SociaLink

What SociaLink does

SociaLink (legally Social Sector Innovation WBOP Charitable Trust) is a New Zealand charitable trust founded in 2011 and headquartered at The Kollective co-working space in Tauranga, South New Zealand. It operates as the peak body for the social and community sector across the Western Bay of Plenty, providing free or highly subsidised support services to community organisations, social service providers, hapori Māori (Māori communities), and local networks. Its service portfolio spans mentoring, organisational and governance advice, training and workshops, operations support, funding advisory, research access, data services (Community Insights), volunteering coordination, advocacy, and Kaupapa Māori capability development through its Whakamana Tangata division.

The organisation's underlying technology is minimal: it is a service-delivery trust rather than a technology company, with no proprietary platforms, APIs, or software products disclosed. Service delivery relies on direct human advisory, newsletters, a training calendar, and the physical Kollective co-working space, supported by active social media presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

SociaLink's business model is grant-funded rather than commercial. Income is derived from five named institutional funders — Western Bay of Plenty District Council, BayTrust, Acorn, TECT, and Lotteries — with no commercial pricing for most services. The only quasi-revenue stream is the subsidised Operations Support service, sold in 20-hour blocks to community organisations without ongoing commitment. The trust reaches 1,000+ community members, supports 100+ organisations, and delivers 100+ training sessions annually, operating with a small team of 1–10 employees under General Manager Liz Davies.

Name

SociaLink

Legal name

Social Sector Innovation WBOP Charitable Trust

Website

https://socialink.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SociaLink is a New Zealand charitable trust that delivers free or subsidised support services — mentoring, governance advice, training, funding help, and advocacy — to community organisations, social service providers, and hapori Māori across the Western Bay of Plenty.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community / Social Sector Support Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Community sector support
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Social sector advisory
• Volunteer coordination services
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Tauranga

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: SociaLink operates as a charitable trust supported by multiple funders including Western Bay of Plenty District Council, BayTrust, Acorn, TECT, and Lotteries. The organisation provides free or highly subsidised services to community organisations, meaning its revenue model is grant-funded rather than commercial.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SociaLink provides free or heavily subsidised capacity-building services to community organisations, social service providers, hapori Māori and local networks across the Western Bay of Plenty. Offerings span four categories — Collaboration (mentoring, organisational advice, training, financials and funding support, advocacy, networking), Community Insights (data projects, research, the Business Heroes Directory), Volunteering (volunteering services and Operations/Office Support) and DIY Resources (self-help guides) — anchored at its co-working hub, The Kollective.

Product overview

SociaLink is a charitable trust that provides a comprehensive portfolio of free or highly subsidised support services for community organisations, social service providers, and hapori Māori in the Western Bay of Plenty. Rather than a single software product, the organisation offers an integrated service ecosystem comprising: Collaboration and Networking (connecting organisations); Community Insights (data collection and analysis); Business Heroes Discounts; Mentoring and Leadership Development; Organisational Advice and Governance Support; Operations Support (SOS); Volunteering Services; Research access; DIY Resources (templates, guides, tools); Training and Workshops; The Kollective co-working space; Financial and Funding advisory services; Advocacy; and Kaupapa Māori services under Whakamana Tangata. These services work together as a 'one stop shop' model to support the social sector from establishment through growth and governance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Community Insights: A division of SociaLink that helps organisations gain confidence with data - to collect, analyse and report on their own information and to use external data resources. Data can help demonstrate impact.

