Rākau Tautoko

What Rākau Tautoko does

Rākau Tautoko is an Auckland-based, charitable social enterprise (CC57080) founded in 2017 by Tara Moala as a collective of community practitioners delivering engagement, research, facilitation, and leadership services in the Tāmaki/Maungakiekie and South Auckland region of New Zealand. The organization has no proprietary software platform; its core 'technology' is the Tāmaki Inclusive Engagement Strategy (TIES) framework, a community-created, owned, and driven methodology that codifies tools, principles, and operating non-negotiables (community invitation, community ownership of outputs, sufficient resourcing) for co-design and empowerment work. Service offerings span community consultation and engagement consulting, Māori responsiveness research, youth wellbeing programme coordination (including the HEART Movement, Phenomenal Young Women, and the Tāmaki Youth Wellbeing Project), and environmental/sustainability initiatives (Tāmaki WRAP, Live Lightly, the Reclaim Project, Food Scrap Project, Pacific People Climate Action Project), delivered through wānanga, workshops, and multi-phase project engagements.

The business model is professional services revenue from project-based contracts with government clients — principally Auckland Council and the Maungakiekie Tāmaki Local Board — supplemented by grants from charitable trusts (e.g., John Illot Charitable Trust for Koru Māmā) and pass-through foundation funding (e.g., Vodafone Foundation channelled via Tāmaki Community Development Trust for youth wellbeing). Go-to-market is relationship-led, with work entering through community invitation rather than top-down pitching, and with projects proceeding under a constitution that recycles any surpluses back into charitable purposes. Customer mix is concentrated among government and NGO partners in the Tāmaki area, with no software or platform revenue, no venture funding, no subsidiaries, and operating footprint restricted to New Zealand.

The entity is small — operating with approximately five core practitioners — and is supported by an extensive partner ecosystem of more than fifteen named organizations spanning local government (Auckland Council, Maungakiekie Tāmaki Local Board, ADHB, TSI, CAYAD), community trusts (Tāmaki Community Development Trust), NGOs (HEART Movement, Tāmaki WRAP, Te Oro, Hapai Te Hauora, Glen Innes Family Centre), iwi/marae (Ruapotaka Marae, local iwi), and funders (Vodafone Foundation, MSD/SKIP, John Illot Charitable Trust). No patents, certifications, regulatory actions, or M&A activity are recorded; legal name and DBA are identical, and the previous identity traces to Tara Moala's pre-2017 individual consulting practice.

Name

Rākau Tautoko

Legal name

Rākau Tautoko

Website

https://rakautautoko.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rākau Tautoko is an Auckland-based charitable social enterprise and collective of community practitioners delivering engagement, research, facilitation, and co-design services — including Māori responsiveness, youth wellbeing, and sustainability programs — for Auckland Council, Maungakiekie Tāmaki Local Board, and community partners across the Tāmaki region of New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Engagement Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circular Economy & Sustainable Products (Reuse, Repair, Upcycling) (BPAGALAF), Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

Keywords

• Community engagement consulting
• Co-design facilitation services
• Māori responsiveness consulting
• Community development research
• Youth wellbeing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Contract Services: Project-based consulting and contract work for government agencies, local boards, and community organizations. Revenue comes from fees for community engagement, research, facilitation, and project development services.
2. Funding and Grants: Funding from charitable trusts and government programmes for specific community initiatives such as the John Illot Charitable Trust for Koru Māmā project.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rākau Tautoko is an Auckland-based social enterprise operating as a collective of skilled practitioners that delivers community engagement, co-design facilitation, research, training, and project development services to government agencies, local boards, and community organizations in the Tāmaki and South Auckland regions. Their work is grounded in the Tāmaki Inclusive Engagement Strategy (TIES) framework and covers Māori responsiveness, youth wellbeing, family violence prevention, food sovereignty, and waste reduction initiatives. Revenue comes from project-based consulting contracts and grants from charitable trusts and government programmes.

