Julie Chapman

Dame Julie Clare Chapman (née Helson; born ) is a New Zealand charity founder. She founded the KidsCan Charitable Trust in 2005, and Pet Refuge New Zealand in 2017. In December 2024, she was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to children and the community.

Life Born in into a middle-class family, Chapman grew up on Auckland's North Shore and in Henderson. In 2005, she founded the KidsCan Charitable Trust, which provides physical and nutritional support to New Zealand children living in poverty. Chapman began running the charity out of her garage, with a grant of $40,000. By 2022, the charity had grown to an annual revenue of more than $20 million.

Chapman is the founder and a trustee of Pet Refuge New Zealand, a charity that provides temporary shelter for family pets affected by domestic violence at its purpose-built shelter, until they can be reunited with their owners.

In 2024, KidsCan announced that it had record levels of need, with 10,000 children needing help.

Honours and awards

In 2008, Chapman was awarded a Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award. In 2015, Chapman was a finalist for New Zealander of the Year.

In the 2025 New Year Honours, Chapman was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to children and the community.

Chapman is a finalist for the 2026 New Zealander of the Year awards.