Get Involved

Our Scholarship Partners are the cornerstone of the programme.

The Scholarship Partner partners with a Scholar, by providing financial assistance towards their tertiary fees, and also by providing them with part-time work for the four year duration of the scholarship. If you wish to find out more information about becoming a scholarship partner please contact:  Amanda Gilchrist / amanda.gilchrist@firstfoundation.org.nz or mobile 027 550 7777

A special thank you to our 2019 Scholarship Partners

Being a Mentor is an opportunity to have a huge impact in a young person's life and to contribute in a positive way to developing their full potential; but it is equally about how that special relationship can reward and enrich the life of the Mentor.

Mentoring Process (94 KB)

Why become a Mentor?

Research shows that mentors benefit from

• a sense of achievement
• a better understanding of young adults
• more effective communication skills
• improved knowledge and skills
• greater self-confidence & enhanced self-image
• public recognition & creation of networks with other mentors and stakeholders
• a culturally and socially enriched life through developing a caring and positive relationship

Who can become a Mentor?

We are looking for volunteers from all walks of life;

• that believe in the First Foundation vision
• that are highly motivated to contribute to the development of a young person
• that have the time and capacity to commit to a young person
• who are tertiary qualified (preferably)
• that live in Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch, Dunedin, Whangarei and Palmeston North
• that are patient, empathetic and have good listening skills
• that are culturally aware, non-judgmental and willing to work with young people from different Applethnic/cultural backgrounds from their own.

We ask all potential mentors to complete a police vetting form, and as it is most helpful for students to have mentors with a reasonable amount of life experience, mentors are generally at least 25 years old.

First Foundation simply could not exist without the generosity and support of funders. If you are interested in looking at ways you could support the work of First Foundation whether through private funding, donations or other funding mechanisms then please contact admin@firstfoundation.org.nz.

Each year we have a small percentage of students that are offered scholarships through private donors/funders or other means. These students may not have work experience as part of their scholarship, so if you are able to offer a student 4-5 weeks per year paid work experience, then we would love to hear from you. Most of our students work at the end of the year or over the summer period, however this is flexible depending on the student and their study timetable.

If you wish to find out more information about offering a student paid work experience then please contact our office – admin@firstfoundation.org.nz or 09 522 4140

First Foundation are privileged to partner with the following organisations as we work in alignment to a mutually beneficial way for the promotion of their respective visions and for each organisation to, non-financially, support the strategic aims of the other. A number of First Foundation alumni have also been involved or supported the organisations below.

TupuToa - https://www.tuputoa.org.nz/
Teach First NZ - https://teachfirstnz.org/

As a not for profit organisation we are always seeking opportunities for support. It maybe that you cannot commit the time to being involved as a scholarship partner, mentor or funder but you would be happy to make a one off donation or commit to a regular donation. We are focusing on investing in the future of First Foundation for the next twenty years and welcome any kind of support. If you wish to talk further to someone about this or find out more information please email admin@firstfoundation.org.nz. Thank you.