The Lottery Minister's Discretionary Fund provides one-off grants to not-for-profit organisations and individuals for projects that fall outside the scope of the Lottery Grants Board distribution committees.
The Lottery Grants Board provides funding for natural disaster emergencies recovery through the Lottery Minister’s Discretionary Fund.
The Lottery Grants Board committees cover a wide range of community purposes so please check these before requesting a grant from the Lottery Minister's Discretionary Fund. If a grant request is the responsibility of one of these Lottery committees then it cannot be considered through this Fund.
Ngā kaupapa matua / Priorities
The Lottery Minister's Discretionary Fund provides funding for one-off projects.
As well as considering funding requests for projects that fall outside the scope of other Lottery funds, the Lottery Minister’s Discretionary Fund has four priority areas:
- overseas travel (including attending international, web-based events and conferences remotely)
- volunteer firefighting and emergency ambulance services projects
- animal welfare projects
- learning and development projects:
- financial planning and/or good governance training (with an emphasis on support for children’s organisations)
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te ao Māori training
- one-off learning and development projects where two or more community organisations benefit.
These 4 priority areas are not covered by other Lottery funds.
Individuals can only request funding for overseas travel.
Ngā kaupapa ka tautokona ā-pūtea / What we fund
Overseas travel (including attending international, web-based events and conferences remotely)
Overseas travel
The Lottery Minister's Discretionary Fund may fund overseas travel. If a representative wishes to attend an event or conference it may fund:
- airfares
- accommodation
- travel costs
Individuals or organisations who wish to apply for travel costs need to show:
- how they will share the information gained from their attendance, and
- how attending the conference will benefit the New Zealand community or a significant sector of the New Zealand community.
Web-based events and attending remotely
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the way international events and conferences are delivered, we will accept requests for costs associated with attending international, web-based events and attending conferences remotely.
Volunteer firefighting and emergency ambulances services projects
The Lottery Minister's Discretionary Fund may fund one-off volunteer firefighting services and emergency ambulance services projects.
Organisations need to demonstrate how the grant will benefit the community and provide evidence that funding is not available from Fire and Emergency New Zealand or through existing government contracts.
Requests from emergency ambulance services must be for providing emergency services.
The Lottery Minister’s Discretionary Fund does not fund vehicles for emergency ambulance services.
Animal welfare projects
The Lottery Minister's Discretionary Fund may fund animal welfare projects.
Organisations need to show how the community will benefit from their animal welfare project.
Learning and development projects
The Lottery Minister's Discretionary Fund may fund one-off learning and development projects in:
- financial planning and/or good governance (with an emphasis on support for children’s organisations)
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te ao Māori training
- one-off learning and development projects where two or more community organisations benefit.
Financial planning and/or good governance training, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te ao Māori training
Funding for financial planning and/or good governance training and Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te ao Māori training may go towards representatives from community groups to attend a training course, or it may go towards community groups hosting in-house training using an external training provider.
Financial planning and/or good governance training and Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te ao Māori training must be provided by:
- a recognised professional training establishment, or
- an individual with suitable qualifications and experience, and
- a trainer that is independent of your organisation and the people receiving the training.
Trainer fees and assistance towards reasonable related venue costs, travel and accommodation will be considered.
One-off learning and development projects where two or more community organisations benefit
The Lottery Minister’s Discretionary Fund may provide funding to support larger-scale, one-off learning and development projects where two or more community organisations will benefit from the training.
Examples of costs that organisations may seek funding for include:
- costs associated with guest speakers (including domestic and inward international travel)
- reasonable related venue and equipment costs
- catering and event promotion
All learning and development project requests must demonstrate how the training proposed will achieve wider community benefit.
Lottery Minister’s Discretionary Fund does not fund requests for business-as-usual activities.
Ngā Hua / Outcomes
Grants are made to organisations and individuals whose requests show how they will achieve and measure the outcomes and benefits for New Zealand communities of their projects or overseas travel.
Ngā kaupapa kāore e tautokona ā-pūtea / What we don't fund
The Lottery Minister's Discretionary Fund does not fund:
- registration or training that maintains an individual’s registration with a professional organisation
- requests for business-as-usual activities
- vehicles for emergency ambulance services
- permanent residential housing services or community housing
- gambling education, prevention or treatment services
- a second request for the same project or location of benefit in the same funding year (1 July to 30 June)
The Lottery Minister’s Discretionary Fund is unlikely to fund:
- overseas training courses, learning and development projects or cultural exchanges, where there is limited benefit for the New Zealand community or a significant sector of the community
- overseas travel for the same person or organisation in consecutive years (e.g if you were funded in 2021 it is unlikely you will be funded in 2022)
- sporting projects
- arts projects
Lottery grants may not be used for any of the following:
- repaying or servicing debt
- refinancing loans, deposits or underwriting projects
- commercial, political and/or religious objectives, including employment and/or business initiatives, commercial enterprises, political advocacy or projects which seek to change legislation
- fundraisers and projects which seek to raise funds in or for a specific sector, or are involved with the training or employment of fundraisers
- projects which seek to redistribute funding to others
- overseas aid or disaster relief
- alcohol and drug treatment, education and support services
- medical expenses, operations, treatments or the purchase of major items of health equipment
- capital investment or trust funds
- projects or activities completed (retrospective funding) or items bought before the request.