WAI Wanaka
We are a team of passionate people working to connect our community to our environment, so that both thrive. WAI Wanaka's kaupapa* is to empower communities to take …
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Purpose: Accelerating community action for fresh water WAI Wānaka is a community organisation dedicated to our vision of healthy ecosystems and community wellbeing for future generations. Research, science, education, collaboration and community action underpin our work. Our team are on the ground, working with individuals, urban action groups, rural catchment groups, landowners, councils, businesses, visitors, community groups, schools and pre-schools to improve ecosystem health, reverse biodiversity loss and keep our water healthy. Ultimately our end game is behaviour and systems change – altering the current trajectory with respect to environmental outcomes for our fresh water. We achieve our vision by; • Engaging, enabling and empowering communities for action to best serve the environment, • Ensuring that core research and monitoring …
Mission
We are a team of passionate people working to connect our community to our environment, so that both thrive. WAI Wanaka's kaupapa* is to empower communities to take action to achieve measurable, enduring benefits by better understanding their water, their environment and their impacts. With almost every catchment in Aotearoa New Zealand at risk from human activity in one way or another, we believe that it will take all of us, working together, to safeguard and sustain Te Taiao**. *Kaupapa is the māori word for purpose. **Te Taiao is the natural world that contains and surrounds us - land, water, climate and living beings. Te Taiao also refers to the interconnection of people and nature, an eternal relationship of respect, reciprocity and interdependence.
Focus areas & reach
· What they work on and whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 8 similar environment in New ZealandConcerns
· None foundGiveRadar Analysis
Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations
From what GiveRadar has verified so far, WAI Wanaka has a substantially complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources.
- GiveRadar holds 9 years of financial filings for this organization, the most recent for fiscal year 2025. See the filings
- Its integrity score of 86 places it in the top 1% of the 1,162 environment charities in New Zealand GiveRadar tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its registration. View this cohort
- government registration
- financial records (9 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- a donation page
- third-party accreditation
- an owner-submitted profile claim
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Common questions
· Auto-generated from filings + methodologyWAI Wanaka is a registered environment nonprofit based in Wanaka, Otago, New Zealand. It is registered with Charities Services New Zealand. It was founded in 2016 and has been operating for 10 years. Its registration number is CC53728. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 86/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports NZ$957K in annual revenue. 8 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.
WAI Wanaka's official registration number is CC53728, as recorded in the national registry of New Zealand.
WAI Wanaka has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 86 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for environment charities in New Zealand is 86/100.
WAI Wanaka is located in Wanaka, Otago, New Zealand. The organization was established in 2016 and has been active for 10 years.
Based on official tax filings, WAI Wanaka has NZ$957K in annual revenue. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
WAI Wanaka is classified as an Environment organization, registered in New Zealand. It operates as a Charitable Trust. By size, it is categorized as a small organization. It has NZ$957K in annual revenue. The organization has 8 disclosed officers and directors.
No red flags have been detected for WAI Wanaka. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.
According to GiveRadar's records, WAI Wanaka is registered with Charities Services New Zealand and overseen by Charities Services. You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.
Purpose: Accelerating community action for fresh water WAI Wānaka is a community organisation dedicated to our vision of healthy ecosystems and community wellbeing for future generations. Research, science, education, collaboration and community action underpin our work. Our team are on the ground, working with individuals, urban action groups, rural catchment groups, landowners, councils, businesses, visitors, community groups, schools and pre-schools to improve ecosystem health, reverse biodiversity loss and keep our water healthy. Ultimately our end game is behaviour and systems change – altering the current trajectory with respect to environmental outcomes for our fresh water. We achieve our vision by; • Engaging, enabling and empowering communities for action to best... WAI Wanaka is classified as an environment organization registered in New Zealand. The organization was founded in 2016.
Among environment charities registered in New Zealand: Its annual revenue of NZ$957K is comparable to the peer average of NZ$798K.
