About Spark Foundation
Givealittle
Spark Foundation is the proud owner of Givealittle, New Zealand’s most popular crowdfunding website. Givealittle connects those in need with those who want to help and in the last 10 years has facilitated over $100 million in donations for New Zealand. Givealittle is for:
- Charities, clubs, schools and not-for profits
- People with great ideas that make a difference
- Fundraisers on a mission to help their favourite cause or charity
- Donors who value a neutral platform to support a variety of causes
Spark Jump
Spark Jump is a not-for-profit and community driven programme which enables more children to go online outside of classroom hours and get on the right side of the digital divide.
Spark Jump provides an easy, plug-in-and-go broadband solution for parents with a free modem preloaded with 30GB and top ups at only $10 for 30GB of data. This prepaid and contract-free service uses Skinny wireless 4G broadband.
Spark Jump currently has 149 sign-up points around New Zealand managed by 4 key community partners. To date, it is estimated that over 5,000 children (from 1900 families) now have access to the internet at home thanks to Spark Jump.
Partnerships
Spark Foundation have a catalytic and strategic philanthropic approach and invest in multi-year partnerships with organisations striving to achieve meaningful social impact and systems change in New Zealand.
Spark Foundation's current partnerships are with organisations that focus on building the skills and capabilities young people will need for their digital futures.
These include:
Spark Volunteer
Everyone who works at Spark New Zealand receives a paid volunteer day to go out and do good in the community. Spark employees are encouraged to use their skills to volunteer with charitable organisations in the most impactful way possible. Spark Foundation has parterned with the platforms HelpTank and Voluntari.ly to help Spark employees to do this.
Spark Give
Spark Give is a payroll giving programme which enables Spark people to donate to any New Zealand school and registered charity directly from their pay. Spark Foundation matches on the first $500 of giving each year through this programme.
Since Spark Give launched in 2011, donations from Spark people and Spark Foundation’s matching has seen over $6 million go to 1,032 New Zealand schools and charities.
Spark Foundation Ambassadors
The Foundation has a network of Spark people who are so passionate about the Spark Foundation, they are official ambassadors. Spark Foundation Ambassadors are in Spark offices around New Zealand and help with local generosity campaigns and assist with spreading the messages to other Spark people.
Spark People
Spark people play an extremely important role and through the Spark Foundation, they can support the charities they choose to support via programmes such as payroll giving, volunteering and Givealittle. The Foundation encourages all Spark people to get involved and have fun doing good!
The Spark Foundation Board
Nick Leggett
Nick Leggett has been the Mayor of Porirua City since 2010. He is New Zealand’s youngest Mayor, representing New Zealand’s youngest community with 25% of Porirua’s residents being under the age of 15. Nick is passionate about interacting and engaging with his community and New Zealand in new and innovative ways and he says he is thrilled to be working with the foundation. “The Spark Foundation has fantastic programmes for all Kiwis and I am excited to share the messages of payroll giving, volunteering, Givealittle, Manaiakalani and more to our people,” says Nick.
Andrew Pirie
Andrew joined Spark New Zealand in October 2012. He is responsible for Spark New Zealand's external communications, engagement with key stakeholders including government (central and local) and community groups, and internal employee communications. Andrew is one of New Zealand's most experienced communications professionals with an extensive international background. He returned to New Zealand in 2008 after more than a decade overseas as Asia Pacific head for Weber Shandwick, one of the world’s biggest PR consulting firms. In recent years Andrew has acted as an advisor for significant New Zealand companies including Fonterra and Auckland Airport. His industry experience spans a wide range of sectors including financial services, aerospace, technology, property, healthcare, energy and tourism.
Stacey Morrison
The newest addition to the Spark Foundation Board, Stacey is a well-recognised New Zealand media personality with a career spanning 25 years. Stacey is motivated to inspire others, especially in the Māori community, through the platform that her career in radio and broadcasting has provided. She is an advocate for education and has extensive involvement in the charitable sector.
Caleb Watson
Caleb is the Spark Foundation’s People’s Champion – the voice of all Spark people on the Foundation’s board. He is passionate about giving back to the community and excited to engage Spark people in Spark Volunteer and Spark Give. As a long-time Ambassador of the Spark Foundation, Caleb is excited to get behind the Foundation at the Board level.
Casey Eden
Casey is the co-founder and Managing Director of Neighbourly and previously one of the foundation team behind GrabOne. Casey brings considerable experience and insights into the online and start-up world, which will add value as Givealittle continues to grow and evolve. Also as a former national softball representative Casey is passionate about encouraging all New Zealanders to tackle life head on. Now, with his involvement with Neighbourly, he’s enjoying seeing the changes that take place in Kiwi communities throughout the country as neighbours connect.
Matt Crockett
Matt Crockett is Chief Executive of Fletcher Building’s Heavy Building Products Division. Prior to this, he successfully led Spark New Zealand’s cost and business improvement programme, and worked as the Chief Development Officer and MD Digital Ventures at APN News and Media (now NZME). Matt’s has extensive governance experience as the Director of multiple technology and media businesses including Orion Health, Southern Cross Cable Networks, and multiple digital media and eCommerce businesses including GrabOne. His understanding of the digital media space enables him to provide valuable assistance with the Foundations online projects, in particular with helping create a successful path forward for Givealittle.