Lottery Funding for Community Projects (New Zealand)

Deadline: 29-Sep-2026

The Lottery Fund provides grants to support defined community projects, initiatives and activities that deliver a clear public benefit and help build strong, sustainable communities across New Zealand. The fund distributes profits generated from New Zealand lotteries to support community-focused activities across the country. Funding can support a wide range of projects, including cultural festivals, arts and language workshops, community research, strategic planning and heritage documentation. Projects must be clearly defined, one-off activities with a specific purpose, timeframe and intended outcomes. Applicants should also demonstrate meaningful community involvement or partnership and show how the proposed activity contributes to one or more of the Lottery Grants Board’s strategic outcomes. Purpose of the Lottery Fund The Lottery Fund is designed to reinvest lottery profits into initiatives that provide public community benefit. The programme aims to support communities by: - Improving community wellbeing. - Encouraging participation. - Strengthening social cohesion. - Promoting equity. - Supporting collective self-determination. - Building community capability. - Strengthening connections between people and communities. - Supporting strong and sustainable communities across New Zealand. The focus is on projects that create additional community value rather than funding organisations’ routine operational responsibilities. What Types of Projects Can Be Supported? The fund can support a broad range of defined community activities where there is a clear public benefit.

Examples include:

- Cultural festivals. - Arts workshops. - Language workshops. - Community research with applied outcomes. - Strategic planning. - Heritage documentation. - Other defined community initiatives and activities. The examples above illustrate the types of community-focused projects that may be supported. The proposed activity should have a clear purpose, timeframe and intended outcomes. One-Off Project Requirement A key feature of the Lottery Fund is that applications should relate to defined, one-off activities. A suitable project should clearly establish: - What will be delivered. - Why the activity is needed. - When it will take place. - Who will benefit. - What outcomes are expected. - How the activity will contribute to the wider community. Applications should avoid presenting routine organisational operations as project activities. Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants include:

- Community organisations. - State schools funded by the Ministry of Education. - State-integrated schools funded by the Ministry of Education. - Local authorities. Eligibility also depends on the proposed activity meeting the fund’s community benefit and strategic requirements. The project must provide a clear public benefit and should be additional to the applicant’s core statutory or operational responsibilities. Public Community Benefit A clear public benefit is central to the programme. Applicants should demonstrate how their proposed activity will benefit the wider community rather than primarily benefiting the organisation itself.

A strong proposal should explain:

- Who will benefit from the project. - How community members will participate. - What positive change the project is expected to create. - Why the activity provides additional community value. - How the project contributes to strong and sustainable communities. Community Involvement and Partnerships Applicants are expected to demonstrate meaningful community involvement or partnership. This can help show that the project reflects genuine community needs and has appropriate support from people or organisations connected to the proposed activity.

Applicants should explain:

- Who has been involved in developing the project. - Which community members or groups will participate. - Whether relevant organisations are partnering on the initiative. - How community involvement will contribute to successful delivery. Lottery Grants Board Strategic Outcomes Projects should align with one or more of the Lottery Grants Board’s strategic outcomes.

Relevant outcomes include:

- Community wellbeing. - Participation. - Social cohesion. - Equity. - Collective self-determination. - Community capability. - Connection. Applicants should identify the most relevant outcomes and explain how their proposed activity will contribute to them. Funding Is Additional to Core Responsibilities The Lottery Fund is intended to support activities that provide additional community value. The proposed project should therefore be additional to the applicant’s core statutory or operational responsibilities. This is particularly relevant for organisations such as schools and local authorities. Applicants should demonstrate why the proposed activity represents an additional community initiative rather than a normal responsibility or routine service. What Funding Is Not Available For? The fund does not support several types of expenditure or activities.

Funding is not available for:

- Ongoing operational costs. - Projects that are primarily capital works. - Pure research without applied community outcomes. - Research undertaken for educational qualifications. - Projects that duplicate existing services without providing additional benefit. Applicants should ensure that their project is clearly defined and delivers an identifiable community outcome. Research Projects Community research may be eligible where it produces applied community outcomes. However, research that is purely academic or does not result in meaningful community outcomes is not supported. Research undertaken primarily to obtain an educational qualification is also ineligible. Applicants proposing research should therefore clearly explain how the findings will be applied to benefit the community. Avoiding Duplication of Existing Services Projects that simply duplicate existing services without providing additional benefit