CFANZ 2026 Conference - Building Connected Communities

Community Foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand Conference 2026

13-15 September

Claudelands

Kirikiriroa Hamilton

Building connected communities -

Te hanga i ngā hapori tūhono

The CFANZ conference in 2026 is, at its heart, about building connected communities. Research tells us that social cohesion in Aotearoa NZ – the glue that holds our communities together - is fraying, and community foundations hold a unique role in communities to build cohesion back.

Cohesion is about people feeling connected to each other, trusting the people that surround their everyday lives and having a sense of belonging. Where social cohesion exists, giving and philanthropy thrives, drawing communities closer and building stronger, more connected communities.

Key dates

Registrations Open

May 2026

Early Bird Registrations Close

Friday 24 July 2026

Conference

13-15 September 2026

Programme Overview

Day 1

Sunday 13th September

4.30pm - 6.30pm

Welcome Function, including tour of the gardens (all delegates welcome)

Hamilton Gardens

Proudly supported by Momentum Waikato Community Foundation

Day 2

Monday 14th September

9.00am - 5.00pm

Full Day Conferencing, followed by AGM

7.00pm - late

Evening Function

BNZ Theatre

Day 2

Tuesday 15th September

8.30am - 3.45pm

Full Day Conferencing

Three core conference themes

Connecting leadership

Connecting networks

Connecting our practice together

Core conference topics

The global environment – how is it impacting the place of community philanthropy?

The New Zealand context - how is the sector shifting? Finding our niche and activating partnerships to meet this unique moment in time.

The latest sector research – what does it tell us about how Kiwis give and how can this influence our practice?

Te ao Māori – what can we learn from mātauranga Māori, in building connected communities?

The era of AI - how do we ensure it is used for good and powers up our mahi?

Social cohesion – how is it declining and what can we do about it in the local context?

Impact investing – how do we utilise our balance sheet to do even more community good?

International perspectives and community foundations life cycles – what can we learn from our international networks?

Climate change, emergency preparedness and response – how can we provide the leadership our communities need?

Philanthropy advising – how do we continue to develop our practice as leaders of purpose?

Collective giving – how do we mobilise communities of givers to drive change?

The intergenerational wealth transfer and bequests – how do we optimise for the benefit of communities of the future?

Best practice – what’s the latest developments in our network?

Plus, peer network gatherings and a look back to celebrate 10 years of CFANZ sector leadership …

With case studies from New Zealand

and around the world, keynote Shamubeel Eaqub (social cohesion)

and speakers from our international networks, this is an event for community leaders and changemakers not to miss.

For community leaders and changemakers committed to building stronger, more connected communities.

WITH SUPPORT FROM OUR SPONSORS

LEAD CONFERENCE PARTNER

CONFERENCE SPONSORS

For more information on

Community Foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand,

please visit www.communityfoundations.org.nz

CONTACT US

Our conference partner is Composition, for all registration and enquiries, please contact:

cfanz@composition.co.nz