Paediatric palliative care is not something we want to think about very much. The idea of losing a child triggers some of our greatest fears but for some families it’s an everyday reality and one that requires support.
In late 2025 The Gift Trust team met with Rei Kōtuku, a community paediatric palliative care service that covers a broad sweep of the country and offers a unique set of services to families going through the hardest time of their lives. The team provides everything from hands-on medical care, counselling and help making special family memories in the midst of constant change, grief and exhaustion.
We brought Rei Kōtuku to the attention of two of our donors who had flagged interest in this area and they both jumped at the chance to support their work. Rei Kōtuku was running as a philanthropically funded pilot programme and had a funding gap while they advocated for a change in government policy that might offer long term support to their services.
The funding offered by these two donor families bridged the gap and on May 14 this year the New Zealand government confirmed contract funding for Rei Kōtuku to support its specialist paediatric palliative care services in the lower North Island, beginning 1 July. In addition the government has announced a $15.5 million, four year investment into national paediatric palliative care services in Aotearoa.
Without the support of the Gift Trust donors Rei Kōtuku was at risk of closing their doors, meaning that the government funding would have arrived too late for them to continue their vital work.
This story verifies individual philanthropy as the ‘special sauce’ that holds so many aspects of our country and society together. The flexibility of giving by individuals and families so often provides seed funding, supports innovation and bridges gaps that few others are able to fill.
We’re delighted at the generosity of our donors at The Gift Trust and so proud to see the way in which they help ensure the support, resources, and experiences that bring comfort, dignity, and connection.
At The Gift Trust we enjoy the opportunity to link strategic, generous donors with organisations doing excellent work and seeking funding to fill gaps, seed a new project or keep the doors open for a crucial few months. Flying under the radar as they so often do, our donors often choose to embrace and champion opportunities like these to change the world for children, families and our communities.
