Community grants are one of the biggest funding levers available to community venues, halls, marae, sports clubs, and arts spaces across New Zealand — but the funding landscape is split across national schemes, regional Community Trusts, and dozens of individual councils, which makes it genuinely hard to keep track of. This guide brings the main sources together in one place, organised by whether they apply nationwide or only in your region, so you can work out which ones are worth your time.
Heads up: this isn't an exhaustive list, and grant guidelines, dates, and dollar amounts change often — sometimes mid-year. We're not the authority on any of these schemes and can't determine your eligibility. Always check the primary source before you apply.
Most community venue funding in New Zealand falls into three buckets: national schemes you can apply to no matter where you're based, regional Community Trust funding tied to where your venue operates, and council grants distributed locally through your city or district council. On top of that sit sector-specific funds (arts, sport, environment) and private or corporate trusts with their own geographic reach. The right grant for your venue depends less on what you're building and more on where you are and how big the project is.
This could apply to:
Many of these grants also fund community groups directly — for events, programming, staffing, and resources — not just the physical space.
These are the schemes with genuine nationwide reach — the ones worth checking regardless of your region.
This is the single biggest source of community funding in the country, and it's mid-overhaul right now, so it's worth understanding the new shape of it rather than the old one. The Department of Internal Affairs distributes Lotto NZ profits to community purposes through the Lottery Grants Board and its distribution committees. From 1 July 2026, DIA restructured the committee system following its Kia Tipu, He Tipua review, moving toward six regional committees and one national committee instead of the old separate fund-by-fund structure.
A new unified Lottery Fund opened its first application round on 22 July 2026, covering four application types — including sport and recreation infrastructure planning and general recreation and wellbeing funding, alongside community projects and community facilities. If your venue previously applied to the old Lottery Community Facilities Fund or Lottery Community fund by name, those have been folded into this new structure.
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Who it's for |
Not-for-profits with legal entity status (including Charities Services–registered organisations); some funding available to unregistered groups up to $10,000/year across all committees |
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What it can fund |
Community facility improvements and new builds, feasibility studies, recreation infrastructure planning, community projects, marae wharenui/wharekai/wharepaku capital works (via the National Committee) |
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Key dates |
New Lottery Fund's first round opened 22 July 2026 — check current round dates, they're still bedding in the new calendar |
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Links |
Community Matters – Lottery Fund · Changes to Lottery Grants Board structure |
A government-funded scheme for grassroots not-for-profits, run through 37 Local Distribution Committees who each set their own regional priorities based on community consultation.
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Who it's for |
Not-for-profit organisations with under $2 million annual operating expenditure over the past two years |
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What it can fund |
Operating costs, community development costs (hui, training, planning, facilitator fees), one-off project contributions |
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Grant size |
Average grant is around $3,000 |
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Links |
Funded by Creative NZ and delivered through every city and district council in the country — so unlike some of the other arts funds, you always apply to your own council, not a central body. Supports over 1,800 arts projects a year nationwide.
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Who it's for |
Individuals, groups, and organisations delivering local arts and cultural projects |
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What it can fund |
Performances, workshops, exhibitions, festivals — projects that increase participation, celebrate cultural diversity, or involve young people under 18 |
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Key dates |
Most councils run two rounds a year; Auckland's close in February and August |
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Links |
Creative NZ – Creative Communities Scheme — search "[your council] Creative Communities Scheme" for local application details |
A Sport NZ activation fund delivered through the country's 14 Regional Sports Trusts, aimed at getting tamariki and rangatahi (ages 5–18) into play, active recreation, and sport — particularly groups who are currently less active, including girls, young women, disabled young people, and Māori through a dedicated kaupapa Māori pathway.
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Who it's for |
Incorporated clubs/societies, charitable trusts, marae, hapū/iwi organisations, councils, schools, and some commercial/social enterprises |
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What it can fund |
Programmes and projects delivering play, active recreation, or sport for young people — new or existing |
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Links |
Sport NZ – Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa — apply through your Regional Sports Trust (e.g. Sport Auckland, Sport Waikato, Sport Canterbury, Harbour Sport) |
Not a grant in the traditional sense, but relevant if your venue operates as a business or social enterprise looking to build management capability — this network can connect you to co-funded training and advisory support.
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Who it's for |
Small-to-medium businesses and social enterprises |
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What it can fund |
Management coaching, training, and capability-building support, often co-funded |
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Links |
Regional Business Partner Network — 14 regional growth agencies nationwide; find yours through the site |
New Zealand has 12 regional Community Trusts, set up in 1988 when the government transferred ownership of the old regional trustee savings banks to their communities. Between them, they cover the whole country, and each one funds a wide range of community, arts, sport, environment, and wellbeing projects in its own patch — usually with far more flexibility than government schemes.
