How Platform One Is Governed
The Platform One Foundation Charitable Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees.
Trustees govern the Trust itself, not the operations of community-led initiatives.
The Trust’s governance structure is designed to balance legal independence with genuine community leadership. Trustees safeguard the kaupapa, ensure alignment with Platform One’s values, and protect the integrity of the overall framework — without directing or controlling the work of community-led projects.
This model ensures the Platform One framework remains:
- community-led, not control-led
- values-based, not interest-based
- independent, not captured
- nimble, not bureaucratic
Trustees provide stewardship and protection, while Community Project Circles provide leadership, participation, and operational direction.
The Role of Trustees
Trustees carry the legal and fiduciary responsibilities required under New Zealand charitable trust law.
They must make their own independent decisions and cannot be instructed by any group, including Circle participants.
Platform One is intentionally designed so that Trustees make these independent decisions with informed regard for the values, priorities, and perspectives expressed by Community Project Circles — while retaining full fiduciary independence.
Trustees are responsible for:
- protecting the kaupapa and charitable purpose
- upholding Platform One’s values
- ensuring alignment with the Trust Deed
- maintaining independence from political or commercial influence
- overseeing financial and ethical stewardship
- ensuring transparency and integrity
- preventing mission drift or external capture
Trustees do not run projects.
Their role is governance oversight and stewardship — protecting the integrity of the framework so that community-led initiatives can operate safely and independently.
Our Governance Structure
Platform One uses a clear, non-bureaucratic governance architecture that keeps stewardship strong while ensuring leadership remains in community hands.
Platform One Foundation (Charitable Trust)
The Charitable Trust provides the legal and fiduciary foundation of the framework.
This layer provides:
- legal home
- governance backbone
- financial management and oversight
- a values lock that protects the kaupapa
- long-term continuity and accountability
Trustees protect the integrity of the framework while enabling community-led initiatives to operate freely within agreed boundaries.
Community Project Circles
Community Project Circles are community-led, self-governing operational units within the Platform One framework.
Each Project Circle:
- governs itself internally
- leads its own decision-making using consent-based practice
- designs and operates its own community initiative
- builds participation and local capability
- establishes and manages its own partnerships
- upholds Platform One’s values, ethics, and governance requirements
- reports transparently to Trustees on alignment, integrity, and risk (not direction or approval)
WE Share Community Power is an example of a Community Project Circle operating within this structure.
Community Project Circles hold real authority over their own pathways, priorities, and participation models within the protections and boundaries of the Platform One framework.
Sub-Circles (Within Project Circles)
Sub-Circles are optional working groups formed within a Community Project Circle when specialised or detailed work is required.
Examples include:
- Data & Ethics Sub-Circle
- Privacy & AI Sub-Circle
- Engagement Sub-Circle
- Resilience Support Sub-Circle
Sub-Circles:
- support their Project Circle
- provide specialist capability or oversight
- keep the main Circle nimble
- remain accountable to the Project Circle
- dissolve when no longer needed
They add capability without adding bureaucracy.
Keeping Platform One Nimble and Community-Led
Platform One is intentionally structured to avoid unnecessary layers of control.
By locating leadership and operational decision-making within Community Project Circles — where lived experience and community knowledge are strongest — the framework remains adaptive, grounded, and responsive.
This structure ensures decisions are made through values-aligned, reasoned discussion, rather than through individual preference, hierarchy, or external influence.
Stewardship Agreement
Some governance and framework documents require controlled access to protect the kaupapa and prevent misuse or extraction.
Access to certain materials may require signing a Stewardship Agreement confirming a commitment to:
- upholding Platform One’s values
- protecting community benefit
- responsible and ethical use of information
- non-misuse of documents or frameworks
- respectful, values-aligned participation
To request access, please contact us.