# The New Zealand Spelling Bee Charitable Trust

**Charities Register number:** CC45273
**Status:** Registered
**Registered since:** 2010-09-08
**Sector:** Education
**ICNPO group:** Education and Research
**Region:** Wellington
**NZBN:** 9429043194452
**IRD donee status:** yes — donations may qualify for a tax credit

## Purpose

The New Zealand Spelling Bee sponsored by The Wright Family Foundation is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabulary, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them throughout their lives. The Spelling Bee Programme is for children from Year One to Year Ten. This ten-year learning journey allows the students to build on the previous year's learning. When the students get to secondary school they can take part in the New Zealand Spelling Bee, a national spelling bee that culminates in the top 250 spellers taking part in one of eight regional spelling bees around the country and the top 25 spellers advance to the New Zealand Spelling Bee Final. The Spelling Bee Programme gives the students a clear, consistent education in spelling so they will have the necessary literacy skills for (NCEA) Level One when they are in Year 11.

## CharityData rating

- **Grade:** C+ (65.5 / 100)
- **Financial health:** 70/100
- **Governance:** 55/100
- **Transparency:** 65/100
- **Computed:** 2026-09-12 (methodology 3.8)
- **Flags raised by the methodology:** none

Ratings are an analytical view computed from this charity's own filings to the Charities Register, using a published methodology: https://charitydata.co.nz/charity-insights/methodology. They are not advice and not a statement about any individual.

## Latest annual return (year ended 2024-12-31)

- **Total revenue:** NZ$193k
- **Total expenses:** NZ$161k
- **Surplus / deficit:** NZ$32k
- **Total assets:** NZ$68k
- **Total liabilities:** NZ$0
- **Net assets:** NZ$68k
- **Cash reserves:** NZ$9k
- **Donations:** NZ$192k
- **Paid staff:** 6
- **Reporting tier:** Tier3
- **Source filing (PDF):** https://register.charities.govt.nz/Document/DownloadPdf?pdfType=AnnualReturnSummary&relatedId=b0172283-06c8-ef11-bb3d-0022480ffcd1&isPublic=true

All figures are as filed by the charity with Charities Services, in New Zealand dollars.

## Filing history

| Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Surplus/deficit | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-31 | NZ$193k | NZ$161k | NZ$32k | NZ$68k |
| 2023-12-31 | NZ$226k | NZ$184k | NZ$41k | NZ$36k |
| 2022-12-31 | NZ$45 | NZ$15k | not disclosed | NZ$-5k |
| 2021-12-31 | NZ$174k | NZ$171k | not disclosed | NZ$10k |
| 2020-12-31 | NZ$24k | NZ$24k | not disclosed | NZ$6k |
| 2019-12-31 | NZ$160k | NZ$161k | not disclosed | NZ$7k |
| 2018-12-31 | NZ$164k | NZ$167k | not disclosed | NZ$8k |
| 2017-12-31 | NZ$111k | NZ$132k | not disclosed | NZ$11k |
| 2016-12-31 | NZ$610k | NZ$579k | not disclosed | NZ$31k |
| 2015-12-31 | NZ$140k | NZ$140k | not disclosed | not disclosed |

## Governance

- **Officers on the register:** 2 current (3 including former)
- **Chair recorded:** no

Individual officers and trustees are not listed here. Their names are on the public Charities Register (https://register.charities.govt.nz/CharitiesRegister/ViewCharity?accountId=CC45273) and on the charity's profile page.

## Data freshness

- Register details: as of 2026-09-01
- Financials: last updated 2026-09-13
- Rating: computed 2026-09-12
- This document generated: 2026-09-15

Figures are as filed. A charity that has filed since the dates above may have newer numbers on the Charities Register.

## More data

- Charity profile: https://charitydata.co.nz/charities/the-new-zealand-spelling-bee-charitable-trust
- Structured facts (JSON): https://charitydata.co.nz/api/v1/charities/the-new-zealand-spelling-bee-charitable-trust/facts.json
- Short summary: https://charitydata.co.nz/api/v1/charities/the-new-zealand-spelling-bee-charitable-trust/summary.md
- Rating methodology: https://charitydata.co.nz/charity-insights/methodology
- Official register entry: https://register.charities.govt.nz/CharitiesRegister/ViewCharity?accountId=CC45273

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Published by [CharityData NZ](https://charitydata.co.nz). Canonical: https://charitydata.co.nz/charities/the-new-zealand-spelling-bee-charitable-trust. Primary source: Charities Services (Ngā Rātonga Kaupapa Atawhai), Department of Internal Affairs. Analytical scores are CharityData's own, computed under a published methodology, and are not advice. Generated 2026-09-15T00:49:52.870Z.