Lottery Funding for Community Support Services
The Lottery Fund distributes profits of New Zealand lotteries, for community purposes only to projects, initiatives and activities that deliver community benefit of a public nature, and contribute to the building of strong, sustainable communities in New Zealand.
Applications for funding can be made for community support services.
Examples of the types of applications that may be eligible:
- A community organisation providing budgeting and financial mentoring services year-round.
- A marae providing ongoing whānau support, referrals and advocacy services.
- A youth organisation delivering mentoring and life-skills coaching for rangatahi.
- A migrant support group helping new arrivals access services and settle into the community.
- Community house whose primary purpose is to provide community support services and in addition provides a place for other services to operate.
What is an ongoing community support service?
Ongoing community support services involve the active provision of support, assistance, guidance, mentoring, information, community development, coordination, capability-building, cultural strengthening, community leadership, or other activities that directly strengthen the wellbeing, resilience, participation, self-reliance, self-determination, and collective wellbeing of people, whānau, and communities.
Community support service funding is for organisations that provide ongoing and continuous service delivery. Organisations are eligible to apply for operational costs, including multi-year funding for up to three years.
One-off projects or stand-alone activities and events are not eligible for community support services funding, but may be more suited to Lottery funding for community projects
Eligibility
In addition to the general eligibility requirements on the Lottery fund page, your organisation also needs to meet the following criteria:
- Their primary purpose is the ongoing active delivery of community support services.
When determining an organisation's primary purpose, consideration is given to the organisation's stated purposes and objectives, the activities it undertakes, how it allocates its resources, staff, volunteers and expenditure, the outcomes it seeks to achieve, and the proportion of its activity dedicated to delivering community support services.
- The service must provide ongoing support, guidance, advocacy, connection, mentoring, information, navigation, capability building, or early intervention.
- The service must deliver a community benefit
- The benefit the service provides extends beyond individual members and contributes to strong more sustainable communities.
- National organisations whose primary purpose is capability building for community support services, outdoor, or water safety may also be supported for ongoing operational costs where these activities provide a recognised community benefit.
What is not funded?
In addition to the Lottery Grants Board list of exclusions, the following activities or services cannot be funded under Community Support Services:
- One-off or stand-alone activities or events.
- Activities or services that do not meet the definition of a community support service.
- Sport or recreation activities where the primary purpose is participation, training, or competition unless those activities primarily constitute the active delivery of a community support service
- Arts, cultural, heritage, or environmental activities where the primary purpose is participation, preservation, education, events, collections, facilities, or advocacy runless those activities primarily constitute the active delivery of a community support service.
- Emergency response, rescue or responding to immediate risks to life or property, unless they are national organisations whose primary purpose is outdoor or water safety and they provide a recognised community benefit.
- Providing a venue, gathering place, facility, marae, community house, community hub, cultural institution, or community space unless the organisation’s primary purpose is the ongoing active delivery of community support services
- Costs that are intended to cover funding gaps, operational deficits, or shortfalls arising from government-contracted services, rather than supporting additional or complementary community outcomes.
Application requirements
- An organisational budget for the current financial year, clearly showing how the funding requested supports the delivery of the community support service.
- Applicants must describe the services delivery, who benefits, and the intended community outcomes.
- Completed application form.
- Financial accounts
- Completed organisation profile.
- Completed reporting requirements, as required.
- Bank account details.