The Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust

What The Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust does

The Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust is a New Zealand charitable trust founded in March 2004 by Dame Hinewehi Mohi, her husband George Bradfield, and music industry executive Campbell Smith. It delivers clinical music therapy services to children and adults facing intellectual, physical, social, mental health, and neurological challenges across the Upper North Island, operating three regional centres in Auckland (Grafton, headquarters), Hawke's Bay (Hastings), and Northland (Whangārei), with satellite services in the Far North, Waiheke Island, and Kaipara. As of March 2024 the Trust served approximately 1,000 clients, with 800+ people accessing services weekly and outreach programmes delivered through 70+ partner schools, hospitals, prisons, and aged care facilities including Starship Children's Hospital, the Selwyn Foundation, Corrections ISU facilities, and the Ministry of Education's Awhi Mai Awhi Atu counselling programme. It is registered as a Tier 3 charity (CC24774) under the Incorporated Societies Act.

The Trust's core service is Registered Music Therapist-led individual and group sessions using a 500+ instrument library that spans orchestral instruments to taonga puoro (traditional Māori instruments). Sessions are goal-oriented and strengths-based, addressing cognitive, communication, emotional, and motor outcomes, with progress tracked via electronic documentation and weekly video recording. Supporting offerings include Zoom-based telehealth sessions, the RaukatauriTunes online content platform (daily interactive videos via a private Facebook group), clinical placements for Master's students from Victoria University of Wellington, University of Auckland, and AUT, client concerts, and Community Music Facilitator groups for waitlisted clients. The Trust is positioned as Aotearoa's original and largest dedicated music therapy charity, with all therapists Master's-qualified and registered with the Music Therapy New Zealand Registration Board, and services grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi with mātauranga Māori and tikanga integration.

The Trust receives no direct government funding and operates a hybrid revenue model: subsidised client contributions ($80/week children, $110/week adults, against a $155+ per-session cost), grants from foundations and trusts (Foundation North, IHC Foundation, Lottery Grants Board, NZ Ministry of Culture and Heritage CARE Fund), corporate and individual donations, and event-based fundraising (Ladies Lunch, Cook Off, Ride for Raukatauri, the Guinness World Record Haka event that raised NZ$270,000+ in September 2024). Annual fundraising need is approximately NZ$2.2 million. Governance rests with a volunteer Board of ten Trustees chaired by Sean Coleman, with Amanda Piper-Randell as CEO and Rachel Foxell as Clinical Services Manager.

Name

The Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust

Legal name

The Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust

Website

https://rmtc.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust is a New Zealand charitable trust founded in 2004 that delivers Registered Music Therapist-led clinical music therapy to children and adults with disabilities and mental health needs across three regional centres (Auckland, Hawke's Bay, Northland) and 70+ outreach partner organisations, serving approximately 1,000 clients annually with no direct government funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Therapy Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Therapy (Educational/Developmental Programs) (EDAMANAK)

Keywords

• Music therapy services
• Clinical therapy programmes
• Charitable healthcare services
• Community outreach therapy
• Special needs therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Grafton, Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue source. Raukatauri receives no direct government funding. Annual fundraising target of $2.2 million to keep centres and outreach programmes running. Includes Keep the Beat Going campaign targeting $250k by March 2026.
2. Client Session Contributions: Subsidised session fees: $80/week for children, $110/week for adults. Cost to Trust is over $155 per session. Financial support available for those unable to meet suggested contribution.
3. Grant Funding: Funding from charitable foundations and trusts including Foundation North, IHC Foundation, Lottery Grants Board, and corporate funders. Bay of Plenty centre funded by Ministry of Culture and Heritage CARE Fund ($450,000 over 3 years).
4. Government Funding Streams: MSD and MOH/Whatu Ora funding streams applicable to session costs including Carer Support and Individualised Funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clinical music therapy services delivered by Registered Music Therapists using a 500+ instrument library, addressing cognitive, emotional, communication, and motor goals for clients of all ages with disabilities, mental health needs, and complex conditions. Services are delivered through individual and group sessions at three regional centres, outreach programmes at 70+ partner sites (schools, hospitals, prisons, aged care), telehealth, and the RaukatauriTunes online platform. The trust operates as a New Zealand-registered charitable trust with no direct government funding.