WAI Wanaka is registered with Charities Services New Zealand. If the organization has donee status approved by Inland Revenue, individual donations over $5 qualify for a 33.33% tax credit. You can claim up to the lesser of your total donations or your taxable income.
Filing history
9 years on file from nz_charities (FY2025): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
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Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of New Zealand under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
WAI Wanaka is registered in New Zealand. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
WAI Wanaka is registered in New Zealand. US donors generally cannot deduct gifts to non-US charities directly. To claim a deduction, route the gift through a US 'Friends of' fiscal sponsor or a donor-advised fund that performs equivalency determination (IRS Rev. Proc. 92-94).
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
From filings and published profiles
Leadership
From FY2025 filing
Officers & trustees (8)
Source: Public filings
8 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.
Latest news
From global news sources
10 articles found
From news sources and the organization. Shown for transparency; news never affects the integrity score.
Students tackle riverside clean-up - Wanaka App
Dawn plunge, yoga, and beers: World Water Day lineup - Wanaka App
Mural makes ‘the invisible visible’ – Wānaka powerbox artwork highlights hidden aquatic life - Wanaka App
New partnership provides boost to WAI Wānaka - Wanaka App
Former DivI Swimmer Livi Schmid Looking to Become 6th Person Ever to Swim Across Lake Wānaka - SwimSwam
Bird of century grebe dies from Lake Wānaka plastic pollution - crux.org.nz
New gallery for local artist - Wanaka App
Santa Claus is coming to town - Wanaka App
Big changes for WAI Wānaka - Wanaka App
WAI Wanaka to receive part of $8m fund - Otago Daily Times
Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.
Most common causes in New Zealand
Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.
Sources and verification
- Registration and legal identity
- Charities Services New Zealand
- Financial filings
- Charities Services New Zealand - Fiscal year 2025 most recent on file.
- Officers and trustees
- Charities Services New Zealand - 8 disclosed in the public registry.
- News and media coverage
- GDELT Project + Google News
- Supplementary verification
- GlobalGiving partner directory
Data freshness
What we know and don't know
Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.
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Financial data · FY2025 on record
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Named leadership · 8 officers on file
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Government registration · Registered with an official registry
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Mission statement · Published
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Official website · On record
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Headquarters address · On file
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Direct contact · Email or phone published
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Founding date · 2016
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Executive payTop-officer pay not disclosed
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Programs & activitiesNo named programs listed by the charity
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Tax-deductibilityNot verified
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
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Quick facts about WAI Wanaka
- What is WAI Wanaka?
- WAI Wanaka is a environment charitable trust based in Wanaka, New Zealand. Purpose: Accelerating community action for fresh water WAI Wānaka is a community organisation dedicated to our vision of healthy ecosystems and community wellbeing for future generations. Research, science, education, collaboration and community action underpin our work. Our team are on the ground, working with individuals, urban action groups, rural catchment groups, landowners, councils, businesses, visitors, community groups, schools and pre-schools to improve ecosystem health, reverse biodiversity loss and keep our water healthy. Ultimately our end game is behaviour and systems change – altering the current trajectory with respect to environmental outcomes for our fresh water. We achieve our vision by; • Engaging, enabling and empowering communities for action to best serve the environment, • Ensuring that core research and monitoring are in place to support long-term freshwater management decisions, and • Successfully partnering to accelerate enduring environmental solutions.
- When was WAI Wanaka founded?
- WAI Wanaka was founded in 2016.
- Where is WAI Wanaka located?
- Headquartered in Wanaka, Otago, New Zealand.
- What is WAI Wanaka's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is approximately NZ$100K-NZ$1M.
- Is WAI Wanaka trustworthy?
- WAI Wanaka has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is WAI Wanaka's registration number?
- Registration: CC53728 (New Zealand).
- What is WAI Wanaka's website?
- https://www.waiwanaka.nz
- Are donations to WAI Wanaka tax-deductible?
- Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of New Zealand under local rules. US donors should check whether the charity has an equivalency-determination letter or a US-based fiscal sponsor before claiming a deduction.