Community assistance funding

Skip to main content Go to list of access keys Go to site index Go to contact us page Go to New Zealand government site

Funding allocations for 2011/12

Nelson City Council has allocated its Contract Funding and One-off Grants from the Community Assistance Fund following a day of hearings and deliberations (week of 5 September 2011).

This year there was a total of 126 applications to the Community Assistance Fund. Funds were spread across a wide range of agencies with 107 applicants receiving a contribution toward their project or activity. Council heard a total of 63 applicants speak to their contract applications on Monday 5 September. The fund was well over subscribed with $1,174,510 requested from a fund of $485,000.

Sixty of the 69 contract applications were funded, totalling $426,200 and 47 of the 59 one-off grant applications were funded, totalling $58,400. The contracts ranged from $300 - $40,000, with contract durations for one to four years.

Click here to see the full list of allocations for 2011/12.

Groups, clubs and organizations can apply for two different kinds of funding:

One-off grants which are for a maximum of $2,500.
Community contracts can be for periods between one and four years and have no maximum dollar limit.

Community outcomes

The community outcomes developed by Council together with the community as part of a ten year plan, define the community’s vision of Nelson. They are:

Healthy land, sea, air, and water - we protect the natural environment
People-friendly places - we build healthy, accessible and attractive places and live in a sustainable region
A strong economy - we all benefit from a sustainable, innovative and diversified economy
Kind, healthy people - we are part of a welcoming, safe, inclusive and healthy community
A fun, creative culture - we are proud of our creative local culture and regional identity
Good leadership - our leaders are proactive, innovative, and inclusive

What is the difference between one-off grants and community contracts?

Organisations can apply for a community contract or one off grant. Community contracts can vary from one to four years and will include an agreement between Council and the recipient organisation that they provide an annual report to Council and present their audited financial accounts annually.

One off grants will require some reporting back to Council on how the funding was used and the outcomes that were achieved. One off grants are for a maximum of $2,500.

An organisation that already has a community contract may also apply for a one-off grant.

Timeline and process 2011

Applications opened on 23 June and closed at 4pm on 25 July 2011. Late applications were not considered.
Council meetings were held on 5 - 7 September 2011. At these meetings, applicants for community contracts, who met the stated criteria, were invited to make a presentation on their application. This opportunity was for applicants for contracts only, not applicants for one-off grants. Councillors then considered all applications and decided which ones to support, and to what level.
Applicant organisations were notified soon after the meeting if their proposal had been successful or not.
Staff will be contacting successful applicants to negotiate final agreements for community contracts, and to advise the process for payment of grants.

Charitable purpose status

Only groups, clubs and organisations that are registered with the charities commission, or that can demonstrate that for tax purposes they are considered "not for profit" will be eligible for financial community assistance. This means that organisations that have either "donee" or "approved charity" status approved by the Inland Revenue Department are eligible. If registered with the Charities Commission please include your registration number in your application.

Being an incorporated society or exempt from income tax is not in itself sufficient.

Criteria - all applications

Applications must demonstrate the contribution the project will make to the Council's Community Outcomes "Our Goals for Nelson/Whakatu".
Proof of charitable/not for profit status must be provided with each application.
Retrospective funding will not be considered.
Preference is given for initiatives within Nelson and that benefit Nelson residents.
Other factors that will be considered are:
- The value of the project to the community in comparison to the cost to Council.
- The level to which the wider community will be involved in the project.
- The past achievements or potential of the organisation.
- The ability of the organisation to successfully administer the grant/contract and deliver the outcomes.
- Contribution to other Council Policies/Strategies.
Organisations can apply for a one-off grant and/or contract (only one of each per year).
Preference is for applications that leverage additional funding as demonstrated by documentation of applications lodged with, or offers of funding from other funders.
Successful applicants must acknowledge Nelson City Council support in promotional material wherever possible.

More information on Community Contracts

Community contracts can be for one to four years.
Applications for community contracts should be made on the community contracts application form. Support information including 1 recent bank statement no more than 6 months old and the last annual financial report reviewed or audited by an accountant must be provided. You may also provide a one page covering letter (optional).
Successful applications will be offered a written contract specifying outcomes, payment and reporting processes. These will include an annual report to Council and a copy of the most recent audited financial accounts.
There is no specified maximum amount for community contract applications; this is limited however by available funding.

One-off Grants

Between 10 to 20% of funds will annually be available for one-off grants.
One off grants are for a maximum of $2,500.
Applications for one-off grants should be made on the one-off grants application form. Up to two pages of supporting information can be included with an application (a cover letter is counted as one). One-off grants will require some reporting back on outcomes achieved within six months of expenditure of funding.
One-off grants cannot be used for ongoing expenses and applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficient resources to implement the project.
Applications for one-off funding can also be for underwriting of projects up to $10,000. This amount is limited by available funds.

Accountability

Recipients that fail to submit accountability reports, or that have not spent the money in accordance with the application/contract, maybe asked to return all or part of the funding. Community contracts will continue or be terminated conditional on receipt of satisfactory reports.

Failure to submit acceptable accountability reports may affect a recipient's eligibility to receive any Community Assistance in future.