Te Waka Whaiora Trust

What Te Waka Whaiora Trust does

Te Waka Whaiora Trust is a Kaupapa Māori non-governmental organization (NGO) established in 2003 and headquartered in Porirua, Wellington, New Zealand. It delivers a defined suite of mental health, addiction, housing, crisis respite, and prisoner reintegration services to Māori and Pacific communities in the Wellington region. As of the most recent available information, the trust operates 10 distinct service programs and employs 24 staff under the Te Ara Tika delivery model, which is grounded in the Te Whare Tapa Whā framework — a holistic Māori health model encompassing taha tinana (physical), taha hinengaro (mental/emotional), taha whānau (family/social), and taha wairua (spiritual) dimensions.

The trust is structured as a non-profit charitable trust and is funded primarily by Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand), the central government health authority. Services are delivered free at point of use, with no consumer pricing model. Key operating partners identified include the Department of Corrections — which the trust engages with through its "Out of Gate" prisoner reintegration program — and Te Menenga Pai Charitable Trust, indicating a governance or co-delivery alignment. The trust is culturally distinct from generic health service providers: its kaupapa Māori design, iwi and hapū engagement, and marae-based service ethos differentiate it from mainstream New Zealand health NGOs and inform its positioning within the public commissioning system.

Operational scale is modest: 24 employees supporting 10 programs across mental health, addiction, crisis respite, housing, and offender reintegration. Revenue is not separately disclosed, but the workforce size and program count place the trust in the small-to-mid-sized community healthcare provider category. Service delivery is localized to the Porirua catchment, with no disclosed signals of multi-region expansion or technology-platform scaling. The underlying "technology" is the cultural framework and delivery model rather than a software platform; there is no indication of a digital product surface, proprietary software, or data-asset monetization.

Name

Te Waka Whaiora Trust

Legal name

Te Waka Whaiora Trust

Website

https://tww.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Te Waka Whaiora Trust is a Kaupapa Māori non-governmental organization providing mental health, addiction, crisis respite, housing, and prisoner reintegration services to Māori and Pacific communities in Porirua, Wellington, funded primarily by Te Whatu Ora.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Kaupapa Māori Mental Health and Addiction Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (62142), Home Health Care Services (62161), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Tribal/Indigenous Public Health Authorities (HLAJAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Home Health Aide (HHA) Services (Medically Directed) (HSABACAB)

Keywords

• Kaupapa Māori mental health
• Addiction counselling services
• Community housing support
• Prisoner reintegration programmes
• Crisis respite services

Headquarters

HQ city

Porirua

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Healthcare Funding: Te Waka Whaiora Trust operates as a non-governmental organization (NGO) providing contracted health and social services. The organization receives government funding through Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) and potentially the Ministry of Health for delivering mental health and addiction services, crisis respite, housing support, and prisoner reintegration services. Services are provided free at point of delivery to eligible individuals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Te Waka Whaiora Trust is a Kaupapa Māori non-governmental organisation that delivers a continuum of mental health, addiction, housing, crisis respite, and prisoner reintegration services through ten named service programmes (including Tui Hauora, Nga Kete Aronui, Kereru Hauora, Te Uenuku, Te Whare Tautoko, Nga Kaihoe Whakatere, Te Whare Matatini Hauora, Whare Haumaru, Whakamahea to Wairua – Matahauariki Whare, and Te Menenga Pai Nga Whare Hauora). Services are provided primarily to tangata motuhake and their whānau in the Porirua/Wellington region, free at the point of delivery, and funded through government contracts with Te Whatu Ora and the Department of Corrections.

