Lottery Grants Board (via Community Matters)

Lotto NZ profits granted by the Lottery Grants Board through one Lottery Fund with three application types for groups (Community Projects, Community Facilities, Community Support Services) plus equipment for people with a disability. Four funding rounds in 2026/27; the next opens 6 January 2027.

Typically raises

$15,000

$2,000–100,000 per grantest.

About $545 per organiser hour

Is it right for us?

Money: $10,000–50,000
Work: Weeks, part-time
Helpers: 1–2 people
Lead time: 4+ months
Red tape: Some

Fairly common: known to established groups, daunting for small ones

People: 1-3
Organiser time: 15-40
Lead time: 3-6 months
Up-front cost: Nothing up front
Risk: none
Who can use it: Not-for-profit organisations with legal entity status (typically an incorporated society or charitable trust; limited liability bodies registered with Charities Services also qualify), with governance and financial systems that suit the size of the request. Groups without legal entity status can apply through a fundholder for up to $10,000. State and state-integrated schools and councils can apply only for clear wider community benefit beyond their core funded duties. Individuals can apply only for equipment for a permanent disability. Fundraisers cannot apply on a group's behalf.

Suits: Charity, Community group, marae or service club

Less usual for: Church, Kapa haka, choir, theatre or band

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

How big a job: Several weeks, part-time, 1–2 people

How it works

The money, as an example sum

A typical grant here is about $15,000 (they run from $2,000–100,000). One approved application = about $15,000, for about 15-40 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: Community Matters publishes no typical grant size for the new 2026 categories. Published limits: groups without legal entity status can get up to $10,000 through a fundholder; facility requests of $100,000-$250,000 need a 10% contribution and over $250,000 need 20%; Community Support Services can fund up to three years of operating costs. The Board allocated $311 million to its committees for 2026/27.

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

Step by step

Pick the right category: Community Projects (a defined activity, programme or event), Community Facilities (planning or building a hall, marae, playground or other permanent facility), or Community Support Services (ongoing service delivery, up to three years of operating costs).
Check the round dates on the Community Matters funding calendar. 2026/27 rounds: 22 July-18 August 2026, 2 September-29 September 2026, 6 January-2 February 2027 and 24 February-23 March 2027.
If you have never applied before, call a Community Advisor on 0800 824 824 first.
Set up RealMe and your organisation profile in the online grants system; drafts can be saved any time but only submitted while a round is open.
Show how the work fits one or more of the five 'building strong, sustainable communities' areas and who benefits.
Prepare a budget, latest financial accounts, bank details and two quotes (no more than four months old) for each major cost item; projects of $100,000 or more typically also need a project brief.
For facilities, secure any partnership funding (10% for $100,000-$250,000, 20% over $250,000) and land ownership or permission before applying; over $250,000 also needs a feasibility study, project manager and maintenance plan.
Wait for the decision (typically two to three months after the round closes) before spending, then file the results report.

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

Not-for-profit legal entities only. Lottery funding categories changed from July 2026; check which funds are open.

Tips

One organisation can lodge several applications in the same round if each is for a different purpose.
Facility feasibility studies are funded as a separate application from the build itself, and the study must not have started before you apply.
Recurring events (for example an annual festival) can apply each year for a distinct delivery period, but past funding is no guarantee.
In-kind work counts towards a facility's partnership contribution; volunteer labour can be valued at the Living Wage when no market rate exists.

Watch out for

Following old guides: the specialist committees, Lottery Community Facilities and Lottery Community funds were replaced on 1 July 2026, so old fund names and criteria no longer apply.
Applying to Community Support Services for a one-off event or for a venue that does not itself deliver services; use Community Projects or Community Facilities instead.
Starting work, or a feasibility study, before the decision; retrospective costs are not funded.
Quotes older than four months, or a facility request over $100,000 without the partnership funding already secured.