About Cure Kids

Raising funds for big research so big breakthroughs in child health can happen.

What we do...

  1. $60M

    Of world-class research funded
  2. 1.5K

    Research projects completed
  3. 53yrs

    Of proven results

We focus on raising funding to enable high-impact, New Zealand-based medical research to help save, extend and improve the lives of children diagnosed with serious life-impacting and life-limiting health conditions.

Cure Kids was established by Rotary in 1971 as the Child Health Research Foundation, and since then we have invested more than $65 million in New Zealand research which has helped to shape and vastly improve the way children who live with serious diseases and health conditions are diagnosed and treated.

Cure Kids’ funding supports researchers across New Zealand whose work focuses on childhood cancers, inherited heart conditions, epilepsy, infectious diseases, cystic fibrosis, sudden unexpected death in infants (SUDI), stillbirth, burns as well as child and adolescent mental health – and many, many other areas of research.

Cure Kids is the largest funder of child health research outside the government. We work hard to support the best research possible to make a measurable difference to the health and well-being of children in New Zealand. This is made possible by the continued generosity of individuals, businesses and community groups across our remarkable country.

Sir Bob Elliott
"You have to imagine how a problem could be resolved and let your imagination go wild."
Sir Bob
1934 - 2020
Sir Bob (Robert Elliott) founded Cure Kids. He believed Big Research is all about imagination. "People need to think as widely as they can and not be restricted by can't attitudes. If you've got a good imagination, you'll come up with solutions for all sorts of things." Let’s all support the incredible researchers that are imagining what is possible to help little lives.

You can donate to Cure Kids with assurance and confidence

Our fundraising principles are built on our core values – integrity, honesty and respect.

Cure Kids is a member of the Fundraising Institute of New Zealand (FINZ), the professional body that represents professional fundraising in New Zealand. As members of the institute, we adhere to the standards outlined in the FINZ Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. This means we will:

  1. Act honestly and truthfully so that public trust is protected, and donors, beneficiaries and supporters are
  2. Act with respect for the dignity of our profession and our organisation, and with respect for the dignity of donors, beneficiaries and supporters.
  3. Act openly and with regard to our responsibility for public trust. We will disclose all actual or potential conflicts of interest and avoid any ethical, personal or professional misconduct.
  4. We work in a way that promotes our purpose and encourages others to use the same professional standards and engagement. We will value individual privacy, freedom of choice, and diversity in all its forms.
  5. We will produce clear reports about what we do, the way donations are managed and disbursed, and costs and expenses in an accurate and clear manner.

A relationship built on mutual respect

We endeavour to develop meaningful relationships with those who support us through donations, fundraising, bequests, grants, the provision of products, business services and general support. We ensure every effort goes into our administrative processes, particularly receipt generation and donation acknowledgment, and are processed in a timely manner.

If you’d like to discuss our fundraising practices, please contact us.

Patrons & ambassadors

We’re grateful for the incredible ambassadors and patrons who support our work by raising awareness

Governance

Cure Kids Board

The Board provides governance management; administering and controlling Cure Kids. To ensure there is a breadth of experience around the Board table, the constitution requires that the Board includes at least four members with business experience, and the Chair or a representative of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee.

Franceska Banga (Chair)

ONZM
Frances SoutterChief Executive Officer, Cure Kids
Alaister WallFormer Deputy Managing Director, Briscoe Group Limited
Dee-Ann WolferstanKaihautu – Chief Executive, Te Iwi o Ngati Kahu (Social Services for Ngati Kahu Runanga), Te Whare Ruruhau o Meri Trust (Te Pihopatanga o Te Tai Tokerau Social Service), and Te Kahui Mana Ririki Trust.
Russ HewittIndependent Director
Professor Sally MerryCure Kids Duke Family Chair of Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Professor Stephen RobertsonBMedSci, MBChB (OTAGO), FRACP, DPhil (OXFORD). Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin

Reuben Tucker

General Manager of Institutional & Business Banking at Westpac.

Annual Reports

Get a snapshot of our highlights and how we're making a big difference to child health in our annual reports.