At the Len Reynolds Trust, our work is rooted in the belief that doing good requires courage - the courage to question, to listen deeply, and to do things differently. That belief was at the heart of a recent kōrero I was privileged to be part of: a webinar hosted by Philanthropy New Zealand, focused on funding rangatahi.
The conversation brought together passionate funders and advocates for young people, including Dame Sue Bagshaw. It was a powerful reminder of the collective responsibility we all hold - and the opportunity we have to shift the way we support youth in Aotearoa.
As I reflected on the webinar, it became clear that the kōrero deserved a wider audience. This article is part of that intention - to turn the energy and insight of the webinar into something more enduring, and to share our approach more openly.
Upholding a Legacy, Embracing the Future
Our story starts with Len and Ada Reynolds - grounded in rural life, driven by a belief in education, hard work, and quiet generosity. They established the Trust in 1966 from a desire to give back.
Today, their legacy lives on in our work across the wider Waikato and beyond. As a family philanthropic trust, we’re not constrained by bureaucracy. Instead, we have the freedom, and the responsibility, to act with integrity, agility, and care.
Our Vision for Rangatahi
We envision a Waikato where all children and young people are secure, resilient and thriving, so they can reach their full potential.
We’ve recently refreshed our strategy, and that vision sits at its centre.
Our goal is to:
Empower generations of changemakers
Back Māori-led solutions
Support disruptive change for environmental and social justice
Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a foundation of our work. We are committed to being a proactive ally and upholding our responsibilities - especially to Ngāti Wairere, whose whenua was taken and became the foundation of the Trust’s assets.
Our funding practice seeks to restore balance, elevate mana, and walk alongside. This includes prioritising kaupapa Māori organisations and recognising the intergenerational impacts of colonisation.
How We Fund: Relationships First
We don’t do contestable funding rounds. Instead, we operate on a high-trust model. That means:
We initiate relationships
We meet kanohi ki te kanohi where possible
We do our own due diligence
We value simplicity, fairness, and reciprocity
We believe the people doing the mahi shouldn’t have to prove their worth over and over again.
What We’re Seeing — And How We’re Responding
More and more, we’re seeing kaupapa led by lived experience - youth-led, or co-designed with rangatahi. These are the initiatives we’re most excited by.
At the same time, we see the immense pressure the sector is under: burnout, compliance burdens, and limited resources.
In response, we’re working to:
Fund flexibly and with trust
Build capability through learning and connection
Challenge traditional philanthropic power structures
Advocate for policy change alongside funding
Collaborate widely - 40% of our funding in 2024 was done in partnership with other funders
Often, we act as a connector - bringing together funders and kaupapa that align. We know we’re a small funder, but we can still play a catalytic role.
“Don’t Just Do What’s Always Been Done”
That’s a saying we return to often. The old ways of funding - rigid, transactional, opaque - don’t serve the future we’re trying to build.
At Len Reynolds Trust, we’re still learning. We don’t have all the answers. But we do know this: we all have a role in shaping a better future for our young people.
We challenge ourselves - and our peers - to reflect:
Are our systems fair?
Are they kind?
Would we be willing to navigate them ourselves?
If not, it’s time to change them.
A Call to Action
The Philanthropy NZ webinar was a rich and generous space — a reminder of the courage and innovation already alive in the sector. This article is a small way to extend that kōrero, and we hope it encourages others to share, reflect, and act.
If we want to fund thriving futures for rangatahi, we can’t just fund the outcomes. We have to shift the systems. And we have to be willing to change how we work.
Ngā mihi nui to those who joined the webinar, and to everyone in this ecosystem working for our young people. Let’s be brave - together.
To learn more about our strategy see our Kaupapa/Purpose page. If you’d like to kōrero further about youth-focused philanthropy, get in touch - we’re always open to chat!