Hospital foundations are charitable organisations established to raise supplementary funding for public hospitals and health services — funding equipment, research, patient support, and facility improvements that go beyond what Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) funding covers. Understanding how hospital foundations work — for healthcare workers seeking equipment, researchers seeking funding, and community members who want to give — is valuable for navigating New Zealand's health philanthropy ecosystem.
Hospital foundations typically fund:
Medical equipment
- Specialist diagnostic and treatment equipment beyond standard DHB/Te Whatu Ora supply
- Equipment upgrades that improve patient outcomes
- Technology that enables procedures otherwise unavailable in the region
Patient support services
- Patient accommodation (for families travelling to major centres for specialist care)
- Patient transport
- Comfort and wellbeing programmes
- Pastoral and chaplaincy support
Clinical research
- Research that has clinical application in the hospital's services
- Support for clinician researchers
- Research infrastructure (equipment, databases, coordinator positions)
Facility improvements
- Garden and healing environment projects
- Waiting area and family spaces
- Non-clinical facility improvements that improve patient experience
Staff development
- Scholarships for clinical education and training
- Fellowship programmes
- Conference attendance and professional development
Starship Foundation (Auckland)
The Starship Foundation supports New Zealand's national children's hospital — raising millions annually for equipment, research, and patient programmes. It is one of New Zealand's highest-profile health foundations, with broad public fundraising including the Starship Telethon. Grants are awarded to Starship clinical teams for equipment, research, and patient support.
Auckland Foundation / Auckland Hospital Foundation
Raises funds for adult services at Auckland City Hospital and associated services — equipment, research, and staff development.
Canterbury District Health Board Charitable Trust
Supports Christchurch Hospital and Canterbury health services — particularly significant following the 2011 earthquake recovery period.
Wellington Hospital Foundation
Raises funds for Wellington Regional Hospital and associated services.
Waikato Hospital Foundation
Supports Waikato Hospital as the main regional hospital for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.
Regional and smaller hospital foundations
Most major regional hospitals have associated charitable foundations or trusts — Northland, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Nelson Marlborough, Southland, and others. These typically have smaller fundraising bases but serve important regional health philanthropic roles.
Hospital foundations use diverse fundraising approaches:
Individual giving and bequests: many New Zealanders give to hospital foundations — particularly foundations associated with hospitals that have provided significant care to them or their families. Bequests (charitable gifts through estates) are an important funding source.
Community fundraising events: charity dinners, golf tournaments, fun runs, and community events raise significant funds for hospital foundations.
Corporate partnerships: relationships with local businesses who sponsor programmes, donate equipment, or organise staff fundraising.
Major gifts: significant donations from high-net-worth individuals — often motivated by personal connection to the hospital or medical cause.
Telethons and media campaigns: several major foundations (Starship in particular) run national media campaigns that raise large sums.
If you are a clinician, researcher, or health service seeking support from a hospital foundation:
Understand the foundation's priorities: each foundation has specific focus areas — research, equipment, patient support. Review their previous grants and published priorities before applying.
Internal relationship first: hospital foundation grants often flow through internal processes — clinical heads, research offices, and hospital management. Establish internal support before approaching the foundation directly.
Equipment specificity: equipment grant applications need detailed specifications — make, model, cost, clinical indication, and expected patient impact. Quotes from suppliers are typically required.
Research eligibility: research grants usually require ethics approval or confirmation of application, institutional endorsement, and a clear clinical application for the research.
Patient numbers and impact: articulate how many patients will benefit and what the specific clinical benefit is. Foundations are investing community generosity — they need to be able to communicate impact to their donors.
For donors:
- Direct donation through the foundation's website
- Regular giving programmes
- Fundraising in the foundation's name (birthday fundraisers, event proceeds)
- Bequests and estate gifts — foundations welcome conversations with estate advisors
- Employer matching programmes — many employers match employee charitable giving
Gifts to registered New Zealand hospital foundations are eligible for tax credits — 33.33% of the donation up to the donor's income.
A potential concern with hospital foundation philanthropy is equity: wealthier regions with stronger fundraising capacity can access more supplementary equipment and services than under-resourced regions. Starship, Auckland Hospital, and other major metropolitan foundations raise far more than smaller regional foundations.
Some hospital foundations actively address this through:
- Regional sharing of equipment funded philanthropically
- Supporting services for disadvantaged patient populations
- Patient hardship funds that address financial barriers to healthcare access
Thoughtful hospital foundation grantmaking considers who benefits — not just what equipment is acquired.
Tahua's grants management platform supports hospital foundations managing grants programmes — with clinical equipment request management, research grant workflows, patient support fund administration, and the reporting tools that help health foundations demonstrate impact to donors and the communities they serve.