Cancer Society NZ vs Forest & Bird:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Forest & Bird had more branded searches than Cancer Society NZ among national charities in New Zealand. Forest & Bird had about 3,600 branded searches, while Cancer Society NZ had 1,910. Forest & Bird made up 4.4% of all national charity searches we track, and Cancer Society NZ accounted for 2.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about national charities, Forest & Bird appeared in three of the five answers and Cancer Society NZ in two. Cancer Society NZ was mentioned before Forest & Bird in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Forest & Bird, about 88% more searches than Cancer Society NZ
Who does AI mention more?
Forest & Bird, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Cancer Society NZ in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Cancer Society NZ, named ahead of Forest & Bird in 2 of 3 answers
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Top national charities in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Forest & Bird was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Cancer Society NZ was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Cancer Society NZ was listed before Forest & Bird in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Salvation Army NZ3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Forest & Bird3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Red Cross NZ2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Cancer Society NZ2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
SPCA1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
World Vision NZ0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Hospice NZ0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Starship Foundation0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about national charities
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which national charity should I join in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best national charities in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best national charity in New Zealand for a cause?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“charities nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“donate to charity nz”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.
Is Cancer Society NZ or Forest & Bird more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cancer Society NZ and Forest & Bird by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine national charities we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Forest & Bird, Cancer Society NZ. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | SPCA | Salvation Army NZ | Red Cross NZ | Forest & Bird | World Vision NZ | Hospice NZ | Cancer Society NZ | Starship Foundation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 42.8% | 35.4% | 10.1% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 2.1% | 0.98% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.8% | 35.5% | 10% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 2.1% | 1.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 37.9% | 46.1% | 7.1% | 1.9% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 0.88% |
| Jan 2026 | 41.1% | 40.8% | 9.1% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 2.8% | 1.7% | 0.79% |
| Feb 2026 | 36.8% | 42.6% | 9.8% | 1.8% | 3.3% | 2.5% | 2.2% | 1% |
| Mar 2026 | 42.3% | 34.7% | 9.7% | 2.6% | 4.3% | 2.7% | 2.6% | 1.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 46.6% | 32.7% | 8.7% | 1.9% | 4.2% | 3% | 1.9% | 0.9% |
| May 2026 | 45.9% | 31.4% | 8.8% | 2.2% | 5.2% | 3% | 2.2% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 42.9% | 29.2% | 8.8% | 5.9% | 8% | 2.4% | 1.8% | 1% |
| Jul 2026 | 50% | 28.8% | 9.7% | 2.5% | 3.4% | 2.7% | 2.1% | 0.95% |
| Aug 2026 | 48.3% | 28.1% | 10% | 2.3% | 4% | 2.7% | 3.6% | 0.94% |
| Sep 2026 | 47.9% | 28% | 9.6% | 4.4% | 3.9% | 2.8% | 2.4% | 0.91% |
How has the Cancer Society NZ and Forest & Bird comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 4 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Cancer Society NZ took it in January 2026, Forest & Bird took it in June 2026, Cancer Society NZ took it in August 2026, Forest & Bird took it in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cancer Society NZ’s share of searches among national charities in New Zealand moved from 2.1% to 2.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Forest & Bird’s share of searches among national charities in New Zealand moved from 2.6% to 4.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.4K to 3.6K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand national charities in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Forest & Bird overtook World Vision NZ and 2 others to rank 4th among national charities in New Zealand, with 4.4% of the searches.

In September 2026, Cancer Society NZ lost share of searches among national charities in New Zealand, from 3.6% to 2.4%.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cancer Society NZ’s and Forest & Bird’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Cancer Society NZ
2 branded search terms
- cancer society
- cancer society nz donate
Forest & Bird
2 branded search terms
- forest & bird
- forest and bird
Other head-to-heads among national charities

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