Council community and local-board grants

District and city councils (and Auckland local boards) give small community grants, often in fixed rounds.

Typically raises

$3,000

$500–20,000 per grantest.

About $300 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

Common: most groups apply to council at some point

People: 1
Organiser time: 5-15
Lead time: 1-3 months; rounds
Up-front cost: Nothing up front
Risk: none
Who can use it: Usually incorporated groups; some councils accept unincorporated groups with an umbrella organisation; a few have individual funds.

Suits: Scouts or Guides, Sports club or team, Charity, Community group, marae or service club, Kapa haka, choir, theatre or band

Less usual for: Kindy or early learning, Church

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

The money, as an example sum

A typical grant here is about $3,000 (they run from $500–20,000). One approved application = about $3,000, for about 5-15 hours of paperwork and nothing paid up front.

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

Where the money figure comes from

ESTIMATE: varies by council.

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

Step by step

Check your council's grants page for rounds and criteria.
Talk to the council's community advisor first.
Align the application with the council's community outcomes.
Submit with budget and quotes.
Report on the outcome.

Getting the word out

Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it.

Then tell people: Once the grant is in, tell people who funded it. Many funders ask you to; your grant letter says how.
When to start: Start when the grant is approved, and again when the money is spent: a photo of the new gear with a thank-you.

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.

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

Rounds are usually once or twice a year. Event grants often require public liability insurance and a health and safety plan.

Tips

Councils also administer the Sport NZ Rural Travel Fund and Creative Communities Scheme.

Watch out for

Missing the round; many councils only run one or two a year.