Neurological Foundation of New Zealand

What Neurological Foundation of New Zealand does

The Neurological Foundation of New Zealand is a charitable trust established in 1972 that funds neurological research across the country. As a registered non-profit, it does not sell products or services in the conventional sense but instead channels donations, bequests, merchandise sales, events, and increasingly cryptocurrency gifts into research grants, scholarships, and clinical infrastructure. It serves New Zealand-based researchers, clinicians, and ultimately patients connected to the country's academic and medical institutions, including the Universities of Auckland, Otago, and Canterbury, Starship Children's Health, and Auckland City Hospital. Since its founding, the Foundation has invested approximately $88 million into neurological research and currently directs roughly $10.9 million to research each year.

The Foundation's core activity is grant-making. Its standard grant rounds disburse approximately $5 million annually, and in 2025 it launched a $4 million inaugural Programmes and Platforms grant round alongside Round B, which funded 27 grants totalling $3,182,514. Operating costs are allocated roughly 58% to research, 20% to administration, 20% to awareness, 8% to fundraising, and 6% to education. The Foundation is led by CEO Rich Easton, with Sarah Schonberger as Head of Research, and operates from Auckland with 11–50 employees. Its patron is Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand.

The Foundation's technology stack is built on standard non-profit SaaS: a Tahua grants portal for application and assessment workflows, Funraisin for online donations, and The Giving Block for cryptocurrency gifts. It maintains strategic national infrastructure including the New Zealand Human Brain Bank (the only such facility in the country), the New Zealand Cerebral Palsy Register, and the New Zealand Dementia Registry, with stated ambitions to lift Cerebral Palsy Register coverage to 80% of the population. Corporate and community partners include Summerset and Ryman Healthcare, and its donor base spans individuals, bequests, and event-driven contributions.

Name

Neurological Foundation of New Zealand

Legal name

Neurological Foundation of New Zealand

Website

https://neurological.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Neurological Foundation of New Zealand is a 1972-established charitable trust that funds neurological research across New Zealand via donations, bequests, and grants, serving the country's academic and clinical research community with approximately $10.9 million in annual research disbursements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Medical Research Funding

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

Keywords

• Neurological research funding
• Brain disorder research
• Neuroscience grants
• Charitable health research
• Medical research nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization relies primarily on donations from individuals. Donation tiers are offered including $10, $20, $30, $40, $50, $60, $100, $150, $250, $400 and custom amounts. Donors can give one-time or monthly recurring donations. Donation coupons collect donor name, date of birth, address, credit card details, and bequest requests.
2. Bequests and Legacies: Donors can include a gift in their Will to support future neurological research. The organization maintains bequestor records tracking names, dates, addresses, bequest details, and engagement history.
3. Cryptocurrency Donations: Accepts cryptocurrency donations via The Giving Block platform. Not tax-deductible in New Zealand as cryptocurrency is classified as property rather than money.
4. Merchandise Sales: Operates the Neurological Foundation Shop (neurologicalfoundation.ezymerch.co.nz) selling branded merchandise to supporters and the public.
5. Community Fundraising Events: Organises and facilitates community fundraising events such as Bowling for Brains, running events, and other campaigns. Partners with retirement villages, community groups, and individuals to raise funds.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Neurological Foundation of New Zealand is a charitable trust that funds neurological research into 700+ brain and nervous system disorders. It distributes approximately $5 million per year through six-monthly grant rounds plus multi-year Programmes and Platforms grants, while also operating New Zealand's only Human Brain Bank and the Chair in Clinical Neurology. The Foundation supplements research funding with public education programs, a quarterly magazine, lectures, and donation/fundraising infrastructure.

Product overview

The Neurological Foundation of New Zealand operates as a charitable research funding organization with a unified mission to reduce suffering from neurological diseases through research, education, and information. The core offering is its research funding programme, which distributes grants through a Tahua-hosted grants portal, supplemented by longer-term Programme and Platform grants. Supporting services include the Human Brain Bank (NZ's only), the Chair of Clinical Neurology position, quarterly Headlines magazine, an online lecture library, and free educational resources including a brain health e-book and glossary. The Foundation also operates a merchandise shop and hosts digital discovery sessions for public education. All offerings work together to fund, promote, and disseminate neurological research knowledge across New Zealand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Funding Programme

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Her Excellency The Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New ZealandcoreOthers · 1 January 2025Her Excellency The Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro serves as the patron of the Neurological Foundation. The Governor-General attended a special event at Government House in Auckland to celebrate the $4 million investment in Programmes and Platforms, demonstrating the highest level of governmental support and recognition for the organization's mission.
• University of AucklandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Multiple research collaborations including: Blood Biomarkers Programme for Alzheimer's diagnosis ($998K, PI Dr Erin Cawston); Ultra-large scale drug discovery for neuroinflammation ($999K, PI A/Prof Jack Flanagan); Mate Wareware-Dementia Prevention Platform ($1M, co-PI Prof Lynette Tippett); Parkinson's cytokine research (Dr Justin Rustenhoven); concussion research. Home of the Neurological Foundation Chair in Clinical Neurology.
• University of OtagocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Key research partner with multiple funded projects including: genetic research into neurodevelopmental conditions (A/Prof Louise Bicknell, $298K); developmental and epileptic encephalopathy research (A/Prof Caroline Beck, $258K); postpartum anxiety research (Dr Jamie McQuillan, $257K); MRI biomarkers project (Dr Narun Pat, $307K); Parkinson's astrocyte research (Dr Indranil Basak, $15K).
• Starship Children's HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Principal investigators Prof Susan Stott and Dr Gina O'Grady at Starship Children's Health lead the NZ Cerebral Palsy Register evolution into a full research platform ($968K, 5-year funding).
• University of CanterburycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner institution in the $307,444 two-year tear biomarker research project for Parkinson's disease early diagnosis, collaborating with Universities of Otago and Auckland.
• University of WaikatocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025One of five research centres (Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin) receiving 2025 Round B grants totalling $3,182,514 across 27 grants for neurological research.
• University of Wellington (Victoria University)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025One of five research centres (Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin) receiving 2025 Round B grants totalling $3,182,514 across 27 grants for neurological research.
• University of CanterburycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025One of five research centres (Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin) receiving 2025 Round B grants totalling $3,182,514 across 27 grants for neurological research.
• Tahua Solutions LimitedcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Tahua Solutions Limited provides the grants management platform (WebApp) through which researchers apply for funding. The platform is accessed via grants.neurological.org.nz and supports the entire grant application, assessment, and transaction workflow. Terms of use were last updated on 14 October 2024.
• Summerset Retirement VillagesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMultiple Summerset villages participated in the Bowling for Brains fundraising event (Summerset by the Lake Taupo $902, Summerset St Johns $326, Team Summerset in the River City $320, Team Summerset Orchard $370, Summerset by the Park $608, Summerset at Heritage Park).
• Ryman HealthcareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRyman Bowls South team participated in Bowling for Brains fundraising event, raising $602.
• Stroke Aotearoa NZminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStroke Aotearoa NZ provides F.A.S.T. stroke awareness content featured on the Neurological Foundation website, promoting recognition of stroke symptoms and the importance of calling 111 immediately.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research: World's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research. Comparable as a disease-specific foundation funding grants, biomarker development (the Foundation funds tear-based Parkinson's biomarker research), and translational neuroscience.
• Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Zealand: NZ-based charity for people with multiple sclerosis, providing research funding and support services. Comparable as a NZ disease-specific neurological charity operating under similar donation and bequest revenue model.
• Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand: NZ-based health charity focused on mental health and wellbeing. Comparable in operating model (donations, bequests, education, awareness, grants) and in overlapping neurological/mental health condition scope.
• Stroke Foundation of New Zealand: NZ-based charity focused on stroke (a neurological condition). Comparable as a single-disease neurological nonprofit with overlapping research funding, awareness, and community fundraising activities.
• Alzheimer's Research UK: UK's leading dementia research charity and one of the Foundation's named beneficiaries in co-funded biomarker work. Directly comparable as a disease-specific neurological research charity funding grants, brain banks, and public education.
• Cancer Society of New Zealand: NZ's leading disease-specific health nonprofit, funding cancer research and providing education/support. Directly comparable as a national charitable foundation funding research, education, and awareness in a specific disease vertical.
• Epilepsy Foundation of New Zealand: NZ-based charity supporting people with epilepsy and funding related research. Comparable as a smaller NZ-domiciled single-disease neurological nonprofit with similar donation-funded research and education model.
• Health Research Council of New Zealand: New Zealand's main government-funded health research funding agency. Highly comparable as a NZ-domiciled research funder distributing grants to universities and hospitals via competitive rounds, though broader in scope beyond neurology.

Regional players

• National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC, Australia): Australia's principal government health and medical research funding body. Comparable in grantmaking mechanism and scope to the Health Research Council of NZ, with cross-Tasman overlap in research collaboration though serving Australian researchers.

Emerging players

• ALS Therapy Development Institute: US-based nonprofit biotech focused on ALS drug development. Comparable as a disease-specific neurological research charity, though the ALS TDI operates its own in-house lab rather than purely funding external academic research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCV1wRB0LlU9B2dHtWM853rg
• Facebookfacebook.com/neurologicalfnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/neurological-nz
• Xx.com/NeurologicalNZ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Neurological Foundation of New Zealand