Product overview

The Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust operates as a charitable organization offering music therapy services as a unified clinical practice, not as a software platform. The core service is music therapy delivered through individual and group sessions by Registered Music Therapists at dedicated centers and via outreach programs. Supporting offerings include telehealth sessions, online content platform (RaukatauriTunes), clinical student placements, client concerts, and community support groups. Services are delivered across multiple regional centers in Auckland, Hawke's Bay, and Northland, with outreach extending to schools, hospitals, prisons, and aged care facilities throughout the Upper North Island.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Music Therapy Sessions (Individual and Group) Goal-oriented, strengths-based individual and group music therapy sessions led by Registered Music Therapists, using a 500+ instrument library to address cognitive, emotional, communication, and motor goals for clients of all ages with disabilities, mental health needs, dementia, Parkinson's, and stroke recovery. Subsidised suggested contributions are NZ$80/week for children and NZ$110/week for adults against a true cost of NZ$155+ per session.
• Outreach Programmes Music therapy services delivered at 70+ partner sites including Starship Children's Hospital (cardiac, long-term medical and neuro wards since March 2019), MOE's Awhi Mai Awhi Atu Counselling in Schools, Hawke's Bay and Auckland Corrections facilities, and The Selwyn Foundation aged care villages. Sessions are delivered on-site in classrooms, hospital rooms, group homes and rehabilitation units.
• Online Music Therapy Sessions (Telehealth) Individual and group music therapy sessions delivered via Zoom video conferencing, enabling continued access for clients during lockdowns and those with transportation or geographic barriers.
• RaukatauriTunes Platform Private Facebook group offering interactive music-making videos daily, including live sessions, themed content, and special guest appearances, supporting clients and families between formal therapy sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ people access services weekly
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust (KEECT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2022Partnership to create Master of Music Therapy Award supporting full-time study for wāhine Māori/Pasifika, including placement with Raukatauri.
• University of AucklandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Clinical training site for Speech Language Therapy Master's students working on collaborative music therapy and speech language integration projects.
• Victoria University of Wellington / NZ School of MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Only NZ facility offering Master of Music Therapy degree. Raukatauri provides clinical placements for students.
• The Selwyn FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership with The Selwyn Foundation to expand music therapy services for dementia patients at Selwyn Village facilities including Anchorage, Lavender Cottage, and Ivan Ward care centre. Funded by Charles Rupert Stead Charitable Trust.
• Corrections ISU (Hawke's Bay & Auckland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2019Music therapy outreach programme at Hawke's Bay Regional Prison and Auckland Corrections facilities supporting rehabilitation.
• Starship Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2019Music therapy programme at Starship Children's Hospital in its third year, providing services in cardiac, long-term medical, and neuro wards with benefits for anxiety relief and pain management.
• MOE's Awhi Mai Awhi Atu Counselling in SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Ministry of Education for counselling in schools programme supported by music therapy services.
• Music Therapy New Zealand Registration BoardcoreOthersAll Raukatauri music therapists are registered with Music Therapy NZ Registration Board, ensuring professional standards and credentials.
• 70+ Schools and OrganisationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational outreach partnerships including mainstream schools, special schools, early childhood centres, and disability organisations delivering music therapy services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• IHC New Zealand: Major NZ disability support charity providing services to people with intellectual disabilities — an overlapping client population with Raukatauri's children/adults with special needs segments. Comparable NZ disability-services scale and donor ecosystem.
• Cerebral Palsy Society of New Zealand: NZ charity supporting people with cerebral palsy — directly relevant given Raukatauri's founding story (Hineraukatauri has severe cerebral palsy). Overlapping beneficiary population and potential referral network partner.
• Alzheimers New Zealand: NZ national dementia support organisation representing people with dementia and their whānau. Overlap with Raukatauri's aged care/dementia segment (Selwyn Foundation work) and shared donor ecosystem.
• Autism New Zealand: NZ autism advocacy and support charity serving autistic people and their whānau. Overlap with Raukatauri's primary children-with-special-needs segment (autism spectrum disorder explicitly named).
• Life Unlimited: NZ disability support and advocacy organisation serving people with disabilities across the country. Overlapping beneficiary population and regional service delivery model comparable to Raukatauri's outreach programmes.

Others

• Starship Foundation: Fundraising arm of Starship Children's Hospital where Raukatauri has run a paediatric music therapy programme since 2019. Direct partner rather than competitor; comparable NZ paediatric-health fundraising and donor ecosystem.
• Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand: NZ charity working to reduce stigma and improve mental health across the country. Comparable mental-health-adjacent mission and NZ funding ecosystem, though broader in scope than music therapy.

Direct peers

• Music & Memory: US nonprofit that brings personalised music programming to people with dementia and cognitive challenges in care settings. Comparable mission and aged-care/dementia segment overlap with Raukatauri's Selwyn Foundation partnership work.
• Nordoff Robbins: UK- and Australia-based charitable music therapy provider delivering clinical music therapy services to people with disabilities and illnesses; uses trained therapists and instrument-based engagement. Closest direct peer globally given the matched clinical music therapy charity model.

Emerging players

• Arts Access Aotearoa: NZ umbrella body championing access to the arts for people with disabilities, including the Holdsworth Creative Space Award (won by Raukatauri in 2019). Comparable arts-access-for-disability mission in the same NZ context.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@raukataurimusictherapycentre
• Facebookfacebook.com/raukataurimusictherapycentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/raukataurimusictherapycentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/raukatauri-music-therapy-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust