Owen Glenn is setting up a charity based in Otara in South Auckland which will initially have $8 million of funds.
The 72-year-old businessman who grew up in humble circumstances in Auckland said he will announce details of the initiative on Tuesday.
"The main focus will be on combating child abuse and domestic violence," he said on the Kim Hill Show on Radio New Zealand today.
He said The Glenn Family Foundation will set up a family centre in Otara.
"We are going to do improvements to various things, parks, scholarship funds and things like that. It is a package of things.
"We are going to invest $8 million as a first tranche," he said.
In 2002, Mr Glenn donated $7.5 million to the University of Auckland to build a business school and he donated $1 million to the Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Fund. His family foundation supports many charities globally.
He is also an investor in the Warriors rugby league team based in Auckland and has donated to political parties in New Zealand.
Mr Glenn created OTS Logistics Group through a series of acquisitions and sold the business earlier this year. The National Business Review Rich List estimates Mr Glenn is worth $900 million.
He received a New Zealand Order of Merit in 2008.
His memoir called Making a Difference is being released on July 17.
NZN