Purposes beneficial to the community

Updated June 2026

This page explains the "purposes beneficial to the community".  It outlines what qualifies and provides examples of wording used by charitable organisations.

What your purpose must include

To be registered as a charity under this category, your organisation’s purpose must:

  • be similar to the spirit and intent of the purposes listed in the Preamble to the Statute of Elizabeth, or with purposes that the courts have recognised as charitable.
  • provide a clear benefit to the community.

Not all activities that benefit the community are considered charitable. The benefit must be one that the law recognises as charitable.

The Statute of Elizabeth

The Statute of Elizabeth (Charitable Uses Act 1601) was introduced in England to help prevent the misuse of charitable funds.

The preamble to the statute lists examples of purposes that were considered charitable at the time. These include:

  • relief of aged, impotent, and poor people

  • maintenance of sick and maimed soldiers and mariners

  • schools of learning

  • free schools and scholars in universities

  • repair of bridges, ports, havens, causeways, churches, sea banks, and highways

  • education and preferment of orphans

  • relief, stock or maintenance of houses of correction

  • marriage of poor maids

  • supportation, aid and help of young tradesmen, handicraftsmen, and persons decayed

  • relief or redemption of prisoners or captives

  • aid or ease of any poor inhabitants concerning payment of fifteens, setting out of soldiers and other taxes.

How charitable purposes have developed

Over time, the courts have recognised new purposes as charitable. This reflects changes in society, and in social and economic needs. 

When deciding whether a new purpose is charitable, the courts consider:

  • Whether the purpose is similar to one already recognised as charitable.
  • Whether the purpose provides a public benefit.

Examples of beneficial purposes

The following examples show how organisations describe purposes that benefit the community in a way recognised as charitable:

  • Establishing  athelitic and recreational facilities for people with disabilities.
  • Providing counselling and support services to help people with disabilities live independently.
  • Honouring servicemen and women by maintaining traditions, such as an annual veterans’ event.
  • Promoting amateur radio, including providing shared clubrooms.
  • Publishing reports of judicial proceedings.
  • Preserving places of historic interest or natural beauty.
  • Providing essential infrastructure, such as a water supply or a community hall.
  • Delivering recreational facilities for the community.
  • Supporting physical and mental wellbeing, for example through activities for people recovering from illness.
  • Providing education, language support and employment services for immigrants and refugees.
  • Operating crisis lines for children and young people.
  • Running clubs that offer safe, supervised educational, cultural and recreational activities.
  • Maintaining memorial spaces for public benefit.
  • Restoring and preserving historic sites for education and commemoration.
  • Providing respite and support services for caregivers and older people.
  • Delivering environmental projects to:
    • protect flora and fauna
    • restore rivers
    • improve urban environments
    • Promoting waste reduction, reuse and recycling, and educating the community about sustainable practices.

More information

The book Charity Law in New Zealand by Dr Donald Poirier provides detailed information about each charitable purpose, including references to relevant case law.