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As part of the National Public Apology to survivors of abuse and in care the Prime Minister announced a National Day of Reflection, to be held on 12 November 2025.

The purpose of this day is to:

  • remember survivors, and
  • reflect on and raise awareness of abuse and neglect in care.

The National Day of Reflection Community Fund supports organisations or groups representing survivors to hold events at a local and regional level.

Applications close at midnight on Sunday 31 August.

On this page:

What we fund

Grant funding is available for 2 different categories:

  • Local grassroots activities, or
  • Regional events.

To be granted funding, activities or events must take place on or around the National Day of Reflection on 12 November 2025.

This could include activities or events that are scheduled for the weekend immediately before and/or after this date.

Local activities

Successful grant applications for local activities will be funded up to a maximum of NZD$10,000, plus up to NZD$1,500 for reasonable accommodations for accessibility.

Regional events

Successful grant applications in this category will be funded up to a maximum of NZD$25.000, plus up to NZD$5,000 for reasonable accommodations for accessibility.

To qualify for funding, these events should cater to a larger audience and show a higher level of planning to address participant accessibility needs.

Organisers of regional events could look to involve:

  • local authorities, and
  • key organisations locally that represent or support survivors.

What are ‘reasonable accommodations’?

Reasonable accommodations mean that participant accessibility needs have been considered and where practical addressed. For example, wheelchair ramps or sign language interpreters.

Examples of eligible activities and events

Eligible activities or events could include:

  • gatherings
  • art installations
  • music or cultural performances
  • peer support events for survivors.

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Who can apply

The fund is open to applications from any organisation with legal entity status, except those organisations named by the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry.

Organisations named in the Royal Commission of Inquiry are excluded from applying to the fund because they had historically failed to protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse and neglect in care. In light of this, it is considered appropriate that these institutions self-fund any events they choose to hold.

What is legal entity status?

Examples of legal entities include (but are not limited) to the following:

  • incorporated societies
  • trusts registered under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957
  • companies with charitable purposes
  • local authorities
  • school boards of trustees
  • Māori trust boards registered under the Māori Trust Boards Act 1955.

Being registered with Charities Services does not automatically make an organisation a legal entity.

Funding options for non-registered or informal groups

Groups of survivors can arrange for an organisation with legal entity status to:

  • apply to the fund on their behalf, and/or
  • create events and activities that are for survivors.

Where a legal entity is not made up of survivors, applications will need to show that survivors are involved in the design and/or delivery of the event.

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Key dates

  • Opening date for grant applications: 29 July 2025
  • Closing date: midnight 31 August 2025
  • Decisions by: end of September 2025.

How to apply

All applications must be made through the online Grants Management System (GCMS):

Log in to the online grants management system

Grant applications will only be accepted for consideration if:

  • they are complete, and
  • all the required supporting documents have been uploaded to your organisation profile in GCMS.

Supporting documents you need to provide

All applicants must provide:

  • a project costs budget (for costs specifically relating to the event), and
  • financial statements no older than 18 months at the time of application.

Project costs do not include business-as-usual activities.

Further information about budgets and financial reporting requirements can be found at the links below:

Application criteria

Applications to the fund need to show that the event or activities contribute to 1 or more of the following outcomes:

  • Survivors of abuse in care are acknowledged and remembered.
  • Awareness is raised about historic abuse in care and the story of care in New Zealand.
  • Awareness is raised about contemporary care in New Zealand and the need to prevent abuse.
  • Survivors are informed about progress on the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care’s recommendations.

If you need help submitting your grant application

Contact us directly if you need:

  • help with logging in to the Grants Management System,
  • help creating your organisation profile, or
  • advisory support.

You can either:

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After you apply

You will receive an email to confirm that your application has been successfully submitted through the online Grants Management System.

Applications are reviewed and if further information is required, you will be contacted.

If your application is successful

Before 28 February 2026, successful grant recipients will be required to submit a report detailing:

  • if the event took place
  • the number and range of people who attended
  • how the grant funding was spent (and if any funds were not spent)
  • how the survivor community benefited from the project, and
  • how it contributed to the fund’s outcomes.

If an organisation fails to submit a report within the given timeframe, it may result in:

  • the Department of Internal Affairs taking steps to have the grant returned, and/or
  • no further grants being made to the applicant organisation.

All grants may be subject to an audit by the Department of Internal Affairs.