How to apply for a grant

Before you apply

Some funders, such as NZCT and Wellington City Council, want a legal entity such as an incorporated society or charitable trust. NZCT says registering under the Charities Act is optional and does not confirm incorporation status. 1 2
Some funders prefer groups that have been running for at least a full financial year. New groups may be asked for a budget instead of accounts. 3 4
If your group is not a legal entity yet, some funders let you apply through an umbrella organisation that is. 2 5
Get the usual papers ready: proof of your bank account in the group's name (a deposit slip or bank statement), your latest annual accounts, and a minuted resolution from your committee agreeing to apply. 4 6 7
First-time applicants may be asked for a letter of support from an organisation that knows your work. Foundation North asks for one that is signed, dated and no more than six months old. 8 9
Registered charities file an annual return with Charities Services. Tier 4 reporting is for small charities with simple financial activity and uses cash-based accounting. Check the Charities Services page for which tier applies to you. 10 11

Read the rules first

Funders publish lists of things they will not fund, so read them before you write anything. Aotearoa Gaming Trust, for example, lists individuals, overseas travel, catering, entry fees and debt retirement, and NZCT does not fund individuals. Check the funder's own list. 3 6 12 13
Foundation North, for example, gives priority to requests that closely fit one of its focus areas, and weighs each request against all the others for the funding available. 14
Some funders limit what they pay for staff. One Foundation, for example, generally funds salaries three months at a time. 15
If you are not sure you fit, many funders are happy for you to get in touch first. It saves time on both sides. 9

Quotes and budgets

Many funders want quotes for what you are buying. Pub Charity asks for at least two quotes for each item where applicable, and NZCT asks for competing quotes. If you can only get one, NZCT asks you to explain why. 7 16
Make sure quotes are recent and addressed to your group. NZCT generally wants them less than three months old when you apply. 7 16
A budget shows the funder you have planned well. Show what you expect to earn and spend, use current costs, and note where each figure comes from. 9 17 18
Some funds need money from elsewhere too. Creative New Zealand's Creative Impact Fund, for example, asks you to show revenue from other sources if you apply for more than $50,000. 19
NZCT, for example, asks for an employment contract and a job description if you are applying for a salary or contractor's fee. 16

Writing the application

Say what you do, who you do it for, and why it matters. Funders want to understand the difference the money will make, not just the activity. 9 19
Be clear about the community you serve and how this grant would benefit them. 12 20
Describe outcomes: what changes for the people who take part. Keep it honest and realistic. 9 21 22
Use plain language, keep to word limits, and only include what is recent and relevant. Assessors are likely to be reading many applications. 18 22
Before you send it, read it as the funder would. Is everything they asked for there? 22

Online forms and portals

Many funders take applications online. NZCT uses the Fluxx portal, Foundation North its Funding Hub and Wellington City Council its own funding portal. You register with each funder's portal separately, and Wellington City Council says you only need to register once however many applications you make. 1 13 23 24
If a funder uses SmartyGrants, your session times out after 20 minutes, so save as you go. One funder's form guidance also warns that the browser's Back button can lose your progress. 24 25
Register early. SmartyGrants says an activation email can take up to 15 minutes to arrive, and Trust Waikato needs each person who applies or reports to register in its portal. 4 26
Check the attachment rules. Creative New Zealand, for example, needs files under 10MB, with no macrons or special characters in file names, and does not accept links to Google Drive or Dropbox. 18
Send everything at once. Some funders put incomplete applications on hold or can't process them. 6 7

Deadlines and how long decisions take

Apply well before you need the money. The Trusts Community Foundation asks for applications at least six weeks before the activity starts. 27
Cut-offs can be firm. Pub Charity's is 5pm on the cut-off date, and late applications go to the next month's round. 28
Decisions take from a few weeks to a few months. NZCT says generally four to nine weeks, and Foundation North aims to decide requests up to $199,999 within four months (two months for quick response grants). 1 17 29
Keep a calendar of closing dates so nothing sneaks up on you. 22