Products and services

• Collaboration Services Collaboration Services is a coordinated set of advisory and capacity-building services (mentoring, organisational advice, networking) for community organisations and hapori Māori seeking to strengthen partnerships and sector collaboration in the Western Bay of Plenty.
• Mentoring Programme The Mentoring Programme pairs experienced mentors with managers and leaders of community organisations to provide free or subsidised one-on-one guidance on strategy, governance and operations.
• Organisational Advice Organisational Advice provides hands-on consulting to community organisations on governance, structure, planning and operational improvement, available free or at heavily subsidised rates.
• Training + Workshops Training and Workshops delivers group learning sessions for community-organisation staff and volunteers on topics relevant to running, governing and sustaining community groups in the Western Bay of Plenty.
• Networking Events Networking Events bring community-organisation leaders together to share knowledge, form partnerships and connect with funders across the Western Bay of Plenty.
• Financials + Funding Support Financials and Funding Support helps community organisations in the Western Bay of Plenty with budgeting, bookkeeping, financial administration and writing funding applications.
• Advocacy Services Advocacy Services represent the interests of community organisations in the Western Bay of Plenty with funders, local councils and government agencies, providing a sector-wide voice on policy and funding issues.
• Whakamana Tangata Whakamana Tangata is a kaupapa Māori service that supports hapori Māori (Māori community groups) in the Western Bay of Plenty through culturally grounded capacity building, advocacy and partnerships.
• Community Insights (Data Projects) Community Insights provides research, surveys, data collection and impact-reporting services that help community organisations and their funders in the Western Bay of Plenty understand local need and evidence outcomes.
• Business Heroes Directory The Business Heroes Directory is an online directory that lists and profiles community organisations and mission-led businesses operating in the Western Bay of Plenty, helping them gain visibility with funders and the public.
• Research Services Research Services deliver bespoke research projects (literature reviews, needs assessments, scoping studies) for community organisations and funders in the Western Bay of Plenty.
• Volunteering Services Volunteering Services matches community volunteers with community organisations in the Western Bay of Plenty, including volunteer recruitment, brokering and ongoing volunteer management support.
• Operations (Office) Support (SOS) Operations (Office) Support (SOS) provides paid block-based back-office capacity (typically ~20-hour blocks) to community organisations in the Western Bay of Plenty, covering administration, finance and operational tasks.
• The Kollective The Kollective is SociaLink's co-located co-working and meeting hub in Tauranga, providing affordable office, meeting and event space to community organisations in the Western Bay of Plenty.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Spectrum Collective TakiwātangacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Joint project to compile the Neurodiversity Support Services Guide, originally developed in June 2024, to help professionals navigate services for neurodivergent people and their whānau in the Western Bay of Plenty.
• Spectrum Collective TakiwātangacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of organisations and professionals working together to support neurodivergent individuals and their whānau. SociaLink co-developed the Neurodiversity Support Services Guide with this network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Foundation North: Large Auckland regional community trust that grants to community organisations. Comparable to SociaLink's funder ecosystem in mandate and beneficiary profile, though operating as a grantmaker rather than a capacity-building intermediary, and focused on the Auckland region.
• BayTrust: Bay of Plenty regional community trust and one of SociaLink's named key funders. Directly comparable as a regional community-support organisation operating in the same geographic area, though BayTrust's role is as a grantmaker rather than a service-delivery intermediary.
• Hui E! Community Trust: Auckland community trust providing grants, capability building, and resources to community groups. Comparable to SociaLink in operating as a regional intermediary supporting community organisations, though serving the Auckland region rather than Western Bay of Plenty.

Direct peers

• Volunteering New Zealand: National peak body for volunteering in New Zealand. Directly comparable to SociaLink's Volunteering Services division in terms of mandate (volunteer sector capacity building and promotion) and constituency (community organisations relying on volunteer labour).
• Akina Foundation: New Zealand social enterprise and impact organisation support body. Comparable to SociaLink in providing capability development, advisory, and network-building services to for-purpose organisations, though with more of an enterprise-development lens.
• Community Foundations of New Zealand: National network of community foundations. Comparable to SociaLink in acting as an intermediary layer between funders (donors, trusts) and grassroots community organisations, with a regional/local place-based focus.
• Philanthropy New Zealand: Peak body for philanthropic and grantmaking organisations in New Zealand. Comparable to SociaLink as a sector umbrella supporting a similar funder/community-organisation ecosystem, with overlapping member networks.
• NZ Council of Social Services (Te Kāhui Pāpori): National peak body for the social services sector in Aotearoa New Zealand. Most directly comparable to SociaLink as it also acts as an umbrella and advocacy organisation for community and social service providers, though operating at a national rather than regional scale.
• Inspiring Communities: New Zealand community development organisation that supports community-led initiatives through training, resources, and capability building. Comparable to SociaLink in providing capacity-building services to community organisations across NZ.

Broad incumbents

• Salvation Army New Zealand: Major New Zealand social services provider that delivers community ministries and welfare support in the Bay of Plenty (including Tauranga, which SociaLink supports). Comparable as a regional social services actor that SociaLink's member organisations may interact with, though operating at much larger national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/socialinknz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/socialink-tauranga-moana
• Instagraminstagram.com/socialinknz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

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 SociaLink