Community Grants
A decision is given within 5 months of receiving a complete funding request.
Seeking funding for an event?*
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Open for applications
Community Grants help community organisations with larger funding needs, and can be multi-year grants.
We fund to our strategy, with a limited grants budget. Each request is considered alongside all other requests for the contestable funding available.
Focus area alignment
To be considered for a Community Grant, your application must align to one of the focus areas that Foundation North wants to contribute to.
Tap on a Focus Area to learn more:
Increased Equity
Hāpai te ōritetangaEquity means that everyone in society is valued the same and has the same access to opportunities. An equitable society is one that is fair, without bias and where all people can thrive on their own terms.
We want to improve equity in our communities now and for future generations.
We do this by supporting priority communities across our region to decide what they need, lead their own solutions and achieve their hopes and dreams.
Our priority communities are Māori and Pacific Peoples, as well as the wider communities of Northland and South Auckland. We also prioritise solutions that place children and young people at the centre.
We support activity that will lead to:
- Thriving tamariki, rangatahi and whānau
- Improved equity and wellbeing as Māori and as Pacific peoples
- Communities leading their own solutions and changing systems
- Tangata whenua as partners in decision making
- Māori and Pacific languages and cultures thriving
Regenerative Environment
Whakahou taiaoA regenerative environment approach supports a deeper understanding of the relationship between people and Te Taiao (the environment).
We support joined-up approaches to conserving, restoring and renewing the environment so that Te Taiao and people can flourish together. Initiatives proposed by tangata whenua are our priority.
We support activity that will lead to:
- Ecosystems and communities being renewed and regenerated
- Mātauranga Māori (indigenous knowledge, practices and approaches) being recognised, valued and implemented
- Tino rangatiratanga – community-led action for Te Taiao
- Connection and access to Te Taiao
Community Support
Hāpori awhinaParticipation in positive activities improves community wellbeing.
We will support activity that will lead to:
- Communities coming together and social connection
- Access to and participation in community activities and spaces
- Increased skills and creativity
- Community pride
- Community resilience
Things to note
- We cannot accept funding requests that are out of policy. See here for funding exclusions or limitations.
- To ensure your funding request is considered, it must be complete. This means answering all questions in the organisation profile and application form and uploading all required documents.
- We actively prioritise requests that benefit the priority communities of our strategy. See here for details on our priority communities
- The decision time frame will begin once we receive all the required information, and we kindly ask that you allow up to 5 months for a decision.
- We do not accommodate urgent or retrospective funding requests.
- Funding is limited to one grant per 12 months per organisation. If your request is approved, you will not be eligible for another grant for 12 months from the date of approval.
- *For event funding, please submit your request at least six months prior to the event date.
Applying for funding for a community building?
- Minor - small capped contributions for repairs, renovations, and upgrades of up to $25,000 under Quick Response Grants, or up to $100,000 under Community Grants.
- Major - involves an Expression of Interest process for grants of up to $2 million for new facility development and will be considered by Foundation North every two years. Please contact us if you are planning a funding request for a capital building project. We will be accepting new Expressions of Interest for community building projects in 2024.
FAQs
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Your CG request can be submitted at any time. We work around six decision meetings a year and aim to give a response within five months of receiving a complete funding request.
If you are concerned about when you might receive your grant (if successful), please call a member of the funding team on
0800 272 878, option 3.Yes. A member of the funding team is available 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday. Call us on 0800 272 878, option 3.
QRG – We aim to give a response within two months of receiving a complete funding request.
CG – We aim to give a response within five months of receiving a complete funding request.
We will send an email to the primary contact to advise that a decision letter has been uploaded to your Funding Hub.
Useful Guides are available on our website to help applicants make a complete QRG or CG funding request. Each guide takes applicants through:
- things to consider before you apply
- how we assess a funding request
- questions our funding request forms ask and the type of answers we are looking for
- documents to submit and the assessment process
Click here to see our Useful Guides.
No. If you are successful in receiving funding then you are not eligible to receive a grant again for 12 months.
Our funding opportunities
Social Inclusion
Whakauru maiSocial inclusion means that everyone feels valued and included as part of our society, can access opportunities and influence decisions that affect them.
We support approaches that reduce discrimination and racism and increase social inclusion. Former refugees, new migrants (fewer than five years in New Zealand), rainbow communities and people living with a disability are our priority.
We support activity that will lead to: