The Sowers Trust

What The Sowers Trust does

The Sowers Trust is a registered New Zealand community services trust based in Howick, Auckland, operating since 1988 as the community services arm of Howick Community Church. It delivers youth development programmes and wrap-around family support services to at-risk children, young people, and families primarily in East Auckland. Its core programme portfolio includes youth worker engagement, mentoring, foodbank operations, Triple P Parenting delivery, the Waves programme, and the Two Coats Clothing Co-op social enterprise, supplemented by holiday and food programmes and an adopt-a-family seasonal appeal.

The organisation operates with a small staff team (sources cite approximately 6–9 paid personnel) supported by four trustees and a wider volunteer base drawn from the Howick Community Church congregation and the East Auckland community. Beneficiary services are provided free of charge; there is no fee-for-service pricing model. Referrals into programmes come via schools, police, and Oranga Tamariki (the Ministry for Children), making government and institutional referral channels the primary demand-side pipeline.

Revenue is generated through a mix of government service contracts (Oranga Tamariki as the core partner), grants from community and lottery funders (Dragon Community Trust, Auckland Lottery, Foundation North, Howick Local Board, COGS), donations, payroll giving through Howick Community Church staff, and modest trading income from Two Coats Clothing Co-op. The trust does not operate as a commercial enterprise and is not a target for conventional venture or growth equity investment; its strategic context is that of a stable, regionally embedded community services provider sustained by diversified grant funding and volunteer capacity.

Name

The Sowers Trust

Legal name

The Sowers Trust

Website

https://sowers.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Sowers Trust is a Howick-based New Zealand community services trust, established in 1988, delivering youth development and wrap-around family support to at-risk children and families in East Auckland, funded primarily by Oranga Tamariki contracts and community grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Youth and Family Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK), Mental Health Counseling & Therapy Services (K–12) (EDAJALAG)

Keywords

• Youth development services
• Family support programmes
• Community social services
• Youth mentoring programmes
• Nonprofit social work

Headquarters

HQ city

Howick, 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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations accepted via website with options for one-time, weekly, monthly, or yearly giving at preset amounts ($10, $25, $50, $100, $200) or custom amounts. Donations are tax-deductible.
2. Government Funding: Partly funded by Oranga Tamariki to provide support to young people and whanau/families.
3. Payroll Giving: $15 per week payroll giving program with tax rebate benefit (effectively $10 per week after tax rebate). Allows donors to make regular contributions through employer payroll systems.
4. Adopt a Family Programme: $1000 enables 3 months of service to a family or young person. Supporters receive regular updates and tax rebates.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Sowers Trust provides prevention and early-to-mid intervention programmes for young people and wrap-around support for families in the Howick Ward area of East Auckland. Core services include youth development programmes (boxing/fitness, mentoring, life skills, self-esteem, residential Discovery Camps), family support (Triple P parenting, social work, grief education for those bereaved by suicide) and community assistance such as a monthly free clothing exchange.

Product overview

The Sowers Trust is a community-based social services organization offering a portfolio of interconnected prevention and early-to-mid intervention programmes for young people and families in East Auckland. The core offering consists of youth development programmes (SowNGrow boxing/fitness, Emotions, Eight Habits, Self Esteem, Discovery Camps, and Mentoring and Youth Work), family support services (Triple P Parenting, Family Work, Waves grief programme), and community assistance (Two Coats Clothing Co-op). These programmes work holistically to achieve the organization's mission of equipping and empowering young people and families to feel safe, develop resiliency, and make positive choices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sow n Grow: A programme teaching basic fundamentals of boxing and fitness, creating a fun environment that teaches valuable life lessons such as discipline, commitment, confidence and self-care.
• Emotions Programme
• Eight Habits
• Self Esteem Programme
• Waves
• Triple P Parenting
• Two Coats Clothing Co-op

Products and services

• Sow n Grow

Quantifiable outcome

• Young people develop greater sense of belonging, feel safe, develop resiliency, and make positive choices
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Howick Community ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSowers Trust was established as the community services arm of Howick Community Church in 1988. Ongoing relationship as parent organisation and venue provider. Located at same premises.
• Police (Youth Aid and Family Violence Teams)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey referral partner for youth support services. Police youth aid and family violence teams refer clients to Sowers programmes.
• Local SchoolsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner sending students to Sowers programmes for youth development support.
• Women's RefugeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner for family support services, particularly in domestic violence situations.
• Whirinaki (Child Mental Health)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMental health referral partner for child and youth mental health services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Auckland City Mission: Major Auckland community social services organization providing wraparound support for families facing hardship and homelessness. Comparable as an Auckland-based community services provider delivering family wraparound support and case management, though broader in scope.
• Lifewise: Auckland-based community services organization providing social support, family services, and disability support. Comparable as a faith-rooted Auckland community services provider delivering wraparound support for vulnerable families.

Direct peers

• Youthline: New Zealand youth helpline and support service providing counseling, mentoring, and youth development. Directly comparable as a youth-focused organization providing early intervention support to young people in need.
• Open Home Foundation: New Zealand child and family social services provider working with at-risk children, young people, and families across the North Island. Comparable as a community-based social services organization serving similar youth/family client segments via social workers.
• Youthtown: National New Zealand youth development organization running programmes in life skills, mentoring, and youth leadership. Directly comparable in mission to develop belonging, resilience, and positive choices in young people through structured programmes.
• Stand Children's Services: Specialist New Zealand organisation supporting children and young people who have experienced abuse, neglect, or family harm. Comparable as a child welfare-focused NGO delivering therapeutic and family support programmes with similar government referral relationships.
• Presbyterian Support Northern (Family Works): Provides family social services across the upper North Island including parenting programmes, social work, and youth support. Directly comparable in delivering Triple P-aligned parenting programmes and wraparound family social work in Auckland.
• Barnardos New Zealand: Major New Zealand children's services NGO providing youth mentoring, family support, and child welfare programmes nationally. Directly comparable as a faith-rooted, community-based child and family support provider serving similar client populations.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Zealand: Youth mentoring organization operating across New Zealand matching at-risk young people with adult mentors. Directly comparable as a mentoring-focused youth development organization using similar 1:1 relational intervention models.

Broad incumbents

• Salvation Army New Zealand: Large New Zealand faith-based social services organization delivering family support, addiction services, and community programmes nationally. Comparable as a faith-affiliated provider of community social services, though far larger and broader in scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sowerstrusthowick
• Instagraminstagram.com/sowers_trust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-sowers-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 The Sowers Trust