This year marks a special milestone in the family and Foundation’s history as we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of The Tindall Foundation.
Twenty years ago Stephen and Margaret Tindall set up the Tindall Foundation
to share their wealth with New Zealand with the aim of helping to build a stronger country, both socially and environmentally, for generations of Kiwis to come.
What started out as a small organisation with one staff member in a tiny office in Takapuna and a steady flow of small funding requests, has grown into a thriving philanthropic family foundation with a team of seven staff and a board of five Trustees.
It is hard to believe that 20 years has passed by so quickly. We are proud to say that in that time we have supported over 5000 organisations across the country with over $135 million in donations, capacity building, social loans and other strategic support.
Our founders, Stephen and Margaret Tindall, are dedicated to the work of the Foundation. The next generation of the family is becoming increasingly involved in the Foundation’s work, too.
Recognising the incredible contributions of five organisations
Over two decades, the Foundation had supported more than 5,000 initiatives, incredible people all working incredibly hard. To celebrate, five organisations supported by the Tindall Foundation were honoured at Government House for their incredible contributions and tireless work to make New Zealand a better place for all:
- PACE NZ Trust: Supporting the development of New Zealand’s youngest children, laying foundations for long-term wellbeing. The one could be included in the year it was established
- New Zealand Housing Foundation: Enabling hundreds of families to access affordable housing, improving health, education, and community engagement.
- Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust: Inspiring behavioural change through deeper understanding of our marine environment.
- Project Lyttelton: Fostering vibrant, sustainable community living — a mission made even more vital post-earthquake.
- Acorn Foundation & Community Foundations of NZ: Championing the power of endowment funds to create lasting community impact.
“When we established The Tindall Foundation in 1995, we hoped that we could use our money to help make a difference for New Zealand and New Zealanders, if only in a small way. We knew our money would be a drop in the ocean compared to the need in our country. None of this would have been possible without the tireless work of all the individuals and organisations that devote their time to building stronger, healthier and more resilient communities. They are the real heroes in our story.” – Stephen & Margaret Tindall
WATCH NOW CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF GIVING:
Anniversary Video
A Q&A with Stephen and Margaret
Reflections from the past 20 years
When you first established The Tindall Foundation in 1995 did you imagine it would be the organisation it is today?
When we established the foundation we had no idea what to expect. We knew we would have substantial funds to give away but we did not anticipate the form that that would take. We did have one thing in mind, however, and that was we were keen to give a hand up not a handout. We have learned over the years what works and doesn’t and have, therefore, evolved into something quite different from what we started with.
Do you think you have achieved what you initially set out to do with the Foundation?
We are pleased with what we have achieved to date, and believe we are making quite a difference particularly in the areas of youth employment through Grow Our Own Workforce and Youth Connections; even though these are early days. We are also proud of our work in helping to establish The New Zealand Housing Foundation, Community Foundations throughout the country, and many environmental initiatives with our partners, WWF.
What do you feel most proud of?
We feel proud of the fact that we have been able to enlist the help of literally thousands of volunteers around New Zealand through, not only our Funding Managers, but also in major projects like Project Crimson’s Living Legends, and through the likes of budgeting services, parenting programmes and migrant and refugee organisations, to name just a few. The people at these community organisations give generously and freely of their time and help leverage our funds enormously.
What are your hopes for the foundation’s future?
Our hopes for the future are to continue to listen and learn and make contributions that make the biggest impact on helping New Zealand become stronger.
