About
He waka mō te iwi Māori.
Tōku Waka is a Māori-led platform for practical information, thoughtful analysis and kaupapa that strengthen Māori participation, capability and self-determination.
What we do now
We research open funding across Aotearoa, verify each listing against the funder's official source, and make the information simple to act on.
Our standard
Primary sources first. Clear dates. Direct links. No copied directories or stale listings. Applicants should always recheck the official funder page before applying.
Who it serves
Whānau, hapū, iwi, marae, Māori organisations, businesses, creatives and community leaders looking for resources to move their kaupapa forward.
Funding is the first voyage.
Tōku Waka is being built to grow carefully into mātauranga, submissions, policy and legal analysis, and other useful resources for Māori. For now, the focus is one trusted service done well.
Kōrero mai: kiaora@tōkuwaka.com
The directory
How listings get here.
Every listing is read from the funder's own page before it goes up. Nothing is taken from another directory. Each record captures who can apply, any whakapapa or residency requirement, the amount available and the closing date. These are recorded as the funder states them, not tidied into something neater than the truth.
Each card shows the date it was last confirmed against the source. Where a card shows no date, the listing is awaiting its first re-check since publication. Judge freshness for yourself rather than taking our word for it.
Anything with a closing date comes off automatically once that date passes.
What's in it
Funding and scholarships from government agencies, territorial and regional councils, iwi and hapū entities, universities, wānanga, community trusts, philanthropic funders and government procurement channels. Grants, scholarships, tenders, commissioning routes and co-investment partnerships are all listed. A marae committee, a tauira and an iwi organisation are looking for very different things.
What it isn't
- It isn't complete. New funds open constantly. Iwi entities administer hundreds of grants between them. Anything missing is a gap, not a judgement.
- It doesn't administer, assess or award any funding. Tōku Waka has no relationship with the funders listed and no say in any decision.
- It isn't advice. Whether a fund suits your situation is your call. The funder's criteria are the only ones that count.
- It doesn't charge and there's no login.
Found something wrong?
Details change. Rounds close early. Funders redesign their sites. If a listing is out of date or a link is broken, please say so. Missing funds are just as welcome, especially iwi and hapū grants that aren't well publicised.
About Bevan O'Connor
He tangata, he rōia.
Bevan is an indigenous lawyer with whakapapa to Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa and Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara, and a member of Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa.
Why Tōku Waka
Tōku Waka brings together Bevan's commitment to tino rangatiratanga with a practical belief: useful, trustworthy information should be easier for Māori communities to find and act on.
Experience
His work spans legal practice, policy, governance, parliamentary and community support, Māori economic and regional investment analysis, and community engagement.
The funding service is the first public expression of a wider platform that will grow carefully over time.