10 years of the Charities Register

Published 9 February 2017

Today marks 10 years since the first charity was registered in New Zealand.

The first charity to register under the Charities Act was Te Aute Kokiri Foundation, which supported emerging Māori leaders from Te Aute College.

This was followed soon after by CommSafe (previously known as Te Awamutu Safer Community Charitable Trust), who are still operating today – making them the longest registered charity to date.

Since the first charity applications were received 10 years ago, the Charities Register has seen the growth of over 27,000 registered charities in New Zealand.

Every donation and every helping hand to make these charities possible have helped to support the lives of New Zealanders and the strengthening of their communities.

We congratulate the efforts from those working in the charities sector for their hard work and helping to make New Zealand better for New Zealanders. 

Here’s to another 10 years!