New Zealand Football Foundation

What New Zealand Football Foundation does

The New Zealand Football Foundation is an independent charitable trust (Registered Charity CC44218) established in 2010 in Auckland to manage NZ$4 million of FIFA funds arising from the All Whites' 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. Its core activity is grant-making to grassroots football across Aotearoa New Zealand, organized around four strategic pillars: Youth, Innovation, Girls & Women, and Social Impact. Since inception the Foundation has distributed over NZ$2.2 million in grants to approximately 400 football clubs and related programs, including the Future Ferns Development Programme, Football Ferns, NZ U-17 National Team, and hardship/participation initiatives for underserved communities.

The Foundation operates no proprietary technology platform; its primary digital surface is the footballfoundation.org.nz website, which serves as a donation portal, grant-application intake (with allocations made twice yearly in April and October), club directory, and content/news channel. A minor partnership with Database Technologies supports operational back-office tooling. Products and services are fundamentally fundraising instruments rather than technology products: individual donations, the Invest in the Shirt personalized replica shirt programme, the Starting XI founding-supporter tier (minimum NZ$20,000 gift), bequests and legacy planned-giving, a World Cup Lottery (NZ$20 per ticket), and the title sponsorship of the women's national knockout competition (NZ Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup).

Revenue mechanics are diversified across individual philanthropy, corporate partnerships (Forsyth Barr, Database Technologies), community and gaming trusts (Lion Foundation, Constellation Communities Trust, Bluesky Community Trust, Awhero Nui Charitable Trust), bequests, lottery and merchandise sales, and major-donor gifts. The Foundation has a stated goal of growing its endowment from NZ$4 million toward NZ$10 million by 2030. It is governed by a Board of Trustees (current Chair Jodi Tong, Deputy Chair Carolyn Steele) under CEO Neil Coventry (appointed December 2023), with Sir Eion Edgar serving as Honorary Patron and former All Whites captain Ryan Nelsen referenced as Patron.

Name

New Zealand Football Foundation

Legal name

New Zealand Football Foundation

Website

https://footballfoundation.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The New Zealand Football Foundation is an Auckland-based charitable trust that has granted over NZ$2.2 million to roughly 400 football clubs across New Zealand since 2010, funded by donations, an NZ$4M FIFA-derived endowment, lottery and merchandise sales, and corporate and gaming-trust partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation Sports Grants

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF)

Keywords

• Charitable trust services
• Football grant funding
• Grassroots sports development
• Philanthropic fundraising programs
• Community sports grants

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals supporting football development in New Zealand. The foundation accepts various donation amounts to support grassroots football projects.
2. World Cup Lottery: Lottery ticket sales at $20 per ticket offering chances to win football experiences, such as trips to FIFA World Cup events.
3. Invest in the Shirt Program: Sale of replica All Whites shirts with personalized names and numbers, creating a visible champion program for football supporters.
4. Starting Line Up Program: Founding supporter program requiring significant gifts of $20,000 or more to join an elite group of major donors.
5. Bequests and Endowments: Legacy gifts through wills and endowment funds ensuring future generations benefit from football programs.
6. Corporate Partnerships: Partnership agreements with organizations including Forsyth Barr, Database Technologies, Lion Foundation, and community trusts who provide financial support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The New Zealand Football Foundation is a charitable trust that raises money from individuals and corporate partners through donations, a World Cup Lottery, Invest in the Shirt replica merchandise, a Starting XI founding-supporter program (NZ$20,000+), and bequests and legacy gifts. It redistributes these funds as grants to football clubs, players, and community programs across Aotearoa New Zealand under four strategic pillars: Youth, Innovation, Girls & Women, and Social Impact, and it sponsors the NZ Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup women's national knockout competition.

Product overview

The New Zealand Football Foundation is a charitable trust offering a portfolio of fundraising and grant-making products and services to support grassroots football development across New Zealand. The core offering consists of grant funding programmes distributed through four strategic pillars (Youth, Innovation, Girls & Women, Social Impact), alongside donation-based fundraising products including the Invest in the Shirt programme (personalized replica shirts), Starting Line Up founding supporters programme ($20,000+), Bequests & Legacy planned giving, and the World Cup Lottery. The Foundation also sponsors the NZ Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup (women's national knockout competition) and operates a football clubs directory connecting 400 clubs nationwide. Additionally, the Foundation supports the Future Ferns Development Programme and runs annual fundraising events including a Charity Golf Day and Christmas Auction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Starting Line Up: Founding supporters who made a significant gift of $20,000 or more to help ensure no one is left on the sidelines.
• Invest in the Shirt
• Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup

