What Mai Lighthouse does

Mai Lighthouse is a New Zealand charitable trust (registration CC37443) headquartered in Pukekohe, operating under that name since a 2025 rebrand from Franklin Family Support Services, which itself traces back to a Family Support Centre established in 1979/1982. The organisation delivers community social services across the Franklin District and North Waikato, including counselling, family and whānau support, social work, budgeting advice, parenting education, victim support, and community development, supported by a volunteer driver network. It also operates an Op Shop retail arm and serves as a Heartland Services hub — a multi-agency government front door — giving walk-in access to integrated public services in the catchment.

The underlying delivery model is human-led and place-based rather than technology-mediated: services are provided in person by paid staff (around 12 per firmographic sources) alongside a broader network of roughly 60 professionals and volunteers, reaching approximately 12,000 people per year with 686 individuals and families under active contract. No proprietary software platform, digital product, or AI/ML capability is referenced in the available information; the organisation's "technology" footprint consists of standard non-profit operational tooling and government reporting systems required by its contracts.

Revenue is assembled from a diversified but government-heavy mix: statutory service contracts with the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, Oranga Tamariki, NZ Police, and Counties Manukau DHB; philanthropic grants from Auckland Council, Foundation North, and other funders; subsidised counselling fees; community donations; and Op Shop retail income. The combination of multi-agency statutory funding, a 40+ year operating history, and Heartland hub status constitutes the primary competitive position, while exposing the organisation to public-sector procurement and contract-renewal cycles as the dominant commercial risk.

Name

Mai Lighthouse

Legal name

Mai Lighthouse

Website

https://mailighthouse.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mai Lighthouse is a Pukekohe-based New Zealand charitable trust delivering counselling, family support, social work, victim support, and community services across the Franklin District and North Waikato, funded primarily through multi-agency government contracts, grants, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pukekohe

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: Primary revenue from government contracts with Ministry of Social Development (MSD), Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Justice (MOJ), Oranga Tamariki, and NZ Police. Contracts fund specific services including abuse prevention, heartlands rural support, budgeting and financial capability, family violence support, elder abuse services, children's counselling, and social work outreach.
2. Healthcare Funding: Funding from Counties Manukau DHB for medical transport initiative serving Franklin area residents attending hospital appointments in Auckland.
3. Philanthropic Grants: Funding from philanthropic organizations including Auckland Council, Foundation North, Lotteries, Community Organisations Grants Scheme (COGS), and Bluesky Community Trust.
4. Donations: Public donations received through online portal, bank transfers, and in-person. Tax deductible as registered charitable trust with 33% NZ charitable giving tax credit on donations over $5.
5. Counselling Fees: Subsidized counselling fees for adults and children, with free sessions available for eligible children under 18 through Oranga Tamariki funding. WINZ clients may receive allowances.
6. Op Shop Revenue: Revenue from Op Shop at 5 George Street, Tuakau selling quality preloved clothing and goods. Proceeds support clients and food bank.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mai Lighthouse is a registered New Zealand charitable trust (CC37443, founded 1979) that delivers wraparound community social services across the Franklin District and North Waikato from offices in Pukekohe and Tuakau. Its core offerings include one-on-one counselling, budgeting and financial mentoring (Family Finance), parenting programmes (Incredible Years and Parenting Toolbox For Teens), social work, volunteer-driver medical transport, legal services, a Heartland Services government hub, and an Op Shop thrift store.

Product overview

Mai Lighthouse is a social services organization offering wraparound support services to families and individuals in the Franklin District and North Waikato. The organization operates as a unified social service hub rather than a platform architecture, providing Counselling Services, Family Finance (Budgeting and Financial Mentoring), Parenting Programs (Incredible Years, Parenting Toolbox For Teens), Social Work Services, Medical Transport, Legal Services, Heartland Services, and community programmes including Rangatahi Strong, Sexual Health Clinic, and Senior Connection Group. The services are delivered through two main offices in Pukekohe and Tuakau, with additional community hub facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Counselling Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Helps up to 12,000 individuals and families per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Heartlands Service CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSD contract enabling hosting of government agencies at Mai Lighthouse hub. Approximately 25 central government agencies and 50+ community organizations participate in Heartland Centres nationally.
• Community Law South AucklandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Law Centre with outreach clinic at Mai Lighthouse first Thursday of each month. Lawyers fluent in Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, Tagalog, Maori. Free services for those meeting income criteria.
• Webb Morris LawyersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Franklin law firm providing free 15-minute legal appointments weekly at Mai Lighthouse.
• Complete LegalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Franklin law firm providing free 15-minute legal appointments weekly at Mai Lighthouse.
• Franklin LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Franklin law firm providing free 15-minute legal appointments weekly at Mai Lighthouse.
• Blackhawk LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Franklin law firm providing free 15-minute legal appointments weekly at Mai Lighthouse.
• Centre for Youth Health / Health New Zealand | Te Whatu OracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing Sexual Health Clinic (Tue 9am-12pm) and Senior Connection Group (Tue 2:30-3:30pm) at Mai Lighthouse. Services include STI testing, contraception, pregnancy testing.
• Emerge AotearoaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization hosting groups at Mai Lighthouse community hub.
• Fathers for FamiliesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity group hosting sessions at Mai Lighthouse community hub.
• Getting Smoke FreeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmoking cessation programme hosted at Mai Lighthouse community hub every Friday 9:30-11am.
• Pukekohe High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership embedding social worker at school for Youth Empowerment Programme. Provides direct student wellbeing support and connects families to wraparound services.
• Ministry of Education - Positive Behaviour for Learning InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership delivering Incredible Years parenting programme in partnership with Ministry's PB4L initiative for parents of 3-8 year olds.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Community Law Centres o Aotearoa: A national network of community law centres providing free legal services to low-income clients. Directly comparable to Mai Lighthouse's partnership with Community Law South Auckland and its hosted weekly free 15-minute lawyer appointments.
• Age Concern New Zealand: A national NZ organisation providing elder abuse services, social support, and advocacy for people 65+. Directly comparable to Mai Lighthouse's Elder Abuse services for kaumatua and Senior Connection Group programming.
• Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) NZ: A national NZ network of community advice hubs offering free social services, referrals, and advocacy across similar client segments. Operates on comparable volunteer-driven, community-led principles and government-funded service delivery as Mai Lighthouse.
• Women's Refuge NZ: National NZ organisation providing family violence support, advocacy, and safe housing. Comparable to Mai Lighthouse's Family Harm support and Oho Wāhine programmes serving women and families experiencing abuse.
• Barnardos NZ: New Zealand's largest children's services NGO providing counselling, social work, and family support with government contracts from Oranga Tamariki and MSD. Closely comparable to Mai Lighthouse's child and family services portfolio including the Incredible Years parenting programme partnership.
• The Fono: A Pacific community health and social services provider in Auckland offering wraparound social, health, and family support with similar multi-agency hub operations. Comparable service model and Pacific/Māori community focus as Mai Lighthouse's legal clinic partners fluent in Tongan, Samoan, and Māori.
• Plunket NZ: New Zealand's largest provider of services for children under five, offering family support, parenting education, and Well Child services. Comparable in mission and government-contract-funded family support delivery to Mai Lighthouse's Incredible Years and Parenting Toolbox programmes.
• Lifeline Aotearoa: A national NZ helpline and counselling organisation providing mental health and crisis support services. Comparable to Mai Lighthouse's subsidised counselling services for grief, stress, relationships, depression, and anxiety.
• Family Works (Presbyterian Support Northern): A New Zealand community social services organisation offering counselling, social work, parenting programmes, and family support across the upper North Island. Highly comparable to Mai Lighthouse's wraparound model and government-contract funding base.

Broad incumbents

• Auckland Council Social Services: The regional government body funding and commissioning social services across Auckland, including Franklin. Provides overlapping community programming and is also a philanthropic funding partner of Mai Lighthouse through the Franklin Local Board.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mailighthousenz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mailighthouse

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Mai Lighthouse