High Compensation Charities
Charities with above-average staff costs & taxpayer funding analysis
How to interpret this data: NZ charities report total staff costs and employee counts, not individual salaries. We calculate average cost per Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) as a proxy for executive compensation levels. Small charities with high total staff costs likely have highly-paid CEOs. Government funding percentage shows taxpayer exposure to these costs.
Avg $150K+/FTE
29
Elevated compensation
Avg $200K+/FTE
20
High compensation
Avg $300K+/FTE
13
Very high compensation
Small Orgs, High Pay
22
≤5 FTE, $300K+ total
High Pay + Govt Funded
1
$150K+/FTE & 50%+ govt
Taxpayer Exposure
$19.6M
Govt $ to high-pay orgs
Filters:
| Charity | Total Staff Costs | Employees | Avg per FTE | Govt Funding | Taxpayer % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Central Otago Health Incorporated Other• ClydeGrade B- | $17.3M FY2025 | 0.5 FTE 0 FT + 1 PT | $34.6M $400K+ | - | - |
Te Rau Puāwai Education Trust Other• AucklandGrade B- | $11.2M FY2025 | 0.5 FTE 0 FT + 1 PT | $22.4M $400K+ | - | - |
Simplicity Foundation Other• WellingtonGrade B- | $5.3M FY2025 | 0.5 FTE 0 FT + 1 PT | $10.6M $400K+ | - | - |
Hutton Wilson Charitable Trust Other• AucklandGrade C- | $7.2M FY2025 | 1.0 FTE 1 FT + 0 PT | $7.2M $400K+ | - | - |
Archer Memorial Baptist Home Trust Arts & Culture• ChristchurchGrade D | $5.2M FY2025 | N/A 0 FT + 0 PT | $5.2M $400K+ | - | - |
ADL Trust Education• Dunedin | $4.5M FY2025 | N/A 0 FT + 0 PT | $4.5M $400K+ | - | - |
AUSA Investment Trust Religion• Auckland | $1.2M FY2024 | N/A 0 FT + 0 PT | $1.2M $400K+ | - | - |
Abbeyfield Properties Limited Arts & Culture• Nelson | $1.0M FY2025 | N/A 0 FT + 0 PT | $1.0M $400K+ | - | - |
Habitat for Humanity New Zealand Limited Other• AucklandGrade F | $8.0M FY2025 | 10.5 FTE 7 FT + 7 PT | $759K $400K+ | - | - |
Abbeyfield New Zealand Incorporated Arts & Culture• Nelson | $1.3M FY2025 | 2.5 FTE 1 FT + 3 PT | $510K $400K+ | - | - |
Big Toe Foundation OtherGrade B- | $489K FY2025 | N/A 0 FT + 0 PT | $489K $400K+ | - | - |
Diocese Of Dunedin Other• DunedinGrade C- | $16.8M FY2024 | 36.0 FTE 16 FT + 40 PT | $466K $400K+ | $4.0M | 11.6% Some Govt |
Total Healthcare Charitable Trust Other• AucklandGrade B- | $612K FY2025 | 2.0 FTE 2 FT + 0 PT | $306K $300K+ | - | - |
Auckland Philharmonia Trust Community Development• AucklandGrade C- | $9.1M FY2024 | 33.5 FTE 32 FT + 3 PT | $273K $200K+ | - | - |
Trinity Lands Limited Other• PutaruruGrade C- | $18.6M FY2025 | 75.0 FTE 50 FT + 50 PT | $248K $200K+ | - | - |
Airedale Property Trust Other• AucklandGrade D | $8.6M FY2025 | 38.0 FTE 38 FT + 0 PT | $227K $200K+ | - | - |
The Christchurch Call Foundation Other• WellingtonGrade B | $1.6M FY2025 | 7.5 FTE 7 FT + 1 PT | $215K $200K+ | - | - |
Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust Other• ChristchurchGrade B- | $2.3M FY2025 | 10.5 FTE 9 FT + 3 PT | $215K $200K+ | - | - |
Ngapuhi Asset Holding Company Limited OtherGrade C- | $320K FY2025 | 1.5 FTE 1 FT + 1 PT | $214K $200K+ | - | - |
Grafton Downs Limited Other• AucklandGrade C- | $729K FY2025 | 3.5 FTE 3 FT + 1 PT | $208K $200K+ | - | - |
Hekeao Hinds Water Enhancement Trust OtherGrade C+ | $188K FY2025 | 1.0 FTE 1 FT + 0 PT | $188K $150K+ | - | - |
Whakatohea Maori Trust Board Other• OpotikiGrade B- | $10.6M FY2024 | 58.0 FTE 57 FT + 2 PT | $183K $150K+ | $10.0M | 44.7% Partial Govt |
St John Of God Health Care Incorporated Education• Western AustraliaGrade C | $1.3B FY2025 | 7168.5 FTE 2998 FT + 8341 PT | $182K $150K+ | - | - |
Predator Free 2050 Limited Other• AucklandGrade B- | $2.5M FY2025 | 14.0 FTE 12 FT + 4 PT | $181K $150K+ | $19.6M | 99.3% Mostly Govt |
Reconnecting Northland OtherGrade C | $607K FY2025 | 3.5 FTE 2 FT + 3 PT | $173K $150K+ | - | - |
The Jasmine Charitable Trust Other• WellingtonGrade C | $821K FY2025 | 5.0 FTE 5 FT + 0 PT | $164K $150K+ | - | - |
The Life Flight Trust Other• WellingtonGrade B- | $3.0M FY2025 | 18.5 FTE 16 FT + 5 PT | $163K $150K+ | $93K | 0.5% Some Govt |
Maoriland Charitable Trust OtherGrade C | $2.5M FY2025 | 16.5 FTE 15 FT + 3 PT | $152K $150K+ | - | - |
Parihaka Papakainga Trust OtherGrade C+ | $530K FY2025 | 3.5 FTE 2 FT + 3 PT | $152K $150K+ | - | - |
Methodology & Limitations
What This Shows
- Average per FTE: Total staff costs ÷ (full-time + 0.5 × part-time employees)
- Govt Funding %: Government grants & contracts as % of total revenue
- Small orgs with high pay: ≤5 FTE with $300K+ total staff costs likely indicates high executive compensation
Important Caveats
- This is average cost per employee, not individual salaries
- High averages may reflect specialised workforces (medical, technical)
- Part-time counts may underestimate actual hours
- Some orgs report contractor costs in remuneration
- Government funding data not available for all charities
Data Source
Financial data from Charities Services annual returns. NZ charities report total employee remuneration and headcount but not individual salaries. Individual salary band disclosures (for staff paid $100K+) are only available in full annual reports, not the structured data.