Product overview

Te Waka Whaiora Trust operates as a unified service delivery model called Te Ara Tika, offering ten distinct Kaupapa Māori health and social services. The organization provides a continuum of care including primary mental health services (Nga Kete Aronui, Tui Hauora), addiction support (Kereru Hauora), prisoner reintegration (Te Uenuku), home-based support (Te Whare Tautoko), navigation services (Nga Kaihoe Whakatere), crisis respite (Te Whare Matatini Hauora), tenancy sustaining (Whare Haumaru), forensic transitional care (Whakamahea to Wairua – Matahauariki Whare), and housing with recovery support (Te Menenga Pai Nga Whare Hauora). Services are designed for Tangata motuhake (individuals with lived experience) and their whānau (families), delivered in a manner reflecting Māori aims and aspirations while implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tui Hauora Primary mental health and addiction access and choice service aimed to significantly increase access for tangata motuhake and whānau with mild to moderate mental health needs. Provides walk-along support and assists navigation into NGO services, general health services, social services, and tenancy services.
• Nga Kete Aronui Kaupapa Māori primary mental health service for tangata motuhake and whānau who are unable to self-manage but do not meet secondary Mental Health & Addiction criteria. Available to all ages and stages of life, providing a continuum of wellbeing support, treatment, therapy, and early detection and intervention.
• Kereru Hauora Enhanced primary and community alcohol and other drug (AOD) counselling and support service targeted to Māori and Pacific peoples. Supports early intervention for rangatahi and adult tangata motuhake presenting with harmful or hazardous substance use.
• Te Uenuku Out of Gate service supporting offenders to successfully reintegrate back into the community and lead crime-free lives. Assists short-serving prisoners in the transition between prison and community, and includes a remand reintegration programme delivered within prison sites.
• Te Whare Tautoko Home-based support service providing Kaupapa Māori community-based clinical and support care including meal planning, shopping, cleaning, medication management, personal care, education, support and advocacy to prevent more restrictive levels of care.
• Nga Kaihoe Whakatere Kaupapa Māori package of care navigation service providing wrap-around care reflecting a holistic approach. Uses community-based support to prevent the need for more restrictive or acute levels of care, tailored to meet the specific needs of tangata motuhake in collaboration with their whānau and Te Whatu Ora.
• Te Whare Matatini Hauora Adult crisis respite service providing a range of crisis respite options as an alternative to acute inpatient settings. Located at Titahi Bay, Porirua, offering a four-bed home-like, informal environment in a suburban setting.
• Whare Haumaru Sustaining tenancies service assisting vulnerable tenants whose tenancy may be at risk, whether in private rental or subsidised housing. Provides flexible housing response and may include other whānau members or support persons.
• Whakamahea to Wairua – Matahauariki Whare Kaupapa Māori forensic community residential intensive service providing forensic transitional care for tangata motuhake — Māori experiencing mental health challenges — as they begin integration back into community, culture and whānau. Specialist supported accommodation for those who no longer require secure forensic inpatient services.
• Te Menenga Pai Nga Whare Hauora Adult mental health services providing community-based housing and recovery-focused support for tangata motuhake who experience mental health disorders with higher acuity levels requiring 24-hour support from trained support workers and access to clinical staff.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 and minor.

• Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTe Whatu Ora is the primary government health authority funding and referring clients to Te Waka Whaiora Trust services. The Mental Health & Addiction Clinical Teams (NASC) provide referrals for multiple services including Te Whare Tautoko, Nga Kaihoe Whakatere, Te Whare Matatini Hauora, and Whakamahea to Wairua. Te Whatu Ora organizes referrals and clinical oversight for these Kaupapa Māori community services.
• Department of Corrections - Out of Gate ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Department of Corrections Out of Gate program provides referrals to Te Uenuku service, which assists short-serving prisoners in making successful transition between prison and community. This partnership supports offenders in leading crime-free lives upon reintegration.
• Te Menenga Pai, Nga Whare Hauora TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated Māori health trust providing adult mental health housing and recovery services. Maire Ransfield serves as Chair of both boards. Keelan Ransfield is a board member of Te Menenga Pai Trust, creating governance alignment between the organizations.
• General Practices and PHOsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGeneral Practitioners, medical centers, and Primary Health Organizations (PHOs) refer patients to Tui Hauora service. Kaitautoko staff work with these healthcare providers to introduce tangata motuhake and whānau into NGO and general health services.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Tu Wahine Trust: Wellington-based kaupapa Māori women's health and wellbeing trust providing mental health, addiction, and whānau ora services. Directly comparable in indigenous service paradigm, regional focus, and primary mental health delivery.
• Te Menenga Pai Charitable Trust: Related Māori health trust providing adult mental health housing and recovery services in Wellington, with shared governance (Maire Ransfield chairs both boards). Offers near-identical 24/7 community-based housing and recovery support, making it the closest operational peer.
• Mana o te Tangata Trust: Māori health and social services NGO delivering peer-support and addiction services across the central North Island. Comparable in Kaupapa Māori approach, peer-support delivery model, and Corrections/prison-based programming overlap.
• Te Paepae Arahi Trust: Kaupapa Māori mental health and addiction services provider based in Lower Hutt, offering primary, community, and residential services to Māori communities. Directly comparable to Te Waka Whaiora in mission, service mix, and Kaupapa Māori framework, and operating in the same Wellington region.

Broad incumbents

• Pathways Health: Large national NGO providing community mental health, supported accommodation, and rehabilitation across New Zealand. Comparable in supported housing and community clinical delivery but operates a Western clinical model rather than Kaupapa Māori.
• Lifewise: Auckland-based community NGO providing mental health, housing, and social services including supported accommodation and home-based support. Comparable in tenancy support, home-based clinical support, and mental health service lines, but operates at greater scale across urban Auckland.
• Te Pou: National workforce development centre for New Zealand's mental health, addiction, and disability sectors. Comparable as a Māori mental health ecosystem participant but focused on workforce, training, and resources rather than direct service delivery.
• Te Rau Ora: National Māori health workforce development organisation providing leadership, training, and clinical workforce support. Comparable in serving the Māori health sector ecosystem, though not a direct service delivery competitor.
• Emerge Aotearoa: One of New Zealand's largest mental health and community support NGOs, operating across multiple regions with housing, rehabilitation, and forensic transition services. Comparable to Te Waka Whaiora's Whare Haumaru and Whakamahea to Wairua offerings but at materially larger national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/te-waka-whaiora-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Te Waka Whaiora Trust