service hosted by Mercy Hospice giving families/whānau space to remember loved ones.
• Leap for Life (Tandem Skydive Fundraiser) Annual fundraising skydive event where participants raise $800 for Mercy Hospice in exchange for a free tandem skydive over Auckland.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cares for over 400 patients at any one time across the Auckland community
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship sponsor, core sponsor, core partner, core co-development partner, industry umbrella partner, event sponsor, event partner and event sponsors.

• Barfoot & Thompsonflagship sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBarfoot & Thompson is a flagship corporate sponsor of Mercy Hospice, with logo featured on the home page sponsors block and in Mercy Matters newsletters. They were instrumental in helping Mercy find a new location for the Ponsonby op-shop when the 300 Ponsonby Road site was redeveloped.
• Davis Funeralscore sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerDavis Funerals is a long-standing corporate sponsor, providing ongoing sponsorship of the Tennis for Mercy event (now in its 12th year and beyond). Logo appears on the home page and Mercy Matters sponsor blocks.
• Eurovintagecore sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerEurovintage is listed as a corporate sponsor on the home page sponsor block alongside Barfoot & Thompson, Davis Funerals, Hugh Green Foundation and Mansons.
• Mansons (Mansons TCLM)core sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerMansons is listed as a corporate sponsor of Mercy Hospice on the home page sponsor block.
• Friends of Mercy (FOM)core partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends of Mercy is a dedicated auxiliary group raising millions for Mercy Hospice services. Co-developed the Houspice Project with Penny Homes, which raised $150,000 for patient care. Named Trustees include Penny Clydesdale, Margo Stewart, Cheryl Whiting and Maria Ryder.
• Penny Homes (John and Kellie Penny)core co-development partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenny Homes donated a house at cost for the Houspice Project; the build was further supported by Base Up, Carters, DVS, EEC, Harrisons Carpet, Paintfectionists, PB Joinery, Premium Roofing, Plumbing World, Proscapes, Tile Tonic Lounge, Wiretech, Z&C Flooring, GIB, Robertson's Bathware, Warm Up, Tranquility NZ and E>stone. The project raised $150,000 for Mercy Hospice patient care, presented on May 31.
• Hospice New Zealandindustry umbrella partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMercy Hospice participates in cross-Auckland hospice collaboration via Hospice New Zealand, including shared radio ad and billboard advertising during Hospice Awareness Week.
• New World Franklin Roadevent sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew World Franklin Road supplied post-race refreshments for the Round the Bays fundraiser.
• MOTAT (Museum of Transport and Technology)event sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerMOTAT supplied Family Passes for the top 5 fundraisers in the Round the Bays event.
• Herne Bay Ponsonby Rackets Club & Pompallier Lawn Tennis Clubevent partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThese tennis clubs host the Tennis for Mercy doubles tournament as venue partners.
• Miss Clawdy, Soho Wines, Baker's Delight, No Ugly, Auckland Carlton Party Hireevent sponsorsGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors and suppliers for the Tennis for Mercy event, providing catering, beverages, snacks, refreshments and event set-up.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hospice Waikato: Hospice Waikato delivers community and inpatient palliative care across the Waikato DHB region. It is comparable in service mix (community nursing, inpatient unit, family support, retail fundraising) and shares Mercy Hospice's reliance on donations and volunteer effort under the Hospice New Zealand umbrella.
• Cranford Hospice: Cranford Hospice provides specialist palliative care in Hawke's Bay. It is a direct peer with a comparable community hospice operating model, including an inpatient unit, community nursing, family support services, and retail/fundraising operations.
• Totara Hospice: Totara Hospice provides community palliative care and inpatient services in South and East Auckland. It is a direct peer, offering the same free hospice model under the Auckland regional umbrella, competing for the same donor, volunteer, and DHB-funded patient base.
• Harbour Hospice: Harbour Hospice provides free specialist palliative care across the North Shore of Auckland. It is a direct peer to Mercy Hospice, operating the same community-and-inpatient hospice model in an adjacent Auckland catchment, with comparable reliance on donations, retail shops, and volunteer support.
• Te Omanga Hospice: Te Omanga Hospice provides specialist palliative care across the Hutt Valley. It is a direct peer with a comparable community hospice model, retail fundraising, and reliance on donations and volunteers within a defined NZ DHB catchment.
• Mary Potter Hospice: Mary Potter Hospice is a community hospice serving the Wellington region, also founded under Catholic/Sisters of Mercy heritage. It is comparable in mission, free-to-patient model, volunteer-driven fundraising and clinical scope, though operating in a different region.

Broad incumbents

• Hospice New Zealand: Hospice New Zealand is the national umbrella body representing all hospice providers across the country, including Mercy Hospice. While not a direct service peer, it is the broader industry incumbent setting standards, coordinating Hospice Awareness Week campaigns, and channelling shared marketing in which Mercy Hospice participates.
• St Joseph's Mercy Hospice (Brisbane): St Joseph's Mercy Hospice and related Mater Health services in Brisbane share Mercy Hospice's Sisters of Mercy heritage and offer free palliative care across inpatient and community settings. It is comparable in mission and Catholic-foundation ethos, but operates as part of the larger Mater health system rather than as a stand-alone community hospice.

Others

• Hospice UK: Hospice UK is the national charity and membership body for hospice care across the United Kingdom. It is thematically comparable as a hospice sector advocate, providing benchmarking, fundraising support, and policy engagement analogous to Hospice New Zealand's role for Mercy Hospice.

Regional players

• Nurse Maude Association: Nurse Maude is a long-established Christchurch-based charity providing community nursing, hospice, and homecare services. It is a regional peer with overlapping palliative care delivery and a comparable community-funded, volunteer-supported operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVMKa4D0lDHZ3aT3XEIcrGA
• Facebookfacebook.com/mercyhospiceakld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mercyhospice
• Instagraminstagram.com/mercyhospiceauckland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mercy Hospice