Toi Kai Rawa initially began as a Māori economic development board in 2014 overseeing the implementation of the He Mauri Ohooho Māori Economic Development Action Plan and under the financial umbrella of Western Bay of Plenty economic development agency, Priority One. In establishing Toi Kai Rawa, the board acknowledges Priority One as a foundation partner and works together to achieve a sustainable economy delivering for all its community.

Toi Kai Rawa draws it's name from an ancient ancestor prevalent in connecting the wider Bay of Plenty. Toi lived at his Pā, Kaputerangi, situated on the bluffs above present-day Whakatāne. Toi was the founding ancestor of many tribes that occupied a large swathe of territory in the wider Bay of Plenty. These peoples, were known collectively as Te Tini o Toi (the multitudes of Toi).

Under the mana of Toi, Toi Kai Rawa means the creating of an abundance of 'kai' or 'food' in its widest metaphorical and physical forms. The availability of food that can be distributed to and shared by every whānau member symbolises a community that is connected, healthy, thriving and well - a community where everyone is sustained and can thus rise to meet the challenges of the future.