Funding
To streamline funding and ensure it reaches those who need it most, we accept applications that meet the criteria outlined on this page.
Client target group
Clients must meet the following criteria:
Financial need: they cannot afford the care themselves.
Service gap: they lack access to other services and do not qualify for publicly funded care.
Priority access: highest priority goes to individuals who have not yet accessed care.
Provider eligibility
If you are a provider applying on behalf of a client you must meet the following criteria:
Credentials: you must be a certified or registered healthcare professional. If you are a counsellor, you must belong to a professional body.
Sector: you must work in the mental health, addiction, or primary care sectors.
Organisational application
Applications for extending current services or launching grassroots initiatives must strongly align with the Foundation's core values.
To be considered, your proposed program must assist with individual and/or community mental health and/or addiction support across Aotearoa. It must directly address these areas in a way that furthers the Foundation's mission.
Looking for funding for yourself?
If you need help paying for a mental health or addiction assessment, or ongoing care, a registered healthcare or support provider must apply on your behalf.
Step 1: Finding the right help
Start with your local primary care practice
See your General Practitioner (GP), Nurse Practitioner (NP), or Health Improvement Practitioner (HIP) or similar.
Free Support: Many primary care practices now have a Health Improvement Practitioner (HIP) on staff. Seeing a HIP is completely free. They can provide immediate support or help finding the right support for you.
Step 2: A healthcare provider must apply to the Foundation on your behalf
If your GP, NP, or HIP, or other healthcare provider cannot find a service that fits your budget, they can apply to the Spencer Maxwell Foundation to cover or contribute to the costs.
The Foundation may be able to help pay for things like:
Appointments: if you cannot afford to see your GP or NP for the initial visit, you can ask the clinic to request payment directly from our Foundation
Specialist Assessments: funding toward assessments with certified specialists, such as counsellors, therapists, psychologists or psychiatrists.
Short term ongoing care or treatment: funding for a time-limited block of sessions with a registered mental health or addiction professional.
Step 3: Ask your healthcare provider to apply
If your provider agrees to apply to us on your behalf, you can direct them to the Application Form by:
Asking them visit the Funding page on the Spencer Maxwell Foundation website
Copying the Application Form link pasting the link into an email (right-mouse click on the link)
Copying the link to this page and pasting the link into an email (right-mouse click on the link)
We’re committed to a quick decision turnaround - with an answer usually within a week for simple applications such as seeing your health professional.
Sharing the costs of healthcare for short term care
If you are able to contribute part of the cost, this will help the Foundation sustain this program, ensuring others in need can also receive support. Please let your healthcare provider know if you can make a contribution and they will include this in their application.
Our privacy committment
Your privacy and trust are incredibly important to us. We handle all personal and health information with the utmost care, respect, and confidentiality.
We do not share: we will never share your personal information with outside organisations or individuals.
We keep it basic: if you receive funding or support from the Spencer Maxwell Foundation, we collect basic, essential details, such as your name, the type of support being applied for and the outcome in general terms.
Provider updates: to help us measure funding impact, your care provider may give us a brief, confidential general update about your care outcomes, such as “progressing well”, “has attended all sessions”.
Why we collect data: we use this minimal information solely to understand the outcomes of our funding and to learn what works best. This helps us continuously improve our services and support more people effectively across Aotearoa.
Ready to apply now?
To apply for funding for an individual, you must be a registered or certified healthcare professional working in the mental health or addiction sector.
To apply for extending current services or new grassroots initiatives, it must meet or further the Foundation's mission and values.