What Spectrum Foundation does

Spectrum Foundation is a New Zealand-based, disabled-informed philanthropic foundation operating as the grant-making arm of Spectrum Group, a charitable group with a more than 30-year history that also includes disability support provider Spectrum Care and community housing provider Homes of Choice. Headquartered in Auckland, the foundation distributes grants to disability support organizations across four priority verticals: education, health and wellbeing, employment, and housing. Funding decisions are guided by a Philanthropy Moderation Panel composed entirely of people with lived experience of disability, with Te Tiriti o Waitangi serving as a guiding framework.

The foundation operates three distinct funding programs through a dedicated online grant portal: Small Grants (up to $10,000) for community-based local initiatives, Large Grants ($10,001-$50,000) for higher-impact work, and invitation-only Closed Funding distributed in April for larger-scale or new-organization initiatives. Since its first distribution in 2023, the foundation has invested over $3.2 million across 66 projects and initiatives. The November 2025 open round attracted over 160 applications requesting more than $4.6 million against $330,000 awarded, indicating demand materially outstrips current capacity.

The foundation's revenue is sourced from donations processed through PCI-DSS-compliant third-party providers under Privacy Act 2020 compliance, and it states an ambition to provide up to $1 million annually through open funding rounds. The organization has 51-100 employees, including a three-person dedicated funding team (Director of Philanthropy and Impact, Funding and Impact Specialist, Funding Administrator) embedded within a broader Spectrum Group executive team spanning operations, finance, people and culture, Māori cultural advisory (Pou Tikanga), technology, housing, and communications functions.

Name

Spectrum Foundation

Legal name

Spectrum Foundation

Website

https://spectrumfoundation.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Spectrum Foundation is a New Zealand disabled-informed philanthropic foundation that provides grant funding to disability support organizations across education, health, employment, and housing, operating as part of Spectrum Group and governed by a lived-experience panel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Disability grant funding
• Philanthropic foundation
• Nonprofit grantmaking
• Disability support services
• Community grant 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, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Spectrum Foundation receives donations from individuals and organizations who wish to support disability-led initiatives. Donations can be made via direct debit to the foundation's bank account.
2. Grant Distribution: The foundation distributes funds to disability support organizations through open and closed funding rounds. The foundation has distributed over $3.2 million across 66 projects and initiatives since its first distribution in 2023.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Spectrum Foundation is a disabled-informed philanthropic foundation that distributes grant funding (Small Grants up to $10,000, Large Grants $10,001–$50,000, and invitation-only Closed Funding) to disability support organisations across New Zealand's North Island, prioritising education, health and wellbeing, employment, and housing initiatives for disabled people and their whānau. Applications are submitted through a dedicated GrantPlatform portal, with funding decisions guided by a Philanthropy Moderation Panel composed entirely of people with lived experience of disability.

Product overview

Spectrum Foundation is a disabled-informed philanthropic funder that provides a structured grant funding program rather than a traditional product. The organization operates three funding tiers: Small Grants (up to $10,000) for community-based local initiatives, Large Grants ($10,001-$50,000) for projects with wider impact, and Closed Funding (invitation-only) for large-scale or new organization support. Funding is administered through an online grant portal. The Foundation also provides disability support and housing services through its Spectrum Group affiliates—Spectrum Care (disability support) and Homes of Choice (community housing). Funding priorities focus on education, health and wellbeing, employment, and housing for disabled people and their whānau in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Grants Program
• Large Grants Program
• Closed Funding Program Invitation-only funding tier for projects tackling large-scale disability issues or helping new organisations get started, focused on long-term change; funds distributed in April.
• Grant Application Portal Online grant management platform used to submit and manage Spectrum Foundation funding applications, accessible at spectrumfoundation.grantplatform.com.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $3.2 million invested across 66 projects and initiatives since 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 core.

• Spectrum CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpectrum Care is a disability support provider within Spectrum Group. Together with Spectrum Foundation and Homes of Choice, it forms a charitable group with more than 30 years of history. Spectrum Foundation offers disability support services alongside funding through this partnership, enabling comprehensive support for disabled people and their whānau.
• Homes of ChoicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHomes of Choice is a community housing provider within Spectrum Group. Spectrum Foundation supports accessible housing primarily through this entity, which provides tailored, safe, accessible, and affordable living options for disabled people. Spectrum Foundation funds organizations addressing housing barriers while housing provision is handled through this related entity.
• Spectrum GroupcoreOthersSpectrum Group is a charitable group of entities including Spectrum Foundation (philanthropy), Spectrum Care (disability support), and Homes of Choice (community housing). With more than 30 years of history, the group provides comprehensive support across disability services, housing, and funding for disabled people and their whānau.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• JR McKenzie Trust: NZ charitable trust supporting community-led social change initiatives including disability, Māori, and Pasifika outcomes. Highly comparable in mission focus on equity, Te Tiriti alignment, and support for community organisations.
• The Tindall Foundation: New Zealand family foundation supporting community organisations via a partner-funder distribution model. Comparable in grantmaking structure, NZ focus, and reliance on long-term philanthropic capital to support community-led initiatives.
• Foundation North: Largest community foundation in New Zealand, distributing grants across multiple social sectors in Tāmaki Makaurau and Northland. Directly comparable as a NZ grantmaking foundation operating structured funding rounds with a similar scale profile.
• The Todd Corporation / Todd Foundation: NZ family-owned foundation supporting community and environmental initiatives through structured grant rounds. Comparable in operating model, NZ-focused grantmaking, and use of dedicated funding rounds with application portals.
• Trust Waikato: Regional NZ community trust distributing grants across Waikato. Comparable as a NZ community grantmaking organisation with defined funding rounds and focus on local community impact, including disability and social services.
• Lion Foundation: One of New Zealand's largest charitable gaming-based funders, distributing grants nationwide to community organisations. Comparable in scale, structured grant rounds, and focus on community outcomes across health, education, and social services.
• Acorn Foundation: Bay of Plenty-based community foundation operating structured grant rounds. Comparable as a NZ regional community foundation with similar grantmaking workflow and donor-advised fund structure.

Broad incumbents

• Community Foundations of New Zealand: Umbrella body supporting a network of regional community foundations across NZ. Comparable as a sector-level grantmaking infrastructure organisation that competes for similar community-foundation donor capital.
• Whaikaha | Ministry of Disabled People: NZ government ministry responsible for disability policy and system transformation, including commissioning of disability support services. Comparable as the dominant funder in the NZ disability sector that Spectrum Foundation's grantees also interact with.

Emerging players

• IHC New Zealand: One of NZ's largest disability support NGOs, providing direct services and advocating for disabled people. Comparable as a NZ disability-sector organisation that both receives funding and shapes the funding landscape Spectrum Foundation operates in.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spectrum-foundation-nz

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Spectrum Foundation