The Community Organisation Grants Scheme (COGS) provides funding to non-profit community organisations to deliver community-based services and projects throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

COGS is a great example of a partnership between communities and Government working together to make communities better. This partnership relies on active involvement by the people in those communities.

COGS funding is decided by Local Distribution Committees (LDCs) which are made up of volunteers nominated and elected by the communities they serve.

LDC candidates are nominated by community organisations which provide services in communities within each LDC regional area. These candidates are then voted on by community organisations.

LDC members are elected every 3 years.

Now is your opportunity to nominate a candidate for the 2025 LDC elections.

Two versions of the nomination forms are at the links below:

LDC Member Nomination form (.pdf, 645KB)

LDC Member Nomination form (.doc, 158KB)

Important dates

• Nominations close: Sunday, 31 August 2025
• LDC election voting: Monday 22 September – Friday 10 October 2025
• Notification of election results: by Friday 24 October 2025 (on the Community Matters website

Why serve on an LDC

Serving on an LDC is a rewarding experience that can give you a greater understanding of the links between Government, as a funder, and communities. It also gives members experience in facilitation, leadership and decision-making.

Expectations of LDC members

Being an LDC member is a voluntary role that requires:

• a commitment of approximately 80 – 100 hours each year (including assessing funding requests and attendance at decision meetings)
• an opportunity to participate in COGS public meetings or surveys held prior to the funding round each year to set LDC priorities for funding.

Participating in priority-setting public meetings or surveys ensures that COGS funding is locally focused.

LDC nominee eligibility

Anyone seeking election to an LDC must be nominated by an eligible community organisation and:

• live or work in the area covered by the LDC
• be 18 years of age or older at the time of nomination
• be eligible to live permanantly in New Zealand (they must be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, or hold a Visa allowing them to live in New Zealand for the period of their appointment)
• not be currently bankrupt or subject to a property order under the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988
• not be convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment. Note: people who have served or otherwise completed a sentence are eligible
• not be a permanently appointed Department of Internal Affairs staff member
• not be a current LDC member completing a second consecutive 3 year term
• complete the LDC Member Nomination form.

Requirements for a nominating organisation

To be eligible to make a nomination, a community organisation must have been eligible to request funding from the 2025 COGS funding round.

More about COGS

You can read more about the COGS fund at the link below:

Community Organisation Grants Scheme (COGS) fund page