Trust Strategic Vision
“Flourishing and sustainable communities, with opportunities created and barriers overcome.”
Purpose
The purpose of making grants is to:
- Generally, provide supplementary funding support rather than act as a principal funding source.
- Focus on supporting an organisation by providing funding at a time best suited to their needs.
- Recognise the continuing and invaluable work of the voluntary sector.
- The Trustees will assess applications for grants against this policy, the criteria and any guidelines that may be developed and reviewed from time to time by the Trust.
- This Policy will be reviewed annually by the Trust with any reviews considering feedback received from grantee organisations and the results of any surveys that are conducted from time to time by the Trust.
Helping Hand Fund up to $5,000
Our small grants support a wide range of organisations which are well connected to their community.
We support organisations working to reduce barriers and improve outcomes for communities of need across our funding regions. This funding programme is for organisations requesting up to $5,000.
What you need to know
- We don’t have closing dates, it’s open all year – you choose when to apply.
- Generally, the timeframe* for a funding decision will be eight weeks, once we have received a complete application and all the required information.
- You need to complete an application form, that focuses on the difference your project makes, or the needs of your organisation and how it contributes to our community.
- You can only have one successful grant application in our financial year (1 April to 31 March). A successful application to this Fund counts as that one grant.
*Time frames specified may vary slightly due to public holidays.
Mechanism and Reporting – through SmartyGrants.
General Grants Fund
General Grants Fund – Operating costs and Capital up to $20,000 – Building strong roots for Communities
What you need to know:
3 Rounds per year, closing dates
April 2026 decided May,
August 2026 decided September
November 2026 decided February 2027
Applications through SmartyGrants for projects and operating costs for services including wages, rent and insurance, as well as capital items like equipment up to a total of $20,000. You can make an application that combines operating costs and equipment purchases (capital) up to $20,000. Applications will be considered for multi-year funding if there are ongoing service costs.
Flourishing Communities Fund
Flourishing Communities Fund – Funding for groups who have faced various kinds of disadvantage.
This fund exists to support innovative ideas and projects creating new opportunities or programmes for historically disadvantaged or marginalised groups including, but not limited to, Māori, Pasific peoples, ethnic minorities, migrants, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community, and those with neurodiversity.
Applications can be up to a maximum of $20,000 and include both operating costs and capital purchases. You can only receive one grant in our financial year (1 April to 31 March). You can apply to only one funding programme at a time. Applications to be considered three times a year in May, September and February.
