For all grants currently, the below criteria and exclusions apply; however, this fund will have a strong equity focus, and priority will be given to organisations supporting whānau and community wellbeing, particularly for those most impacted by direct and indirect consequences of COVID-19. Applications should meet at least one of our 3 assessment criteria:

  • Community Need: Support communities that are focused on COVID-19 recovery; this could include needs such as housing, food, safety, and other practical needs. This can include basic needs for people who have been economically affected by lockdown.
  • Changed Service Delivery: Support community connection, engagement, and social inclusion in response to community need post- COVID-19 outbreak; this may include innovation in the delivery of services or programmes.
  • Capability: Support organizations around capacity and capability to work in new ways. This may include addressing changing workforce needs, as well as more traditional professional or organisational development needs

Please note:

  • BAU: You may apply for ‘business as usual’ work but you should be able to still speak to at least one of these criteria as well as to our equity/well-being focus 
  • A Mixed Application: You may apply for both operational funding and capability funding in one application; please let us know in the application that you are applying for both.
Criteria for All Applications
  • Your activities take place within the Wellington region, which for us includes: Kāpiti Coast including Ōtaki, Porirua, The Hutt Valley, Wellington
  • You are a charitable entity or social enterprise, and your activities are for a charitable, cultural, philanthropic, recreational or other purpose, provided that the purpose is strongly beneficial to communities within the Wellington region
  • Your project starts after the decision and payment dates
  • Your project starts within 12 months of your receiving the funding
Exclusions for All Applications
  • You are an individual
  • Your organisation promotes a religious or political message (We do fund faith-based community services)
  • Your organisation is a single-issue health organisation
  • Your organisation is a school (including universities, child care centers & kindergartens) or fund-raises primarily for schools
Criteria for LIFT Grants

In addition to meeting our general criteria, applications to LIFT Individual Grants must also make sure:

  • You are applying for professional development at your current workplace in your current role
  • You must work in the Wellington region even if your organisation is nationally-based
  • Your line manager supports your application
  • Your workplace will provide you with time off to pursue the professional development you are applying for

In addition to meeting our general criteria, applications to LIFT Organisational Grants must also make sure:

You are applying to support your organisation to develop its capability at an organisational level. Examples could include developing an organisational strategy; developing a response to an issue; developing governance skills; and developing whole-of-organisation training.

Things We Do Not Fund – General
Central or Local governmentCommercial ventures (We do fund social enterprise)
Construction or renovation of school halls, gymnasiums, playgrounds, or swimming poolsContribution to a debt reduction
Core healthcare services, including hospitals and GPsCouncil-maintained sports fields
Endowments, capital funds, other trust fundsFeasibility studies or building resource consents
Individuals, including scholarshipsBuilding construction
Operating costs for sports clubs: this includes sport equipment,
coaches’ salaries, uniforms, and prizes/trophies		Overseas travel, either to or from New Zealand (excluding LIFT
applications)
Promotion of a religious or political message (We do fund faith-based
community services)		Purchase of buildings
Schools (including universities, child care centers & kindergartens) and organisations who fund-raise primarily for schoolsSingle-issue health organisations
Things We Do Not Fund – LIFT
Back-filling a role while a staff member is undertaking professional
development
Professional development that has already occurred
Individuals/Organisations who have already successfully applied to a
LIFT grant in the past financial year
(For Individuals) LIFT grants are only paid to the workplace that employs the person applying for the grant
Mediation or conflict resolution with an organisation

Please note: it’s unusual for Wellington Community Trust to meet the full cost of your project.

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