In the community and around the country
We are proudly committed to helping young New Zealanders reach their true potential. Through the Heartland Trust*, we support a number of organisations, clubs and schools around New Zealand dedicated to helping young Kiwi in the areas of education and learning, mental health and wellbeing, arts and culture, and sport and physical wellbeing.
* The Heartland Trust is a registered charitable trust which is independent from, but closely supported by, Heartland Bank.
Who we sponsor & support
We support a range of regional and national organisations and community groups and initiatives, including the ones below.
CITY MISSION
Supporting those doing it tough in Tāmaki Makaurau
People often come to the Auckland City Mission – Te Tāpui Atawhai because they need a safe place to call home, enough nutritious food to eat or support with their physical or mental health. Heartland is proud to continue its long-term commitment to support the Auckland City Mission in the establishment of its Mission HomeGround, helping Kiwis living in greatest need.
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LEARNING CENTRE
Literacy support for our tamariki
Boost is a child literacy programme designed to support and improve the literacy success rates for children aged 7-9 across 20 schools in the Mid-Canterbury region. Heartland has a rich history in the Ashburton community, so we are proud to support the educational outcomes of tamariki in this region.
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SPORTS
Helping young Kiwis get active
Getting out and being active is an important part of wellbeing as it helps foster friendships, connection to the community and the importance of teamwork. That’s why Heartland sponsors a wide range of college and club sports teams around the country, helping to get dozens of young Kiwis up and active.
WELLINGTON
Access to the arts
Experience Wellington is a charity based in New Zealand’s capital with six visitor sites, offering access for everyone to a wide range of free, uplifting and stimulating world class art, cultural and science experiences. Heartland is proud to get behind the kaupapa of Experience Wellington to ensure our nation’s cultural assets and history remain accessible to all.
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MUSIC FESTIVAL
Putting local stars on stage
Heartland has proudly sponsored the local Ashburton Heartland Bank Schools’ Music Festival for well over a decade. Supporting this well-loved community event helps inspire the younger generation, giving them an opportunity to perform and shine on stage.
FOUNDATION
Enhancing educational outcomes for Māori and Pasifika
Heartland has proudly partnered with the InZone Education Foundation since 2017. InZone aims to enhance the educational outcomes of Māori and Pasifika youth by running boarding hostels located in high-performing state school zones in Auckland. Heartland also partners closely with InZone to welcome a number of students to our annual Manawa Ako internship programme.
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SCHOLARSHIP
Providing opportunities for future leaders
For several years, Heartland has provided scholarship donations to enable students to attend King’s College in Auckland, one of New Zealand’s top independent schools. The scholarship is awarded to one student every five years to assist with boarding costs for each year of the student’s attendance.
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Investing in and learning from rangatahi
Manawa Ako is Heartland’s summer internship programme specifically for Māori and Pasifika rangatahi (youth). Manawa Ako provides opportunities for participants to learn, lead and succeed in a corporate environment, and gain a greater understanding of working in the financial sector - with some interns becoming permanent employees at Heartland after completing their internship. Heartland also gains from the cultural perspectives the interns bring to the workplace through their close connection to their identity. Ka ako-tahi tātou – we all learn together.
KIRWAN FOUNDATION
Mental health education in schools
Mitey is an evidenced-based school-wide approach to teaching mental health education to NZ students in years 1-8. Mitey’s aim is to change the lives of young New Zealanders by teaching them how to understand and manage their mental health. Heartland is proud to support the delivery of this initiative, which currently has a presence in 148 schools across Auckland, Wellington, Southland and Napier.
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WAITAHA
Supporting athletes to get to new heights
Heartland supports Tātai Whetū Waitaha, a Canterbury not-for-profit helping young Canterbury-based athletes to reach their ambitions. The organisation supports young athletes across a variety of sports by providing access to specialised services dependent on each athlete’s individual needs, including strength and conditioning, nutrition, mental skills and more.
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FESTIVAL
Kupu, stories and ideas for all
Heartland is pleased to partner with WORD Christchurch, a festival that brings communities together through a love of words - whether they read, listen, or experience them on screen or stage. The festival comprises 75+ events featuring over 150 writers, artists and thinkers, giving Christchurch audiences direct access to the best in New Zealand and the world.
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Art in the Park
Art in the Park is New Zealand's first, uniquely curated, artist-led show. Held at New Zealand’s national stadium over three days, Eden Park is transformed into an incredible art destination, featuring an array of art forms from established and emerging New Zealand artists – including impressive outdoor sculptures, a captivating display of paintings, photography, wall art and digital art. Heartland is proud to support this event through the Heartland Digital Art Experience.
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HEARTLAND BANK SCHOLARSHIP
Geoff Ricketts Heartland Bank Scholarship
This Scholarship was established in 2024 in memory of the late Geoff Ricketts, a co-founder and director of Heartland Bank and a proud graduate of the University of Auckland Law School. It is funded by Heartland Bank, through the Heartland Trust. The main purpose of the Scholarship is to assist students enrolling in the first year of a degree at the University of Auckland, in the faculties of Business and Economics, Law, or Medical and Health Sciences who, because of financial hardship, may not otherwise be able to undertake a university degree.
Learn moreApply for a Heartland Trust grant
The Heartland Trust is not currently accepting applications for new grants in 2025.
For more information about applying for a grant through the Heartland Trust, please email [email protected].
We aim to respond to grant applications within 2-3 working days. Meeting the criteria is not a guarantee of sponsorship, as we may not always be able to help depending on our existing commitments.
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