Forest & Bird vs Starship Foundation:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Forest & Bird had more branded searches than Starship Foundation among national charities in New Zealand. Forest & Bird had about 3,600 branded searches, while Starship Foundation had 740. Forest & Bird made up 4.4% of all national charity searches we track, and Starship Foundation accounted for 0.91%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about national charities, Forest & Bird appeared in three of the five answers and Starship Foundation in none.
Who do people search for more?
Forest & Bird, about 5 searches for every 1 for Starship Foundation
Who does AI mention more?
Forest & Bird, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Starship Foundation in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Forest & Bird, the only one of the two named
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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. Starship Foundation did not appear in any of the five 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 Forest & Bird or Starship Foundation more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Forest & Bird and Starship Foundation 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, Starship Foundation. 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 Forest & Bird and Starship Foundation comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Forest & Bird was ahead of Starship Foundation in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Starship Foundation’s share of searches among national charities in New Zealand moved from 0.98% to 0.91%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 890 to 740.
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.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Starship Foundation in New Zealand fell 16.9% over 12 measured months, from 890 to 740 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Forest & Bird’s and Starship Foundation’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.
Forest & Bird
2 branded search terms
- forest & bird
- forest and bird
Starship Foundation
3 branded search terms
- starship foundation
- starship foundation donate
- starshipfoundation
Other head-to-heads among national charities
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