CanTeen Aotearoa

What CanTeen Aotearoa does

CanTeen Aotearoa is a New Zealand registered charity (CC11087) that provides free psychosocial support services exclusively to rangatahi (young people) aged 12-24 impacted by cancer — whether through their own diagnosis, cancer in their whānau (family), or bereavement. Founded approximately 35 years ago (variously cited as 1988 or 1991) and headquartered in Auckland at Level 6, 110 Symonds Street, Grafton, the organization was created by rangatahi and remains rangatahi-led. It operates as the only national charity in Aotearoa dedicated to this demographic and condition scope, serving 700+ rangatahi in the last year within a stated addressable need of approximately 4,200 rangatahi impacted by cancer annually in New Zealand.

Its service portfolio centres on Canteen Connect (an online peer support platform), one-on-one and group counselling with trained clinicians, peer events (74 face-to-face and online events annually), camps, evidence-based therapeutic programmes, and a Rangatahi Development Programme that includes grants and leadership skills training. The organization does not develop proprietary technology; its digital infrastructure relies on third-party integrations including Windcave for payment processing, Volley for in-person QR-code donations, and Funraisin for peer-to-peer fundraising pages. No mobile app is offered, and AI capabilities are not disclosed.

Its business model is entirely donation-funded — it receives no direct government funding and draws revenue from one-time donations, recurring monthly giving through the "Connected" programme, legacy gifts (Gifts in Wills), merchandise sales (notably the annual Bandanna Day campaign), peer-to-peer fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and an affiliate arrangement with ShopGood. Donations are tax-deductible above $5, and the organization reports that $0.70 of every $1 spent funds direct support services. Scale metrics include 3,100+ therapeutic interventions delivered annually and 28,800 km travelled by Youth Workers.

Name

CanTeen Aotearoa

Legal name

Canteen Aotearoa Incorporated

Website

https://canteen.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CanTeen Aotearoa is the only national charity in New Zealand providing free psychosocial cancer support — including counselling, peer events, camps, and therapeutic programmes — exclusively to rangatahi aged 12-24 impacted by cancer, funded entirely through community donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Youth cancer support
• Psychosocial counselling
• Peer support programmes
• Charity fundraising
• Rangatahi development

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals, including tax-deductible donations over $5
2. Fundraising Events: Peer-to-peer fundraising through events like Bandanna Day, challenge events, workplace giving, school fundraising
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of bandannas and merchandise through the online shop, with proceeds supporting services
4. Regular Giving (Connected Programme): Monthly giving programme where supporters commit to regular monthly donations
5. Gifts in Wills: Legacy giving through bequests in supporters' wills
6. ShopGood Partnership: Affiliate-style partnership where ShopGood donates a portion of purchases to Canteen

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CanTeen Aotearoa provides free psychosocial cancer support services exclusively to rangatahi (young people) aged 12-24 in New Zealand who are impacted by their own cancer diagnosis, cancer in their whānau, or grief and loss. Services include one-on-one and group counselling, in-person and online peer events, therapeutic group programmes, recreational camps, and the Rangatahi Development Programme covering leadership skills, grants, and career guidance. The charity is entirely donation-funded and operates community fundraising campaigns (notably Bandanna Day), an online merchandise shop, and a monthly Connected giving programme.

Product overview

CanTeen Aotearoa is a registered charity providing free psychosocial cancer support services exclusively for rangatahi (young people) aged 12-24 in New Zealand. The organisation operates as a unified service portfolio centred on Canteen Connect (online support platform), counselling services, peer events, camps, therapeutic programmes, and the Rangatahi Development Programme. Supplementary offerings include the annual Bandanna Day fundraising campaign, the ShopGood online shopping initiative, and the Connected monthly giving programme. The organisation does not offer a technology product; all offerings are service-based charitable support programmes funded entirely through donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Counselling Services Free one-on-one and group counselling sessions delivered by trained clinicians to rangatahi aged 12-24 impacted by cancer, providing guidance, tailored support, and tools to manage emotions and build resilience through cancer-related challenges.
• Peer Events
• Therapeutic Programmes
• Camps
• Rangatahi Development Programme
• Canteen Connect (Online Support)
• Connected — Monthly Giving Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% of rangatahi using support services reported improved mental health
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ticketmaster NZcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTicketmaster NZ partners with Canteen for World Cancer Day Global Challenge fundraising events, combining fitness challenges with charitable giving.
• ShopGoodcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPremium online shopping platform where a portion of purchases is donated directly to Canteen at no extra cost to shoppers, with brands including jewellery, toys, sports, and outdoors products.
• Child Cancer FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird-party partner providing services and support for Canteen programmes and operations; shares rangatahi personal information for coordinated care.
• Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird-party partner providing services and support for Canteen programmes and operations; coordinates care for rangatahi with blood cancers.
• Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird-party partner providing services and support for Canteen programmes and operations; clinical multidisciplinary meetings held for safe care and best practice.
• Cancer SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird-party partner providing services and support for Canteen programmes and operations.
• District Health BoardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment health bodies that Canteen may share rangatahi personal information with for coordinated healthcare and support services.
• Burger King New ZealandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner sponsor listed on the Canteen fundraising platform.
• Lagardère AWPLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner conducting Christmas Appeal fundraising campaign for Canteen, supporting rangatahi living with cancer through in-store donations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent): UK charity supporting children and young people with cancer and their families; directly comparable mission and beneficiary segment, but operating under the UK NHS-funded charity model.
• Child Cancer Foundation: NZ-registered charity supporting children and families affected by cancer; overlaps with CanTeen's rangatahi population and shares whānau-centered psychosocial support services within the same country.
• Teen Cancer America: US charity focused on adolescents and young adults with cancer; serves the same 12-24 age cohort as CanTeen but operates across US hospital systems rather than community-led psychosocial support.
• Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand: NZ charity supporting patients and families affected by blood cancers; addresses a subset of CanTeen's beneficiary population (blood-cancer rangatahi) and is a listed CanTeen coordination partner.

Emerging players

• KidsCan: NZ charity supporting disadvantaged children with food, clothing, and health needs; adjacent in targeting NZ youth in hardship but broader scope than cancer-specific psychosocial support.
• Camp Quality New Zealand: NZ arm of Camp Quality running recreation camps for children affected by cancer; overlaps specifically with CanTeen's camp programme but serves a younger age band (children rather than 12-24).

Direct peers

• Redkite: Australian charity providing emotional, financial, and practical support to children and young people (0-24) with cancer; direct peer in mission and beneficiary segment, operating in the Australian market.
• CanTeen Australia: Australian sister organization using an identical peer-led model to support young people aged 12-25 impacted by cancer; most directly comparable peer, sharing origin, programme design, and Bandanna-style fundraising tradition.

Others

• Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand: NZ charity providing free accommodation and support for families with hospitalized children; adjacent ecosystem player supporting whānau of paediatric cancer patients that CanTeen also serves.

Broad incumbents

• Cancer Society of New Zealand: National umbrella cancer charity covering all ages and cancer types in NZ; overlaps with CanTeen's cancer-support mission but does not specialize in the 12-24 rangatahi segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/canteenaotearoa
• Facebookfacebook.com/CanTeenAotearoa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canteen-aotearoa
• Instagraminstagram.com/canteen_aotearoa
• Xx.com/CanTeenAotearoa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CanTeen Aotearoa