Skip to main content

What supporting documents are needed for Lottery Community Facilities requests?

All requests for grants must have:

All funding requests for a facility must have:

  • a detailed project budget
  • at least two letters of support from community organisations that will use the facility when it is finished.
  • proof of your organisation has secured a third of the total cost of the project as partnership funding (33.3%).
  • proof of land ownership or permission to build the facility from the owner of the land (if the facility is a fixed structure).

More specific details about what is required for supporting information is included under the questions below.

What type of budget do I need?

When you request a grant, you need to provide a budget for what you plan to do. The type of budget will depend on what you need the money for.

Grants can be for your business as usual running costs (operational costs) or for project costs and may be for just one year or, if you are making a Lottery Community request, for multiple years - up to three years. It is important to remember that grants are usually a contribution to part of your organisations running costs or the cost of delivering a project.

It is also important to note that only Lottery Community offers multi-year operational costs funding and Community Organisations Grants Scheme (COGS) only ever provides funding for one year.  Therefore, in this case, these requests require a budget outlining a plan for a single year. 

What the money will be put towards  The type of budget you will need to provide when submitting your request

One year’s operating costs

Your organisation’s operating budget showing the amount your organisation expects to earn (revenue) and spend for a financial year. Your budget can be for your current financial year or the next financial year.

One year’s project costs

A project budget showing all the costs to your organisation of delivering the project and any other funding your organisation may have gained to put towards the project’s delivery.

 Multi-year – operating costs

Your organisation’s operating budget showing the amount your organisation expects to earn (revenue) and spend for a financial year. Your budget can be for your current financial year or the next financial year.

If your request is successful, your organisation will be asked for an updated operating budget for the year ahead before receiving the next year’s payment.

Multi-year – project costs

A multi-year project budget showing all the costs to your organisation of delivering the total project (over multiple years), and any other funding your organisation may have gained to put towards the project’s delivery.

If your request is successful, your organisation will be asked for an updated project budget each year before receiving the next year’s payment.



 Note - Budgets are not required for the Community Internship Programme or the Lottery Individuals with Disabilities Fund

It is useful to remember in preparing your budget, that if your request is approved, you will be able to use the grant for any costs you have listed in your budget, except for:

  • any item that is not eligible
  • any cost that is excluded when the grant is approved.

What must a budget contain?

  • An operating budget shows your organisation's expected revenue and expenses for a financial year. If the grant you are requesting is for operating or running costs for your organisation and its services, you can submit your existing annual budget. This budget may be for the current financial year or the next financial year.
  • A project budget is for a project only and should not include your organisation’s operating costs. 
  • If you are requesting funding for a project and operating costs, check the grant scheme first to see if this is allowed. If you can request a grant for both, your budget should show the expected project income and costs, as well as the organisation’s budgeted expenses and revenue.
  • All budgets must clearly state the start and end dates for the period covered by the budget.

General tips about budgets

  • include all anticipated and confirmed income. List these items separately.
  • include all of your expected expenses. (If you spend the grant on costs that aren’t listed in your budget, you may have to repay the grant or part of it.)
  • for a project, list all of the project-related income and expenses, not just the amount you’re asking for.
  • it’s okay for a budget to show a loss if there are enough funds in reserve to cover it. You should add a note to the budget to make it clear that you intend to use reserve funds.
  • it’s a good idea to use last year’s accounts as a template for the operating costs. Update these costs for the year ahead.
  • if a grant is made, you can use it for any costs in your budget unless the online terms and conditions or grant agreement excludes a cost in your budget.

What do I need to provide with my request?

All requests for project grants must:

  • show you have at least one-third of the total project cost. Your request will not be considered if you can’t meet this partnership funding requirement when the funding round closes
  • provide a project plan and timeline, and simple concept drawings or floor plans
  • have any resource consents your project needs before you request a grant.

Any plans, studies or reports that you use to support your grant request must be by a person or organisation that is not part of your project’s decision-making group. They must show they have the experience and qualifications for their expert views.

As well as the project budget and any other documents required for the type of grant you are requesting, if you are seeking:

  • a grant of $250,000 or more, you need to provide a quantity surveyor’s report or a signed contract or three written quotes.
  • a grant of less than $250,000, you need to provide three written quotes (or explain in writing why this isn’t possible).
  • a grant for a plan, feasibility study or report, you need to provide one written quote 

What can partnership funding include?

Partnership funding may include:

  • cash donations you’ve received
  • confirmed sponsorship amounts
  • grants made towards your project by others (apart from any Lottery grants)
  • funds your organisation has already raised and tagged for your project, including loans
  • evidence of what you have spent on or invested in project-related work, such as the cost of securing resource consent (if paid for within two years of requesting the grant)
  • the value of any land owned or acquired for the project, provided that:
    • the land is specifically for the project
    • you provide a current certificate of title
    • you provide a certificate from a registered valuer or a record of the rateable value.

Do we need to own the land to get a grant for our building project?

Requests to these Committees for project grants will only be granted if your organisation owns the land, or can show that the legal owner supports the project and will continue to provide public access:

If your project involves a site, building, facility or structure, please provide:

  • a current certificate of title or equivalent evidence of ownership, or
  • evidence of support for the project from the legal owner, and
  • proof that the general public will have access over time.