Products and services

• Grants Program Provides grant funding to football projects, programmes and communities across Aotearoa New Zealand through four strategic pillars: Youth, Innovation, Girls & Women, and Social Impact. Over NZ$2.2 million has been granted since 2010, with allocations made twice yearly in April and October.
• Invest in the Shirt Sale of a special Football Foundation All Whites replica shirt with a customizable name and number on the back, enabling supporters to become visible champions for football in Aotearoa New Zealand while funding foundation programmes.
• Starting Line Up (Starting XI) A founding supporters program requiring a significant gift of NZ$20,000 or more; members are recognized as the Starting XI and help shape the future of football in New Zealand.
• Bequests & Legacy Planned giving programme allowing supporters to leave a lasting legacy through a gift in their Will or through an endowment fund, ensuring future generations can experience football.
• Donations General donation programme where every dollar helps remove barriers, promote respect, and keep football accessible for tamariki and communities across New Zealand. Accepts one-time and recurring gifts of any amount.
• World Cup Lottery Lottery programme offering chances to win once-in-a-lifetime football experiences such as trips to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar; tickets priced at NZ$20 each.
• NZ Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup The women's national club-based knockout competition in New Zealand, first played in 1994, serving as a key player pathway linking grassroots football to the elite level; the Foundation is the title sponsor.
• Football Clubs Directory Online directory service connecting users with approximately 400 football clubs across Aotearoa New Zealand, enabling people to play, administrate, coach, or referee, with links to regional federation club directories.
• Future Ferns Development Programme (FFDP) Support Financial and strategic support for NZ Football's FFDP, an innovative player development programme bridging the gap between domestic and international football for 25 amateur female players.
• Annual Charity Golf Day Annual fundraising event held at Titirangi Golf Club in conjunction with Friends of Football, attended by donors and alumni members to raise funds for the Foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.2 million granted to football projects since 2010
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• New Zealand Professional Footballers' Association (NZPFA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Jointly contributed $25,000 each to support the Future Ferns Development Programme (FFDP), with both organizations aligned to develop the next generation of Football Ferns.
• New Zealand FootballflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe national governing body for football in New Zealand. The foundation works closely with NZF to identify priority areas for funding including women's football, youth development, and grassroots programs.
• Friends of FootballcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent supporters group collaborating on events including the annual Charity Golf Day and football development initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Australian Sports Foundation: Australia's dedicated sports philanthropy vehicle that channels tax-deductible donations to sporting organisations — very similar model in a neighbouring sports market, with comparable scale and mission.
• US Soccer Foundation: The US national soccer charity that funds programs to grow the game at the youth and grassroots level — the closest direct analogue to NZFF in another major football market, with very similar mission and grantmaking model.
• Women's Sports Foundation: A global foundation supporting female athletes and women's sport development through grants and programming — directly comparable given NZFF's strong Girls & Women strategic pillar and FFDP work.
• Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities: A leading Canadian charity dedicated to removing financial barriers to sport participation for kids — directly comparable mission, charitable model, and grassroots-impact focus.
• Football Foundation: The UK's largest sports charity, distributing grants to support football facilities and grassroots participation — directly comparable in mission, football-specific focus, and grantmaking model (note: distinct from NZFF).

Broad incumbents

• Sport New Zealand: New Zealand's Crown agency responsible for sport policy and funding across all sports — the broader incumbent public-sector funder in the same domestic ecosystem in which NZFF operates.
• NZCT (NZ Community Trust): A major NZ gaming-derived community trust that funds a wide portfolio of community and sports organisations — a broad incumbent funding source operating in the same New Zealand grantmaking landscape.

Emerging players

• Kick4Life: A Lesotho-based football charity using the game to drive health and education outcomes — comparable mission (football for development) but much smaller scale and operating in a different geography.

Others

• streetfootballworld: A global network using football for social impact — thematically aligned with NZFF's Social Impact pillar and grassroots/community focus, though operating at international scale.
• Soccer Aid: A high-profile celebrity football fundraising initiative supporting UNICEF — adjacent rather than directly competitive, but a comparable football-themed charitable fundraising vehicle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-zealand-football-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 New Zealand Football Foundation