What Staples Education Foundation does

Staples Education Foundation (SEF) is a New Zealand charitable foundation established in February 2015 in Auckland by Haydn Staples, co-founder of Urban Partners and Cressida Capital, with an initial NZ$1 million endowment. The foundation operates three tertiary scholarship programmes: the Dilworth Tertiary Scholarship for academically talented male graduates of Dilworth School (founded 1906), the McAuley Tertiary Scholarship launched in 2023 for Year 13 female students from McAuley High School, and the Haydn Staples & Auckland Philharmonia Piano Scholarship Programme, run jointly with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and the University of Auckland School of Music since 2018.

Each programme delivers a structured multi-year support package rather than financial aid alone: scholars receive a first-year buddy, a three-year mentor, tailored development programming, an annual work-experience placement sourced from a network of approximately 70 Auckland employers, and direct financial support for university fees, accommodation, and study costs. Piano scholars additionally receive NZ$2,000 per year, six supplementary lessons, masterclasses with international artists, and concerto performance opportunities with the Auckland Philharmonia. SEF targets a minimum of eight new tertiary scholars annually alongside up to three piano scholars.

The foundation is funded through corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and the original Staples endowment, with no participation fee charged to students. Governance sits with an unpaid Board of Trustees; day-to-day operations are led by General Manager Karen Bennett supported by a small specialist team of approximately 15 covering coaching, clinical psychology, events, and partnerships. Operations are concentrated in Auckland with no disclosed activity beyond New Zealand.

Name

Staples Education Foundation

Legal name

Staples Education Foundation

Website

https://stapleseducationfoundation.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Staples Education Foundation is a New Zealand charitable foundation established in 2015 that runs three tertiary scholarship programmes — Dilworth, McAuley, and the Auckland Philharmonia Piano Scholarship — providing mentored, work-experience-supported tertiary education pathways for academically talented students in Auckland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tertiary Education Scholarships

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Tertiary scholarship programmes
• Education foundation grants
• Student mentorship services
• Piano music scholarships
• Youth education philanthropy

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships and Donations: The foundation operates as a non-profit receiving financial support from corporate sponsors and individual donors. The $1 million fund was established in 2015 by Haydn Staples. Sponsors provide both financial support and work experience opportunities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Staples Education Foundation is a non-profit charitable trust that provides tertiary education scholarships and holistic wraparound support to academically talented students from Dilworth School and McAuley High School, and to emerging pianists through a partnership with Auckland Philharmonia and the University of Auckland School of Music. Each scholar receives financial support for university fees and living costs, a first-year buddy, a three-year mentor, tailored programming, and an annual work-experience placement.

Product overview

Staples Education Foundation operates as a not-for-profit tertiary scholarship programme established in 2015 with three main scholarship products: the Dilworth Tertiary Scholarship Programme supporting academically talented students from Dilworth School, the McAuley Tertiary Scholarship Programme (launched 2023) supporting young women from McAuley High School, and the Haydn Staples & Auckland Philharmonia Piano Scholarship Programme providing comprehensive training for emerging pianists. Each scholarship provides holistic support including financial assistance, mentorship (3 years), buddy systems (1st year), tailored programmes aligned to student needs, and annual work experience placements. The foundation aims to recruit at least eight deserving students each year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Haydn Staples & Auckland Philharmonia Piano Scholarship Programme: Comprehensive training programme for emerging pianists run in partnership with the University of Auckland's School of Music
• McAuley High School Tertiary Scholarship Programme
• Dilworth School Scholarship Programme

Products and services

• Dilworth Tertiary Scholarship Programme Scholarship programme supporting academically talented male students from Dilworth School through tertiary education, providing financial support for university fees, accommodation and study costs, a first-year buddy, a three-year mentor, a tailored development programme, and an annual work-experience placement.
• McAuley Tertiary Scholarship Programme Scholarship programme supporting Year 13 female students from McAuley High School as they transition into university studies, offering financial support, mentor matching, a first-year buddy, ongoing training, and annual work-experience placements.
• Haydn Staples & Auckland Philharmonia Piano Scholarship Programme Comprehensive piano training programme for emerging pianists run in partnership with Auckland Philharmonia and the University of Auckland School of Music. Up to three scholars per year receive a $2,000 annual scholarship, six extra piano lessons, masterclass opportunities, ensemble performances, solo recitals, and concerto appearances with the Auckland Philharmonia.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 piano scholars supported since 2018
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Auckland Philharmonia OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018The Haydn Staples & Auckland Philharmonia Piano Scholarship Programme is administered by Auckland Philharmonia. The programme provides performance opportunities including concerto performances with the orchestra, masterclasses with international artists, and access to all piano concerto concerts.
• University of Auckland School of MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018The piano scholarship programme is run in partnership with the University of Auckland School of Music. Associate Professor Rae de Lisle and Senior Lecturer Stephen de Pledge serve as programme mentors. The partnership provides academic structure alongside performance opportunities.
• Dilworth SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDilworth School, founded in 1906, has educated generations of boys whose circumstances meant they needed a helping hand. SEF was established specifically to support Dilworth graduates as they transition from the school's supportive environment into tertiary education and employment.
• McAuley High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcAuley High School partnership began in 2023, with inaugural scholarships awarded to students commencing university study in 2024. The scholarship supports Year 13 students from McAuley pursuing higher education at Auckland universities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Graeme Dingle Foundation: Large NZ youth-development charity running school-based programmes that build self-efficacy and pathways; comparable as a national education-equity nonprofit with mentor-driven programming.
• The Smith Family: Large Australia-wide children's education charity providing long-term learning and financial support to disadvantaged students; a scaled, trans-Tasman analogue of SEF's wraparound scholar support model.

Direct peers

• Dilworth School: Auckland boarding school (founded 1906) for boys of limited means that is SEF's original and largest partner school; the foundation exists specifically to bridge Dilworth graduates into tertiary education and employment.
• First Foundation: New Zealand charity that provides tertiary education scholarships and wraparound support to young people from lower-decile and minority backgrounds — the closest direct analogue to SEF's Dilworth and McAuley programmes.
• The Todd Foundation: New Zealand family philanthropic foundation funding education and community outcomes; comparable as an NZ grantmaking body funding education pathways for young people.
• Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra: Core partner running the Haydn Staples Piano Scholarship Programme with SEF; comparable as a music-education ecosystem player in the same Auckland market and on the same scholar journey.
• The Lion Foundation: One of New Zealand's largest grantmaking trusts, funding community, education, and youth programmes nationally — comparable as a major NZ grantmaking foundation supporting education outcomes.

Others

• University of Auckland School of Music: Academic partner delivering the Piano Scholarship Programme structure; not a peer in the foundation sense but the institutional counterpart that legitimises the music-scholar pathway.
• Cure Kids: Major NZ charitable foundation with similar scale and corporate-sponsor model in Auckland, useful as a fundraising-operations comparable for an NZ charitable trust of SEF's size.

Emerging players

• Teach For New Zealand: Nonprofit placing graduates into low-decile schools as teachers, addressing education inequity through people development — adjacent mission and similarly NZ-based youth-education nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/staples-education-foundation

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 →

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