Gaming trusts: three rules that catch people out

Nothing already paid for. Gaming trust grants cannot pay for costs you have already paid or committed to before the decision, including deposits. Wait until you hear before you spend. 3 4 6 27
Pub Charity treats asking more than one trust for the full cost of the same thing as double dipping and declines it. You can ask several trusts for part of the cost as long as the total does not go over the full cost, and funders such as One Foundation and Pub Charity want other applications declared. 7 15 29
Money goes back to the area where it was raised. Check the trust has gaming venues near you before you apply. 3 16 28

Why applications are declined

Funders often receive more requests than they have money for. Pub Charity's declined-grant reports also list incomplete or inadequate information, costs that are not funded, retrospective costs and duplicate applications to another trust. 30 31 32
At Pub Charity, unfinished reports or audit requirements from an earlier grant can count against a new application. 7 29 30
Some funders tell you the reason when they decline, and you can usually apply again. Asking for feedback can also point you to a funder that fits better. 6 7 9 31 33

After you are funded

Spend the grant on what you asked for. If plans change, or you want a different supplier, ask the funder before you spend. 3 4 7 34
Expect to report back on how the money was used, often within a year. NZCT, for example, accepts tax invoices and bank statements as proof, but not quotes, receipts, pro forma invoices or spreadsheets. Check what your funder accepts. 3 4 21
NZCT and Pub Charity both require you to return any money you do not use. Check your grant conditions. 3
Some funders, such as Wellington City Council, make acknowledging their support a condition of the grant. Others, such as Trust Waikato and Pub Charity, do not require it but welcome it. 4 7 21
Good reporting builds trust and makes the next application easier. Some funders limit how often you can apply, for example one application per financial year at The Trusts Community Foundation. 9 17 27

Sources

Each number above links here. Read on 17 October 2026. Funders change their rules, so check the page itself.

NZCT: Apply for Grantsnzct.org.nz
Wellington City Council: Waste Minimisation Fundwellington.govt.nz
NZCT: FAQsnzct.org.nz
Trust Waikato: FAQstrustwaikato.co.nz
Foundation North: Application guide, Applying under an umbrellafoundationnorth.org.nz
Aotearoa Gaming Trust: Funding FAQagt.nz
Pub Charity: Grant processpubcharitylimited.org.nz
Foundation North: Application guide, Documents to submitfoundationnorth.org.nz
Centre for Social Impact: Funding guidecentreforsocialimpact.org.nz
Charities Services: Tier 4 reportingcharities.govt.nz
Charities Services: Annual returnscharities.govt.nz
Foundation North: Application guide, Exclusions and limitationsfoundationnorth.org.nz
Foundation North: Fundingfoundationnorth.org.nz
Foundation North: Application guide, How do we assess?foundationnorth.org.nz
One Foundation: Grants FAQsonefoundation.nz
NZCT: Making a successful grant applicationnzct.org.nz
Foundation North: FAQs, Applying for fundingfoundationnorth.org.nz
Creative New Zealand: Making an applicationcreativenz.govt.nz
Creative New Zealand: Creative Impact Fundcreativenz.govt.nz
Creative New Zealand: Arts Organisations and Groups fund announced (2024)creativenz.govt.nz
Wellington City Council: Funding applications, what you need to knowwellington.govt.nz
Predator Free NZ Trust: Grant application tipspredatorfreenz.org
Wellington City Council: Funding Portal, apply onlinewellington.govt.nz
SmartyGrants: Help Guide for Applicantsapplicanthelp.smartygrants.com.au
SmartyGrants form guidance (Development & Operations Round 2 2024/25)cbf.smartygrants.com.au
SmartyGrants: Help Guide for Applicantsapplicanthelp.smartygrants.com.au
The Trusts Community Foundation: Funding FAQsttcfltd.org.nz
Pub Charity: Grant Fundingpubcharitylimited.org.nz
Pub Charity: FAQspubcharitylimited.org.nz
Pub Charity: Declined Grants, September 2026 outcome reportpubcharitylimited.org.nz
Constellation Communities Trust: Grants Policyconstellationtrust.org.nz
Creative New Zealand: Arts Organisations and Groups Fund 2026 announcementcreativenz.govt.nz
Basketball New Zealand: Gaming Trust Funding, Applications and Accountabilitynz.basketball
Community Matters (DIA): Lottery Community Facilities Grantcommunitymatters.govt.nz