AKO MOANA FOUNDATION
Investing in Pacific futures, generation by generation.
The Ako Moana Foundation is the charitable arm of Moana Impact Studio, established to direct real resources back into the Pacific communities at the heart of our work.
Ako: to learn and to teach. Moana: the ocean that connects us all.
ABN 84 698 196 324 | Company Limited by Guarantee | ACN 698 196 324
Who We Are
About the Foundation
The Ako Moana Foundation LTD is a Pacific-led charitable foundation dedicated to advancing education, leadership, and opportunity for Pacific communities across Australia.
We were established because aspiration without access is not enough. Pacific communities in Australia are not lacking in vision, capability, or drive. What they are lacking is structural, sustained investment in the pathways that make those things count.
The Foundation was founded by Tofa Amanda Moors-Mailei and Bronwyn Williams, and is governed by a Board of Directors committed to Pacific community accountability. It operates independently of Moana Impact Studio’s commercial work, with the relationship between the two entities governed by a formal Memorandum of Understanding.
From the beginning, Moana Impact Studio committed to directing a minimum of 20% of its net revenue into the Foundation annually. This is a structural commitment, not a discretionary one. Every consulting engagement, every program delivered, every partnership formed contributes directly to Pacific educational opportunity through the Foundation.
Application Open: 1st November 2026
What we invest in
What we exist to do
The Foundation directs its resources toward three interconnected areas.
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We fund scholarships, bursaries, and grants that remove financial and structural barriers preventing Pacific students from entering, continuing, and completing their education. Support is designed to meet real need at the point where it matters most.
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We invest in Pacific leaders across sectors, supporting the people who will shape institutions, communities, and systems from within. Leadership is a collective resource. We treat it as one.
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We support the organisations, networks, and initiatives that sustain Pacific community life in Australia. Strong communities are not a byproduct of good policy. They are built deliberately, by people who know them from the inside.
Grants & Scholarships
Our grants and scholarships
The Foundation offers four forms of direct investment in Pacific communities. All scholarships and bursaries are open to Australian citizens and permanent residents. Pacific community connection is recognised as an equity consideration. All awards are assessed on merit and equity through a transparent, independent selection process.
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Annual bursaries for Pacific heritage students enrolled in Australian universities, renewable for up to three years. Assessed on financial need, academic commitment, community connection, and leadership potential.
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One-off bursaries supporting students entering vocational or tertiary study for the first time.
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Annual bursaries for Pacific women re-entering tertiary study after a career break, renewable for up to two years.
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Flexible grants for Pacific-led community initiatives, student groups, and emerging leaders bringing an idea to life.
Application Open: 1st November 2026
Governance
How we govern ourselves
Ako Moana Foundation is governed by an independent Board of Directors and is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee under the Corporations Act 2001. The Foundation is in the process of ACNC charity registration and DGR endorsement as a Scholarship Fund.
All grants are assessed through a transparent, independent selection process. Financial reporting is publicly available through the ACNC Register. No funds are directed to private benefit.
Our Board
Ako Moana Foundation is governed by a founding Board of Directors drawn from across Pacific communities, higher education, law, governance, cultural leadership, and the sciences.
The Board brings together women with deep roots in Pacific communities across Australia and direct professional expertise in the areas that matter most to the Foundation's work: educational equity, scholarship program design, legal and regulatory compliance, cultural heritage, arts and community development, investment and government relations, and environmental sustainability.
Board composition reflects the Foundation's commitment to Pacific community accountability. The majority of Directors bring lived experience of Pacific communities in Australia, alongside the professional expertise to govern a nationally operating charitable foundation.
The Foundation is currently completing its inaugural Board appointment process. Full Board membership will be published on this page following the Board's first meeting.
Support
Support Pacific educational futures
When you support the Ako Moana Foundation, you are investing directly in Pacific students, leaders, and communities.
The Foundation is currently in the process of obtaining DGR endorsement as a Scholarship Fund. Once DGR status is confirmed, donations will be tax-deductible for Australian donors.
In the meantime, we welcome corporate sponsorships, partnership inquiries, and mission-aligned contributions from individuals and organisations who share our commitment to Pacific educational opportunity.
To discuss sponsoring a scholarship cohort, partnering with the Foundation, or making a contribution, get in touch.