Class 4 gaming trust grants (NZCT, Lion Foundation, Pub Charity, Aotearoa Gaming Trust, Four Winds and others)

Also called: pokie trust grants, gaming trust grants, for example NZCT, Lion Foundation, Pub Charity, Aotearoa Gaming Trust, Four Winds

Pokie machines in pubs and bars are owned by gaming trusts, which give part of the money back as grants to community groups, mostly in the area it came from. You apply online for one cost at a time, such as new uniforms, equipment or travel to a competition in NZ. It suits incorporated clubs, societies, charitable trusts and community groups. A typical grant is a few thousand dollars ($5,000 here, $500–50,000), and an application takes about 4–15 hours. The catch: you can’t spend the money until it’s approved, and some groups choose not to take pokie money at all.

How big is your group?

Students at a school, or members and players at a club. Remembered in this browser only.

A grant depends on the cost you ask for, not on how big your group is.

Typically raises

$5,000

$500–50,000 per grantest.

About $526 per organiser hour

Based on one community group grant

Is it right for us?

Money: $2,000–10,000
Work: A few evenings
Helpers: 1–2 people
Lead time: 1–2 months
Red tape: Some

Everyone’s done it: nearly every club leans on pokie trust grants

People: 1-2
Organiser time: 4-15 per application
Lead time: 6-12 weeks (AGT says most processed within 20 working days)
Up-front cost: Nothing up front
Risk: none (but no retrospective costs; you may have to pay suppliers only after approval)
Who can use it: Must be an incorporated not-for-profit (incorporated society, charitable trust, or in some cases a not-for-profit company). Lion Foundation wants at least one full financial year of incorporation. Individuals cannot apply.

Suits: Kindy or early learning, Primary or intermediate school, High school, Scouts or Guides, Cadets (ATC, Sea Cadets), Sports club or team, Charity, Community group, marae or service club, Kapa haka, choir, theatre or band

Less usual for: Team going to a tournament or tour

When: Summer (Dec–Feb), Autumn (Mar–May), Winter (Jun–Aug), Spring (Sep–Nov)

How big a job: A few evenings, 1–2 people

How it works

There’s nothing to sell and nobody to ask but the trust. What you need is one clear cost, quotes for it, and your paperwork in order.

Check you can apply. Trusts usually want an incorporated not-for-profit: an incorporated society, a charitable trust or, in some cases, a not-for-profit company. Eligibility varies, so check each trust’s rules. Incorporated societies must be re-registered under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022. Some trusts want a full financial year behind you (Lion Foundation does). Individuals can’t apply. A group that isn’t incorporated can sometimes apply through a body that is: see ‘Applying through an umbrella organisation’.

Find the trusts near you. Grants usually go back to the area the money was raised in, so look for the trusts whose machines are in your local pubs and bars, and search granted.govt.nz to see what they’ve funded near you. Read each trust’s exclusions before you choose what to ask for. For example, AGT doesn’t fund individuals, overseas travel, entry fees, catering or costs already paid; Lion Foundation doesn’t fund training clothing, food or professional sport.

Ask each trust for one cost (new playing gear from one, tournament travel within NZ from another), and never get the same thing funded twice. Tell each trust about your other applications.

Gather the paperwork. Trusts usually want two quotes, a committee resolution (minutes showing your committee agreed to apply), a bank verification (proof from your bank that the account is the group’s), and your latest accounts. Then apply online.

Wait before you spend. AGT says most applications are processed within 20 working days; allow 6–12 weeks. Don’t order, book or pay for anything until it’s approved: trusts don’t fund costs you’ve already committed to. When the money arrives, spend it exactly as approved, keep the receipts, file the accountability report (how you spent it, with receipts), and acknowledge the funder. A missed report blocks your next grant.

Some groups choose not to take pokie money on principle. That’s a fair choice; talk it through as a committee before you apply.

The money, as an example sum

A typical grant here is about $5,000 (they run from $500–50,000). One approved application = about $5,000, for about 4-15 hours of paperwork and nothing paid up front.

From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.

Example only: one club, two applications to two trusts for two different costs.
One trust: new playing gear (two quotes)	$2,500
Another trust: travel to a tournament in NZ	$2,000
Cost to apply	$0
Towards those two costs, if both are approved	$4,500

If it goes slowly. If only one is approved, you get $2,000 or $2,500 for that cost, and can ask a community trust or your council for the other. Both could be declined: you lose only the hours. Grant money can only be spent on what was approved.

When to shrink, switch or cancel. If no trust in your area funds what you need, change the ask or the funder: travel within NZ is often fundable and overseas travel often isn’t, and community trusts and councils fund different things (see ‘Community trust grants’ and ‘Council community and local-board grants’).

What makes it work. It works when you ask for one clear, quoted cost that matches what the trust funds, with every document attached. It fails on costs already paid, the wrong area, missing documents, or a missed report from last time.

Where the money figure comes from

Published grant lists show typical community grants of a few thousand dollars, e.g. AGT grants of $500-$15,000 (incl. International Taekwon-Do Foundation of NZ Inc $2,500); Pub Charity Jan 2025 report includes $20,000 towards travel and accommodation. High is an ESTIMATE.

Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.

Step by step

2–3 months before you need the money

Check your incorporation and re-registration are up to date.
Decide the cost and get two quotes.
Pass a committee resolution to apply.
Get a bank verification and your latest accounts ready.

Choosing trusts

Find the trusts with machines in venues near you.
Search granted.govt.nz for what they’ve funded locally.
Read each trust’s exclusions.
Match one cost to each trust.

Applying

Apply online, one cost per trust.
Keep a copy of everything you sent.

Waiting (allow 6–12 weeks)

Don’t order, book or buy anything yet.
Answer the trust’s questions quickly.

After approval

Spend it exactly as approved and keep the receipts.
File the accountability report on time.
Acknowledge the funder the way your grant letter asks.

Getting the word out

Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it. There are two asks, and the first one goes out first.

Ask for help: Your committee to agree to apply, and one member to get the two quotes.
Ask people to buy: Once it’s approved, thank the trust where people will see it: your newsletter, your Facebook page, and a photo of the new gear. Your grant letter says how the trust wants to be named.
When to start: When the grant is approved, and again when the gear arrives or the trip happens.

Where to put it

School, club and church newslettersYour own newsletter is free and read by the families most likely to say yes. Check when it closes.
Local Facebook pages and community groupsPost in your town’s community page and local groups (check their rules), and share from your group’s own page.
Free notices in local papersMany local papers print some community notices free: ask what they offer. Not every town still has one, so check what comes to your letterbox, and book early.

The full guide to getting the word out: every channel from flyers to the evening news, with lead times and costs.

Taking the money

Ways to pay that suit this

Counting, banking and receiptsTwo people count every tin, write it down and both sign. Bank it the next business day, and keep a receipt for everything you spend.

The grant is paid into your group’s bank account. Spend it only on the approved cost, and keep every invoice and receipt for the accountability report.

The full guide to taking the money: floats, card readers and their fees, bank transfers, school systems and counting up.

What you’ll need

Place: Not neededNone needed
Landowner’s permission: Not needed
Council permit: Not needed
Food rules: Not neededNo food sold
Alcohol: Not neededNo alcohol sold
Gambling rules: Not neededNot gambling

Incorporated not-for-profits only; no individuals, overseas travel or retrospective costs (AGT). Some groups decline pokie money on principle.

Tips

Check granted.govt.nz to see what trusts have funded near you.
Travel to NZ competitions is often fundable; overseas travel often is not (check each trust).

Watch out for

Applying for retrospective costs; missing accountability reports, which blocks future grants.