2026 Awards Finalists Announced

The finalists across eight categories were selected from a competitive entry pool by a panel of 23 independent expert judges. The judging panel generously donate their time and expertise to provide skilled and independent judging for the awards. They work to strict rules on confidentiality and conflict of interest.

The finalists in the awards (in alphabetical order) are:

Best Ethical Fund Provider (sponsored by Public Trust)
This year, the category has been combined to cover retail investment funds as well as KiwiSaver, now covering over 1000 funds, with $280 billion under management. The finalists in the awards (in alphabetical order) are:

Harbour Asset Management

Pathfinder Asset Management

TAHITO

Trust Investments

Best Positive Outcomes integration
Surveys show that the New Zealand public are not only looking to avoid harm in their investments but growing numbers of investors are also seeking funds that contribute to positive social and environmental outcomes. These mainstream funds are integrating investments for good into their portfolios The finalists are:

Generate KiwiSaver

Pathfinder Asset Management

Best Ethical or Impact Asset Owner

This is a new category that recognises the crucial role played by the owners of capital. The trusts and foundations, charities and other holders of capital set the framework for ethical and impact investing through their investment mandate. The finalists are:

Bay of Plenty Community Trust Inc

Clare Foundation

Best Impact Investor
For many investors, the ideal fund has positive real world outcomes as well as good returns. Impact investment funds, available to wholesale and professional investors, aim to achieve both. The finalists are:

Climate Venture Capital Fund series

Motion Capital

Te Pae ki te Rangi, Soul Capital

Best New Ethical or Impact Fund
This category is for the fund launched over the past year that provides innovative new offerings into the New Zealand investment market. The finalists are:

Climate Venture Capital Fund 2

New Zealand Housing Fund - Te Piringa

Trust Investments ESG International Bond Fund

Best Ethical Overseas Fund
Overseas funds marketed in New Zealand bring diversity and scale to the New Zealand market, providing new options for investment advisers, wealth managers and their clients. The finalists are:

Australian Ethical Emerging Companies Fund

Pella Global Generations PIE Fund

Vontobel Global Environmental Change Fund

Best Ethical Financial Adviser
Financial advisers are a hugely valuable part of the investment system. They play a crucial role in discovering their client’s ethical preferences and providing them with pathways for ethical and impact investment. The finalists are:

Carey Church, Moneyworks

Melaney Clark, Ethical Investing NZ

Melissa Allen, Milestone Financial

Dr. Rodger Spiller, Money Matters

Best Media Reporting on Ethical Investment
This has been an exciting year for reporting on ethical and impact investing, and the related issues of climate change, the environment and human rights. The judges were looking for strong audience engagement, education and influence. The finalists are:

Frances Cook, Making Cents podcast

John Berry, Pathfinder

Steven Moe, Seeds podcast

Susan Edmunds, RNZ

The keynote speaker for the awards event is Jono Ridler, record breaking endurance swimmer, ocean advocate, and co-founder of the Swim4TheOcean initiative. Known for undertaking world-class endurance challenges that push the limits of human performance, Jono’s work is about possibility, challenging leaders to discover just how far their potential can take them.

The awards MC is Jesse Mulligan, well-known as a leading radio presenter on RNZ, writer, comedian, restaurant critic and media personality.

Sponsors:

Mindful Money has secured generous sponsorship for the awards ceremony from Public Trust and Morningstar Sustainalytics, NZ Super Fund, Always Ethical, and Generate KiwiSaver. 

The Awards Principal Sponsor, Public Trust, offers some of Australasia’s best-known institutions a full range of trustee services and supervises KiwiSaver and superannuation scheme providers through its Corporate Trustee Services. Public Trust is an autonomous Crown Entity employing over 400 people across its national network of customer centres. Public Trust’s purpose is to empower all New Zealanders to build and protect their legacies, reflected in its work as the country’s largest provider of estate planning and management services.

Conference:

Prior to the awards, Mindful Money will host the Impact for Good Conference (1:30pm–5:00pm, Maritime Room, Princes Wharf, Auckland CBD), exploring the growth of positive outcomes investing into the funds management mainstream. Featuring a signature keynote address, expert panels and interactive roundtables, the event serves as a catalyst for change, to transform how the finance sector thinks about impact, outcomes, and our collective future.

The Impact for Good Conference is enabled thanks to sponsorship from Australian Ethical, First Sentier Group, Generate KiwiSaver, Trust Management, and community support from Foundation North.

Tickets to the Awards and Conference are available here