About Us

Rātā Foundation is the South Island's most significant community investment fund.

Over the last 37 years, Rātā has provided nearly $600 million in social impact to community organisations across its funding regions of Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, and the Chatham Islands.

It manages a $700 million pūtea, generating $26 million per annum to invest in its funding regions.

Rātā roots originate in the formation of the Canterbury Savings Bank in 1962. It was ultimately sold in 1996, and the proceeds were invested by what is now the Rata Foundation. This means Rata is proudly community-owned and operated. 

Community Well-Being and Investment

The long-term strategic objective of Rātā is to invest in communities to enable a higher standard of community well-being. 

Through our funding, we aim to create an equitable and sustainable society by removing barriers to access, improving outcomes for communities in need, making evidence-based decisions, supporting community organisations to strengthen their capacity, and building high-trust partnerships with stakeholders, including Māori.

Our strategic partnerships focus on areas that significantly impact equity and sustainability. Based on research into what makes the biggest difference in our community, Rātā has set four strategic funding priorities: Housing, Health, Education, and Environment. Data shows that this is where we, as a large community investor, can impact those needing the most support.

Visit here to learn more about our Purpose, Approach, and Impact.  Go here for more. information on our Community Investment programme.

Investment Portfolio

We intend to grow our investment portfolio to increase our long-term funding distribution.

Through our strategic investment approach, we aim to create an equitable and sustainable society by promoting sustainability through ethical investment, operating with an intergenerational mindset, and using a balanced mix of asset classes to ensure stable growth with robust risk management that grows our investment returns without compromising people and the planet. 

For more information on Rātā Foundation’s investment strategy, including its target for the risk-adjusted returns on its direct investment and sectors favoured for direct investment, see the Rātā Invest website.