Te Tihi o Ruahine

What Te Tihi o Ruahine does

Te Tihi o Ruahine Whānau Ora Alliance Charitable Trust, founded in 2013, is a collective of nine Hapū, Iwi and Māori voluntary organisations and service providers headquartered in Palmerston North, Mid-Central New Zealand. The organisation delivers a portfolio of Whānau Ora programmes — including Te Ohu Whakaaraara navigation (26 FTE Kaiwhakaaraara across seven providers in Palmerston North, Feilding, Dannevirke and Levin), Te Ara Māhorahora driver licensing, Te Pae Oranga justice alternatives, Ngā Tini Whetū CYFS support, Te Whare Pūkai food security, and the Tū Ara Ake / Awapuni housing developments — built on the Te Ara Whānau Ora engagement framework. The primary beneficiaries are Māori whānau and families across the Mid-Central region, with secondary service reach into Tararua, Horowhenua/Otaki and Te Papaioea.

Underpinning service delivery is a digital and data layer: TAWO 2.0 (Te Ara Whānau Ora 2.0) is a customisable platform with two modules in development — Te Mauri Moemoeā, a gamified aspiration tool grounded in the pūrākau of Tāne, and Nā Te Wānanga, a workforce professional development digitisation tool. The Te Matarau ICT strategy coordinates systems integration, while Te Manawhakahaere Raraunga, Te Hiiringa Mahara, and the Wellbeing Framework constitute a data sovereignty stack designed to preserve Māori data rights. Workforce development is codified through Pikihia Te Poutama and a 10-day Te Ara Whānau Ora training package delivered to external kaimahi.

The business model is government-funded via Whānau Ora commissioning from Te Puni Kōkiri, supplemented by programme-specific funding such as Te Ara Mauwhare for housing. All whānau-facing services are provided at no cost. Revenue concentration sits with central and local government partners (Te Puni Kōkiri, Kāinga Ora, PNCC), with minor commercial diversification through training delivery and innovation co-design work for entities such as Mana Whaikaha and Te Aka Whaiora. The organisation also coordinates the Ora Konnect and Kāinga Whānau Ora collective impact alliances, which are funded through shared cross-sector resourcing rather than direct service fees.

Name

Te Tihi o Ruahine

Legal name

Te Tihi o Ruahine Whānau Ora Alliance Charitable Trust

Website

https://tetihi.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Te Tihi o Ruahine is a Māori Whānau Ora Alliance Charitable Trust in Mid-Central New Zealand that delivers culturally grounded navigation, housing, driver licensing, justice, and food security services to whānau through nine hapū, iwi and Māori organisations. Government-funded via Te Puni Kōkiri.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stakeholder Engagement, Indigenous/Tribal Consultation & Social Impact (SIA) (EUAHAAAH), Indigenous & Community Cultural Institutions (THAJADAK)

Keywords

• Whānau ora services
• Community navigation
• Social services
• Driver licensing support
• Food security programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Palmerston North

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding / Whānau Ora Commissioning: Te Tihi o Ruahine is funded through government commissioning arrangements, specifically Whānau Ora policy funding distributed through Te Puni Kōkiri. Services are delivered through an alliance of nine hapū, iwi and Māori organisations.
2. Te Ara Mauwhare Initiative: Housing development initiative supported by Te Puni Kōkiri to support whānau transitioning from tenants to homeowners. Built 5 homes in 2020-21 (Tū Ara Ake) and planning additional 5 homes in Awapuni (2023).

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Te Tihi o Ruahine is a Whānau Ora Alliance Charitable Trust that delivers culturally grounded social services to Māori families (whānau) across the Mid-Central region of New Zealand. Its core offering centres on Te Ohu Whakaaraara, a navigation service using the Te Ara Whānau Ora engagement process, complemented by housing developments, driver licensing support, food security, justice alternatives, and digital/data sovereignty programmes, all funded by government and provided free to whānau.

Product overview

Te Tihi o Ruahine is a Whānau Ora Alliance—a collective of nine Hapū, Iwi and Māori organisations in the Mid-Central region of New Zealand. The organisation offers a portfolio of service programmes built around the Te Ara Whānau Ora engagement framework, alongside digital platforms and workforce development initiatives. The core service Te Ohu Whakaaraara delivers whānau-centred navigation across seven partner providers, while Kainga Whānau Ora and He Piringa Whare apply Collective Impact approaches. TAWO 2.0 is the digital platform layer, encompassing Te Mauri Moemoeā (gamified aspiration tool) and Nā Te Wānanga (workforce development digitisation). Supporting services include driver licensing (Te Ara Māhorahora), justice alternatives (Te Pae Oranga), food security (Te Whare Pūkai), and CYFS support (Ngā Tini Whetū). The organisation also delivers training programmes (Te Ara Whānau Ora Training, Whānau Ora Training, Equity Training, Collective Impact Training) and operates data sovereignty initiatives (Te Manawhakahaere Raraunga, Te Hiiringa Mahara, Wellbeing Framework). Pikihia Te Poutama provides the overarching workforce advancement framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Te Ohu Whakaaraara: A kaupapa Māori service that inspires whānau to achieve their dreams and aspirations through a transformative process starting with dreaming. Kaiwhakaaraara guide and support whānau through Te Ara Whānau Ora pathway.
• Te Ara Māhorahora
• Te Pae Oranga
• Te Whare Pūkai
• Kainga Whānau Ora
• Ora Konnect
• Ngā Tini Whetū
• He Tāhuhu Kōrero
• Te Ara Whānau Ora 2.0 (TAWO 2.0)

