What is Good in the Hood?

We're a Kiwi company, so finding ways to give back locally just makes sense. That's why we created our community programme, Good in the Hood.
Since it launched in 2013, we’ve donated $7 million to local groups doing great things right across the country!
How will Good in the Hood run in 2021?
Due to the impact of COVID-19, it's been over 18 months since we last ran Good in the Hood. The world looks a little different now. So, we explored a variety of ways that we could support Kiwi communities as we all face new challenges.
This means we've made a few changes to the programme.
What's changed?
In 2021, we'll work with 10 groups. We chose these groups based on the history of Good in the Hood and by looking at which ones:
- had been selected at the most Z stations, and
- received the most customer votes previously.
The groups this year are:
- Victim Support
- St John
- Look Good Feel Better
- Life Education
- Hospice New Zealand
- Heart Kids New Zealand
- Graeme Dingle Foundation
- Coastguard
- Child Cancer Foundation
- Bellyful NZ
We'll be giving them all a share of $700,000 based on customer votes in June.
You can help these groups receive a share of the money, by voting with tokens at your nearest Z station. All ten groups will get some money and it will be split according to the votes. For example, if one group receives 10% of the votes, they will receive 10% of the money ($70,000).
Voting runs from 1 June to 30 June, so save the date!
How do I get a token to vote?
To get an orange voting token, make a purchase at any Z station. Every purchase (excluding tobacco or vaping) gets one token, regardless of how much you spend.
Z Business customers will receive 2 tokens for each purchase.
What are the stages of Good in the Hood?
This year there are four stages:
- Announcement: We'll let you know Good in the Hood is back and how you can get involved.
- Voting: You can vote at your local Z station for the groups you'd like to support.
- Counting votes: We count the votes to find out what share of $700,000 will go to each of this year's groups.
- Sharing the results: We'll share the vote count results and the impact you've had.
Will Good in the Hood run the same way in 2022?
This year’s programme is a one-off event. We want to learn from it before we decide what to do in 2022.
So, make sure to check back here or follow the Z Facebook page for updates. We're always listening to our customers, so if you have any ideas, please get in touch and let us know what you reckon.
How did Z support Kiwi communities during 2020?
Although we made the difficult decision to cancel Good in the Hood in 2020, we were still involved in a number of community-based initiatives.
For example, we:
- provided a months’ free fuel to St John and the Wellington Free Ambulance,
- supported the Student Volunteer Army to get meals to those unable to leave their home during lockdown, and
- pledged to stand up to racism and help keep our communities safe.
As an organisation, we also give all Z staff two paid volunteer days each year to support community groups in need of people power.