Lottery Funding for Community Projects
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 projects.
Eligibility
In addition to the general eligibility requirements on the Lottery Fund page, your project also needs to meet the following criteria.
- Community projects are eligible for funding where they are a defined, one-off activity or initiative with a clear purpose, timeframe, and intended outcomes that deliver a community benefit.
- Projects must align with one or more of the five areas ‘Building strong, sustainable communities’ categories, see Lottery Fund page.
- Funding is available for activities, initiatives or pieces of work that directly contribute to those purposes.
Who can apply
Funding may also be available for projects, community facilities planning and delivery to state and state-integrated schools funded by the Ministry of Education, and local authorities where they meet the additional eligibility requirements.
Councils and schools (state and state integrated only) may be eligible where they can demonstrate:
- the activity delivers a clear community benefit of a public nature that benefits the wider community;
- the activity is additional to the organisation's core statutory, regulatory, educational, operational, or government-funded responsibilities and obligations;
- the organisation is the most appropriate entity to deliver, hold, administer, or oversee the activity or funding;
- the proposal demonstrates meaningful community involvement, engagement, leadership, partnership, or co-design, where practicable;
- the activity contributes to one or more Lottery Grants Board strategic outcomes, including community wellbeing, participation, social cohesion, equity, collective self-determination, community capability, or community connection;
- where the application relates to a community facility, the organisation demonstrates that the facility provides an essential community function or is the only reasonable facility available to serve the community.
Lottery funding remains supplementary. It is not intended to replace or subsidise Ministry of Education funding, including curriculum delivery, staffing, operational costs, routine maintenance, asset renewal, or other core school responsibilities. Similarly, it is not intended to replace activities that local authorities are responsible for funding through rates, statutory functions, or regulatory responsibilities.
Schools and local authorities are not automatically ineligible under the new approach, applications from these organisations will need to clearly demonstrate wider public community benefit and meet the relevant policy criteria.
What is not funded
In addition to the Lottery Grants Board exclusions, the following activities or services as they do not meet the criteria to be funded as a community project.
- Projects that do not meet one or more of the building strong, sustainable communities’ descriptions (see Lottery Fund page).
- Ongoing operational activities or business-as-usual costs (see Operational costs for community support services page).
- Projects that are primarily capital works, facilities, or associated planning (See Community facilities page).
- Projects involving pure research only, without a clear applied community outcome.
- Research that is undertaken as part of an educational qualification.
- Projects that do not meet required standards or recognised good practice eg, oral history standards where relevant.
- Projects that duplicate an existing project, initiative, or service without providing a distinct or additional community benefit.
Recurring projects and events
A project may form part of an annual, recurring, or ongoing programme or event.
Organisations may apply for funding for subsequent years of the same project or event, provided that:
- each application relates to a distinct delivery period
- funding is not sought retrospectively for activities already completed
- the application demonstrates an ongoing community benefit; and
- the project continues to meet the eligibility requirements for community projects.
Funding for one year does not create an entitlement to funding for future years. Each application will be considered on its own merits.
Application requirements
- A budget that clearly shows how the funding requested will be used to deliver the project
- Relevant supporting information needed to demonstrate the project is appropriate and feasible.
- Completed application form.
- Financial accounts.
- Completed organisation profile.
- Completed reporting requirements, as required.
- Bank account details.
- For projects with a total cost of $100,000 or more, or where the scale, complexity, or risk of the project requires it, should also provide a project brief. The brief should include:
- project scope and identified purpose
- analysis of the current situation
- proposed approach to deliver the project
- estimated costs and funding considerations
- risks, mitigations and constraints
- expected outcomes and intended community benefit.