Women Empowerment Fund

About the Women Empowerment Fund

We understand that the cost of our workshops can be a barrier for some women. That’s why we created the Women Empowerment Fund to make our programs more accessible to women from a range of backgrounds and life experiences.

The fund aims to support:

  • Women who have sought help from Women’s Refuge

  • Refugees beginning a new chapter in Aotearoa New Zealand

  • Māori and Pasifika women, as part of our commitment to growing ethnic diversity within our community

Through this fund, we aim to create opportunities for women to develop practical skills and confidence regardless of their financial situation.

Workshop placement sponsorship

Through the Empowerment Fund, we offer fully sponsored workshop placements for eligible women. These placements cover the full cost of workshop participation, including materials, tools, and mentoring.

Sponsor a place
Apply for placement

Sponsor a workshop place

A workshop placement ranges from $195 to $300. You can choose to sponsor partially or fully, making a direct difference to someone’s learning journey.

  • Full Sponsorship ($195–$300) Covers the full cost of a workshop place – ideal for enabling participation without financial barriers.
  • Partial Sponsorship: Contribute any amount that works for you and make a meaningful impac

Why your support matters

Every contribution helps ensure someone can access our transformative workshops. Your generosity supports skills development, community building, and long-term empowerment.

How We Acknowledge Our Sponsors

We believe thoughtful acknowledgment is essential in honouring the trust and generosity of our sponsors. From personalised gratitude to public visibility, here’s how we recognize your invaluable support:

  • We send tailored thank-you letters to each sponsor, confirming sponsorship details and expressing genuine gratitude.
  • Sponsors receive prominent placement on our website, newsletters, and social media, complete with logos and clickable links. We also spotlight sponsors in event signage, brochures, and programs to ensure visibility across both digital and physical platforms
  • During workshops or events, we highlight sponsors through live shout-outs in our opening remarks

Please email  if you’d like to discuss sponsorship opportunities further. Alternatively, if you would like to donate immediately, here are our account details:

Account name:      WOMENZSHED
Account number:  38-9024-0049002-00

When making your payment, please put SPONSOR as the reference. After you have made the donation please email us at  so that we can say thank you and send you a tax receipt.

Our registered charity number is CC60353.

Apply for a workshop placement

If you are interested in applying, or know someone that meets our eligibility criteria (see below) and might benefit from attending one of our workshops, we encourage you to reach out for more information. We would add that we can only offer a spaces on our workshops when we have enough funding available.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet one of the following primary criteria:

  • Identify as Māori or Pasifika
  • Have accessed support from Women’s Refuge in the past 3 years
  • Be a refugee or former refugee woman beginning a new chapter in New Zealand

Additional Criteria (all must be met):

  • Be aged 18 years or older
  • Be a New Zealand citizen, permanent resident, or hold refugee status
  • Be experiencing financial hardship (evidence required, e.g., benefit statement, Community Services Card, or letter from a support agency)
  • Be willing to participate in a short follow-up story or photo opportunity to help us promote the impact of this fund (identities can be anonymised if needed)

You can either contact us via our website form or email us at .