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Trust |
Region covered |
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Auckland and Northland |
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Hamilton and the Waikato districts |
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Bay of Plenty |
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Taranaki |
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Eastern and Central North Island |
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Whanganui |
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Wellington region |
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Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough, and Canterbury |
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Buller, Grey, and Westland |
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Mid and South Canterbury |
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Otago |
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Southland |
Grant sizes and eligibility vary widely by trust — Trust Waikato, for example, funds from $1,000 upward with no fixed ceiling, prioritising high-need communities and Māori development. Check your regional trust's current guidelines directly, since criteria differ trust to trust.
Every city and district council in New Zealand runs some version of local grants funding — the mechanics are broadly similar everywhere (a regional/citywide pool plus local board or community board–level pools, often split into a higher-value "local grant" round and a smaller, faster "quick response" round), but the names and portals differ. Three worked examples:
Auckland Council runs Regional Grants (for organisations and projects with citywide impact) and Local Board Grants (for projects benefiting a specific local board area), plus a separate Regional Arts and Culture Grants programme and the Creative Communities Scheme described above. Applications go through the council's SmartyGrants portal.
Wellington runs a set of Council Funds covering arts and culture, waste minimisation, and community events sponsorship, alongside the Creative Communities Scheme. Notably for venues specifically, Wellington City Council also offers a dedicated Venues Wellington subsidy — around $245,000 a year to make council-run venues more accessible to Wellington-based community groups running free or low-cost events.
Wellington City Council – Council Funds · Venues Wellington subsidies and grants
Christchurch's main vehicle is the Strengthening Communities Fund, split into a Citywide fund (with Arts, Community, and Sport & Recreation streams) and Community Board–level funding for locally based projects, plus a Discretionary Response Fund for smaller, faster requests.
Christchurch City Council – Community Funding
If you're outside these three, your council will run an equivalent — search "[your council name] community grants" or "[your council name] community funding" to find it. Most now run applications through SmartyGrants, so if you can't find a council's own page, try searching their name plus "smartygrants."
Gaming machine societies distribute a portion of gaming proceeds to community groups, generally tied to a project benefiting a community near one of the trust's gaming venues. These operate nationwide, though eligibility and current guidelines should always be checked directly, as this sector sees periodic changes to trust structures and guidelines.
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Trust |
Notes |
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One of the largest gaming trusts, funding community, sport, and arts projects |
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Funds community sport, recreation, and wellbeing projects |
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Funds a broad range of community and sport initiatives |
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Community-focused gaming trust |
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South Canterbury–based gaming trust |
Check each trust's current funding guidelines and confirm they're still active in your area before applying — this sector consolidates and rebrands periodically.
These are a mix of nationwide and regionally-scoped funders — worth checking the geographic reach before applying:
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Grant |
Reach |
Notes |
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Auckland (airport-adjacent communities only) |
Funds whānau and community wellbeing projects, with a focus on inclusiveness and supporting Tangata Whenua |
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Nationwide, along National Grid routes |
One-off grants of $5,000–$50,000 for communities near Transpower infrastructure |
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Nationwide |
Funds programmes for young people, particularly those who've interacted with the justice system or Oranga Tamariki |
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Nationwide |
Funds projects using music to support community wellbeing |
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Nationwide |
Corporate giving arm supporting environment, education, and arts projects |
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Varies by fund |
Manages numerous philanthropic trusts, each with its own regional or thematic focus |
For deeper or more specialised searching:
What's the easiest grant for a small community group to start with?
COGS and your local council's quick response grant are usually the most accessible starting points — lower application overhead, faster turnaround, and smaller grants that don't require the same level of financial reporting as larger funds.
Can marae and religious spaces apply for these grants?
Marae are explicitly eligible for many of these schemes, including Lottery Fund's marae-specific capital works stream and Tū Manawa's kaupapa Māori pathway. Religious spaces are eligible for some council and trust funding but are commonly excluded where the primary purpose is religious ministry — check each fund's specific exclusions.
How much can a community venue get from the new Lottery Fund?
This depends on which of the four application types you apply under and your project scope — the fund is newly restructured as of July 2026, so specific ranges are still becoming clear. Talk to a Community Advisor through Community Matters before applying.
Do I need to be a registered charity to apply for funding?
Not always. Some funds (like parts of the Lottery Fund and COGS) accept unregistered or informal groups, often with lower funding caps or extra reporting requirements. Most larger grants do require legal entity status, typically Charities Services registration.
Where do I find grants specific to my region if it's not listed here?
Start with your regional Community Trust (see the table above) and your council's own grants or funding page — search "[your council name] community grants."