Product overview

Rākau Tautoko is an Auckland-based social enterprise offering a portfolio of community engagement programs, consulting services, and collaborative initiatives rather than a traditional software product. Their core offerings include facilitation and training services, community research and development, youth wellbeing programs (such as The HEART Movement and Phenomenal Young Women), environmental sustainability initiatives (Tāmaki WRAP, Live Lightly, Food Scrap Project), and specialized Māori responsiveness consulting. These service offerings are delivered through community partnerships, workshops, wananga, and ongoing project coordination, with methodology grounded in the Tāmaki Inclusive Engagement Strategy (TIES) framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Consultation and Engagement Services Professional consulting services including community engagement workshops, facilitation, co-design processes, leadership development, and research for government agencies and community organizations.
• Tāmaki Inclusive Engagement Strategy (TIES) A community-created, owned, and driven engagement framework providing tools and principles for engaging and empowering community members in Tāmaki, originally developed collaboratively with community leaders and contracted for sustainable implementation.
• Māori Responsiveness Project Research and engagement services supporting local boards to build meaningful relationships with Māori communities, focusing on rangatahi Māori aspirations and Māori wellbeing outcomes.
• The HEART Movement A community-led initiative in Tāmaki, East Auckland promoting positive, healthy relationships and preventing family violence through a strengths-based approach, emphasizing community mobilization and growing loving, safe, and supportive relationships.
• Tāmaki Youth Wellbeing Project A coordinated response to youth wellbeing and suicide prevention encompassing ten projects including youth drop-in spaces, mentoring programmes, research indices, and community development initiatives.
• Tāmaki WRAP A community engagement initiative focused on waste reduction and environmental sustainability in Tāmaki, developing community-owned and led projects around waste management, resource recovery, and sustainable living practices.
• Phenomenal Young Women (PYW) A youth-led initiative creating spaces for young women in Tāmaki to connect, featuring weekly sessions with youth-determined activities and mentoring support for facilitators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported Maungakiekie Tāmaki local board to build relationships with Māori community
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Auckland CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner providing contracts for community engagement, waste solutions, climate action, and youth empowerment programmes. Includes Community and Youth Empowerment Unit, Waste Solutions Team, and Infrastructure and Environmental Services.
• Maungakiekie Tāmaki Local BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal governance body providing funding and direction for community projects including Māori responsiveness, climate action, and youth wellbeing initiatives in the Tāmaki area.
• Tāmaki Regeneration CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for regeneration initiatives including Early Years Hub consultation, TIES implementation, and broader community development programmes in Tāmaki.
• ADHB (Auckland District Health Board)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Tāmaki Wellbeing initiative for community health engagement and wellness programmes.
• Tāmaki Community Development TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey community partner serving as charitable trust fund holder for Vodafone Foundation youth wellbeing projects and ongoing community initiatives.
• The HEART MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner in family violence prevention and healthy relationships work. Supports Pockets of Hope Community Dinners, parenting initiatives, and Change Agent development.
• Tāmaki WRAPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in waste reduction and sustainability initiatives. Includes Reclaim Project collaboration, community garden networks, and Love Food Hate Waste programmes.
• Te OrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth arts and music space partner for youth week projects, technical training, and community engagement activities.
• Hapai Te HauoraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth promotion partner for smokefree youth pledge and related health initiatives.
• The Southern Initiative (TSI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government initiative partnership for Pacific professional development and co-design training programmes.
• Ruapotaka MaraeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarae partner for wānanga, community gatherings, and TIES engagement processes.
• Panuku PlacemakingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban development partner for youth placemaking initiatives and healthy community space creation.
• Pacific Vision AotearoaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPacific community partner for Climate Manava and Pacific Peoples Climate Action Project.
• Glen Innes Family CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly childhood and family support partner for HEART Parenting and Whānau Awhina projects.
• TIES Taumata RōpucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernance body for Tāmaki Inclusive Engagement Strategy framework. Rākau Tautoko contracted to develop and implement TIES as sustainable community-led initiative.
• Auckland Co-design LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for co-design master class delivery and training.
• CAYAD (Auckland Council)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlcohol and drug harm reduction partner for youth programmes including Lowering Social Supply Project.
• Local Iwi (various)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMāori iwi partners consulted for Māori responsiveness projects and local board relationship building with Māori community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Fono: An Auckland-based Pasifika health and social services provider delivering community programmes with government and DHB funding. Comparable as an Auckland community services nonprofit delivering to Māori and Pacific communities through government contracts.
• Te Pou: A New Zealand workforce and resource organization for mental health, addiction, and disability sectors delivering training, resources, and consultancy. Comparable for capacity-building and consulting services delivered to government and community organizations.
• Hui E! Community Aotearoa: A pan-Pacific community development network supporting Pacific peoples' participation and leadership in Aotearoa. Comparable to Rākau Tautoko's culturally-grounded community engagement and facilitation work, with similar focus on indigenous/Pacific community development.
• Inspiring Communities: A New Zealand charitable trust focused on building community capacity and supporting local community development initiatives nationally. Directly comparable to Rākau Tautoko's co-design, community engagement, and empowerment methodology in the NZ context.
• Lifewise: An Auckland-based Methodist Mission social services organization providing housing, health, and community support. Comparable as an Auckland-based community services nonprofit with similar funding model and community engagement focus.

Broad incumbents

• Auckland Council: New Zealand's largest local government body and a primary customer of Rākau Tautoko. Its Community and Youth Empowerment Unit delivers overlapping community engagement capability, but as a broad incumbent rather than a specialist social enterprise.
• The Salvation Army New Zealand: A large faith-based social services organization delivering community programmes across New Zealand including family violence prevention and youth services. Comparable programme areas to Rākau Tautoko (HEART Movement aligns with family violence work) but at substantially larger scale.
• Community Foundations New Zealand: A national network of community foundations supporting local philanthropy and community-led development across New Zealand. Operates at a national/funder level with similar community empowerment mission but not direct service delivery.

Others

• Philanthropy New Zealand: A membership and support organization for philanthropic funders in New Zealand. An ecosystem enabler that Rākau Tautoko could partner with for funder relationships, rather than a direct service delivery competitor.
• Social Enterprise New Zealand: A sector support body representing social enterprises in Aotearoa. Provides ecosystem infrastructure, advocacy, and networking that Rākau Tautoko, as a registered charitable social enterprise, could leverage for sector positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rakautautoko
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rakautautoko
• Instagraminstagram.com/rakautautoko

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Rākau Tautoko