Products and services

• Te Ohu Whakaaraara

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 whānau achieved homeownership in 2020-21 through Tū Ara Ake development
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rangitāne o ManawatūcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTangata Whenua partners in the Ora Konnect alliance alongside local NGOs, government agencies, and Māori organisations working in the 4412 postcode area.
• Palmerston North City Council (PNCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner in Ora Konnect collective impact. PNCC partnered with Ora Konnect to upgrade road and shopping centre safety and beautify the Highbury environment as part of the Whānau Led revitalisation project.
• Mana WhaikahaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTe Au Pae Tawhiti project completed for Mana Whaikaha explored Māori-centred approaches using whānau voice and data for the ongoing development of disability services.
• Te Aka Whaiora (formerly Maori Health Authority)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTe Au Pae Tawhiti project completed for Te Aka Whaiora exploring the development of an Accountabilities and Performance framework grounded in mātauranga Māori for health sector transformation.
• Palmerston North City CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing Insecurity project completed for PNCC that saw a shift in focus from homelessness to secure housing within Palmerston North City.
• Kainga OraminorOthersGovernment housing provider whose tenants were supported by Te Tihi to achieve homeownership through the Tū Ara Ake development. Whānau previously resided within Kainga Ora homes.
• Te Wakahuia Manawatū TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of seven service providers under Te Ohu Whakaaraara, delivering Whānau Ora services in the health, social, environmental and economic settings.
• Ngā Kaitiaki of Ngāti KauwhatacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of seven service providers under Te Ohu Whakaaraara, delivering Whānau Ora services in the Mid-Central region.
• Te Kete HauoracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of seven service providers under Te Ohu Whakaaraara, delivering Whānau Ora services in the health, social, environmental and economic settings.
• He Puna HauoracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of seven service providers under Te Ohu Whakaaraara, delivering Whānau Ora services in the Mid-Central region.
• BestCare Whakapai HauoracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of seven service providers under Te Ohu Whakaaraara, delivering Whānau Ora services in the Mid-Central region.
• Muaūpoko Tribal AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of seven service providers under Te Ohu Whakaaraara, delivering Whānau Ora services in the Mid-Central region.
• Raukawa Māori WardenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of seven service providers under Te Ohu Whakaaraara, delivering Whānau Ora services in the Mid-Central region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Te Whānau o Waipareira Trust: Auckland-based Whānau Ora provider delivering whānau-centred social, health, education and housing services. Directly comparable as a large Māori trust operating a similar whānau-led, navigator-driven model with government commissioning and a broad service portfolio.
• Ngāti Porou Oranga: Tairāwhiti-based Māori health and social services provider operating Whānau Ora services through Te Ara Whānau Ora-aligned methodology. Comparable as a hapū/iwi-led provider with similar whānau navigation, health, and social service programmes, though geographically distinct.

Regional players

• Tūhoe Te Uru Taumatua: Tūhoe's post-Treaty settlement social investment arm delivering whānau ora, education, health and cultural programmes in Te Urewera. Comparable mission and structure (iwi-led whānau support), operating in a different region from Te Tihi.
• Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui-a-Kiwa: Tūranga iwi post-settlement entity delivering whānau ora, education and cultural programmes on the East Coast. Comparable as an iwi-led Whānau Ora provider with similar services (navigators, housing, driver licensing) but operating in a different region.

Broad incumbents

• Waikato-Tainui (Te Kauhanganui): Waikato-Tainui's social development arm delivers Whānau Ora services, education grants, health programmes and housing support to its registered members. Comparable as a large iwi social services provider, but with significantly greater scale and resources than Te Tihi.
• Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children): New Zealand government ministry responsible for child welfare and youth justice, working alongside iwi and Māori partners. Comparable as a system that Te Tihi's Ngā Tini Whetū programme directly engages with; broader incumbent in the same outcomes space.
• Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu: The largest iwi in the South Island, operating a social services arm (Whānau Ora, health, housing, education) across the Ngāi Tahu takiwā. Comparable as a much larger, broader Māori organisation delivering whānau outcomes, but with deeper resources and a wider geographic footprint than Te Tihi.

Emerging players

• Te Pou (whānau ora information network): Māori information and resource network supporting whānau ora providers. Comparable as an enabler in the same Whānau Ora ecosystem, though focused on information dissemination rather than direct service delivery like Te Tihi.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tetihi
• Instagraminstagram.com/tetihi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@tetihi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/te-tihi-o-ruahine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Te Tihi o Ruahine