A clean load of washing and a conversation. A paid placement that gives a teenager a first look at working in a hospital. A native forest that will take decades to grow.

These things don’t appear to have much in common, but they do say something about what it can take to make a difference - sometimes the need is immediate, and sometimes meaningful change can take years.

That balance between now and the future is at the heart of the Simplicity Foundation's October giving round. At $1,647,700 across 18 organisations, it's the largest round of grants so far. The funding spans our Foundation’s focus areas: Thriving Communities, Thriving Rangatahi and Thriving Environment.

Help that matters right now

For someone without a reliable place to wash their clothes, doing laundry isn't a small task. Orange Sky Aotearoa provides free laundry and shower services, alongside the chance to stop for a conversation without judgement. The Foundation is contributing another $50,000 to support services in Auckland, Tauranga and Dunedin, as well as a planned new service in Rotorua.

They're also contributing $100,000 to KiwiHarvest, which rescues surplus food and redistributes it to communities where it's needed. And a $35,000 grant to Debtfix will support the development of specialist training for people helping others through financial hardship.

Together, these grants total $185,000, helping meet immediate needs while strengthening the services people can turn to during difficult times.

An opportunity can change what's next

For a young person trying to decide what comes after school, practical experience can make a difference. In total, $752,700 of this round supports programmes focused on rangatahi young people.

In South Auckland, Middlemore Foundation's Pacific Health Cadetship offers Year 13 students paid placements in hospitals and community health services. It means students can get a clearer picture of a possible health career without giving up the opportunity to earn money over summer.

For some rangatahi, the next step is further education. First Foundation and Staples Education Foundation provide scholarships and mentoring to help students make the transition from school to university and succeed in their studies. In Hawke's Bay, Lift Youth Foundation helps rangatahi move into employment or study, offering driver licence training, job-readiness support and ongoing coaching after they start work. In Taupō, Taupō Pathways connects workshops and qualifications with real work experience and local employers.

Others need more tailored support. Acorn Neurodiversity is piloting coaching to help neurodivergent rangatahi develop practical skills for study and work, while Te Kāhu Tiu provides intensive, wraparound support for young men involved in the youth justice system and their whānau.

Some projects focus on building skills and opening up opportunities. FutureFX is developing a region-wide approach to financial education in Marlborough, while Youth Employability Aotearoa is creating a tool to help young people understand how their existing skills could lead to different careers.

And at Te Whāngai Trust, rangatahi gain qualifications and hands-on work experience through native plant nurseries and restoration projects (including providing plants to another recipient, Trees that Count). It's also a great example of how our giving priorities can overlap, supporting both rangatahi and the environment.

Growing something for the future

Environmental work often moves to a different timetable. A tree may be planted in an afternoon, but restoring a healthy forest takes sustained effort over decades.

This round includes $70,000 to Trees That Count for 10,000 native trees in the 2027 planting season. It's part of our ongoing commitment to plant a native tree for every new Simplicity member. To date, that commitment has supported planting projects around Aotearoa.

We're also providing $140,000 to Predator Free NZ, supporting community trapping groups and regional hui where people can learn more about effective predator control. Last year, the organisation funded 28 community groups through its programme, with demand from many more.

The largest individual grant in this round is $500,000 to True Nature, an initiative owned by Trees That Count. It is working towards establishing 1,000 hectares of permanent native forest in Tairāwhiti and Taranaki over the coming years, and exploring whether voluntary carbon credits can help fund restoration at a larger scale in the longer term

Together, the environmental grants total $710,000.

Understanding the impact over time

Some of these grants continue work we've supported for years. Others help organisations try new approaches or build on early results. We don't expect them all to show progress in the same way or at the same speed.

A laundry service can count the loads washed this week. A youth employment programme needs to understand whether young people are still working or studying months, even years later. A forest restoration project needs to track what has been planted, and what survives and grows over time.

We're proud this is the Foundation's largest round of giving yet, but the amount donated is only the starting point. The more important story is what those 18 organisations are doing, day after day, in their own communities.






From day one, 15% of KiwiSaver and Investment Fund management fees have been directed to the Simplicity Foundation to support charities across Aotearoa New Zealand. The Foundation is run by the Foundation manager and a board of Trustees. For more information about the Simplicity Foundation please visit: simplicity.kiwi/about-us/our-foundation