In this section

The Fund's purpose is to support initiatives that make Waikirikiri Selwyn a great place to live, work, and play by contributing to community wellbeing, bringing communities together, celebrating the District’s taonga, and attracting visitors.
Please check the application closing dates listed below.

Applications submitted after these deadlines cannot be considered for the current funding round.

If you have any questions, please contact the Funding Team at funding@selwyn.govt.nz.

Outcomes of the Fund

  • Increased participation, engagement, and enjoyment for people - in initiatives including but not limited to - arts, culture, sport and recreation, community history/heritage, youth, older persons, and multi-cultural communities.
  • The District’s unique taonga, history, stories, and places are promoted, protected, and celebrated.
  • Community capability, sustainability and knowledge, is developed and groups are assisted to meet the needs of the community and collaborate to achieve common objectives.
  • Initiatives that build community spirit, a sense of neighbourliness, belonging and connectedness are encouraged.
  • Overall wellbeing of the residents is enhanced by supporting disadvantaged communities, removing barriers to participation, and empowering communities.
  • Volunteering and an active and effective volunteering sector are encouraged and supported.
  • The District’s diverse offerings and attractions are highlighted and visitors from outside the District are encouraged to visit.

Please note, the Outcomes of the Community Fund have been updated as of 1 November 2024. Please check your application meets one of these outcomes prior to applying.
If you have any questions about the changes, please contact our funding team at funding@selwyn.govt.nz

Fund Closing Dates

The Community Fund has four funding rounds each year, with application closing dates listed below.

Application Deadline / Closing Date
(please submit applications prior to this date)
31 October 2025
31 January 2026
30 April 2026
31 July 2026

Applications that are submitted after the closing dates listed above will not be considered for the current funding round.

Late applications will instead be carried forward and reviewed during the next funding round. For example, an application received on 1 November will be considered after the 31 January closing date.

Decisions will be made within two months of the funding round closing date.

Please note: The C213 Community Funding Policy applies to applications. Retrospective costs (expenses for initiatives completed before the funding round closes) cannot be funded.

How to Apply

Please apply via our website here.

Prior to applying, please ensure you have all the documentation required:

  • full budget showing income and expenses for the project - you can find a Budget Template here: Budget Template [XLSX, 12 KB]
  • proof of the bank account (any one of these: a deposit slip, a letter from the bank, or a bank statement showing
    the bank account number).
  • copy of your organisation’s annual budget and/or your latest audited accounts.
  • documents or quotes that may support your application (if any).

Please note, if you are planning an event in a public place, such as a reserve or park, you may need an Event Permit and Public Liability Insurance. These costs can be incorporated into your funding application. For more information on requirements, please contact the Selwyn District Council Events team – events@selwyn.govt.nz or visit our website.

 
 

Criteria

All eligibility criteria and details can be found in the Community Fund Funding Schedule.

Please note:  Applicants are encouraged to seek support from additional funding sources where possible. This fund is not intended to be the sole source of funding for a project.

Who Can Apply

 

Who Can't Apply

In addition to Section 5.2 of the C213 Community Funding Policy:
  • Individuals
 

What costs can be funded

  • Venue hire.
  • Equipment; including equipment hire, sporting equipment, and uniforms (with preference for shared use amongst individuals and groups).
  • Marketing and promotion costs.
  • Materials and supplies for events, workshops, arts, cultural, heritage and recreational activities.
  • Salary or wages for a one-off project, such as facilitator costs for a workshop or referee costs for a one-off tournament.
  • Volunteer support costs.
  • Council-related expenses, such as road closures or resource consents related to the project.
  • Operational costs related to delivering the project, including rent, phone, power, stationery, and internet.
  • Food, beverage, or catering costs to support community hospitality/manaakitanga, up to a value of $100.
  • Volunteer-run local community group fundraising initiatives, with a standard allocation of $300 for direct fundraising costs (excluding wages/fees to a person or company, e.g., the grant can be used to buy sausages but not to pay someone to sell them).
 

What costs can't be funded

In addition to Funding Exclusions as stated in Section 6.7 and 6.8 of the C213 Community Funding Policy:

  • Capital Expenditure: Purchasing or upgrading assets such as buildings, vehicles, or major equipment.
  • Routine repair and maintenance costs (e.g., maintaining existing community facilities).
  • Travel or associated costs for meetings, events, or conference attendance.
  • Research, feasibility studies or evaluation projects.
  • Retrospective costs (where the initiative has already taken place) before the funding round closes.
 

Terms and Conditions

In addition to Section 3 and Section 6 of C213 Community Funding Policy:

  • Each project can receive a maximum of one Community Fund grant per calendar year. Applicants should request the full amount required for the project in a single application (e.g., venue hire for the whole year, not term-by-term or in parts).
  • Applications will be assessed on how they contribute to achieving the outcomes of the fund.
  • The Council encourages organisations to work collaboratively to achieve common goals. Joint applications will be considered by Assessment Panel without prejudicing other applications from the individual organisations.
  • Applicants must provide a detailed budget for the project they are applying for, showing all income and expenses for the project
  • Applicants may be required to provide quote/s for high value expenses, if requested by Council.
 

Repeat Applications – Three-Year Cycle

  • Applicants requesting $2,000 or more per year for the same project may be funded for a maximum of three consecutive years. After that, there will be a one-year break from the Community Fund before the project can be funded again.
  • This rule is based on the application amount, not the funded amount, to avoid influencing funding decisions.
  • This rule applies per project. Applicants may submit multiple different projects, but similar or renamed projects will be treated as the same (changing a project name does not reset the count).
  • Declined applications reset the three-year count.
  • The three-year count also resets after the required one-year break.
  • Applicants will be advised of how many consecutive years they have been funded for a project, and when a one-year break will be required, as part of their funding outcomes notification.
  • The Committee may exercise discretion to apply this rule flexibly in exceptional circumstances, including where applicants are consistently funded below the $2,000 threshold.
 

Accountability Requirements

As stated in Section 10.7.5 of the C213 Community Funding Policy:

  • Grant recipients are required to complete an accountability report as soon as the funds are spent, or within one calendar year of receipt of the grant, whether allocated funds were spent or not.
  • Grant recipients are required to provide supporting documents outlining grant funds spent, including at least one receipt and at least one additional supporting document: such as photos, testimonials, media coverage
 
 

If you have any questions, please contact our funding team at funding@selwyn.govt.nz