Community Grants and Funding
Tangata ako ana i te kāenga, te tūranga ki te marae, tau ana
A person nurtured in the community contributes strongly to society
South Wairarapa District Council is committed to promoting social, economic, cultural and environmental impact outcomes within the district. One way to achieve this is to provide the community with investment from grants that are available to eligible community groups and projects benefiting the people of South Wairarapa.
Our vision is to achieve sustainable and meaningful social impact by investing in our community to strengthen it and enable people to thrive in an independent community sector. We have several grants available to our community and also administer funds from other sources, such as Sport New Zealand and Creative New Zealand.
Who can apply?
SWDC has a Grants Policy that guides the allocation of funding to benefit South Wairarapa communities and contributes to our outcomes and vision. You can also click the drop-down menu to see each of our grants and find out if your project meets the eligibility criteria.
When can I apply?
Each of the funding rounds open and close at different times. Here is a link to the current open funding round calendar for Council administered grants for 2025. This tells you when each funding round opens and closes and when the decisions for funding will be made.
We also communicate dates regularly on our Facebook page and in local newspapers.
Which fund should I apply for?
The council has several funds we administer grants from. To help you decide which fund best fits your project, use the flow chart here.
Community and Youth Grant
**Fund pending confirmation following the completion of the 2025 LTP Consultation**
What is the priority of the fund?
The Council’s Long-Term Plan sets the funding available for community support through grants to achieve sustainable impact that strengthens a thriving and independent community sector.
Community and Youth grants may be granted by the Council for the following purposes:
1. Supporting the viability of community services that are not provided by other sectors or organisations.
2. Building and strengthening the capacity of events, communities and initiatives to be sustainable where possible.
3. To be a catalyst for change for the benefit of the community, whilst enhancing resilience and community collaboration.
4. Protecting the district’s built, cultural and natural heritage.
5. Delivering tangible social, cultural, environmental and economic impact outcomes.
Who can apply?
This fund is open to local and regional organisations, schools and charities that deliver collaborative initiatives to support our district’s youth and communities. A group of individuals who have come together for a common purpose to benefit the South Wairarapa may be considered.
Examples of eligible projects:
Greytown Festival of Christmas – Community activations
Wellington Free Ambulance – operational support
Featherston Community Centre – plumbing
Māori Standing Committee Fund
What is the priority of the fund?
This grant aims to recognise individuals, marae and groups who have a focus for kaupapa that support our Māori and non-Māori community. Activities or projects that link to one or more of our four pou will be considered. The four pou are Tautoko, Te Taiao, Whakapapa and Marae Wawata.
Who can apply?
Open to local individuals and for-purpose groups that deliver collaborative initiatives that fulfil our Kaupapa Māori values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and tikanga Māori.
Applicants must demonstrate their connection to South Wairarapa through whakapapa or family connection or show how the activity will benefit the South Wairarapa Māori and non-Māori communities.
Examples of eligible projects:
Matariki, Waitangi, Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori or other Māori specific events
Development and upgrades of local marae
Assistance with tuition for Māori students
Featherston, Greytown and Martinborough Community Board Grants
What is the priority of the fund?
The Community Boards fund community organisations, marae committees, an individual, or a group of individuals who have come together for a common purpose to benefit any of the Featherston, Greytown and Martinborough wards.
Applicants must demonstrate that their project is endorsed by the local community and share how the activity will meet one or more of Council’s impact outcomes; social, cultural, economic and/or environmental.
Who can apply?
Open to local individuals, community groups and charities that deliver initiatives to support their local community, residents or events that take place in the community board’s remit. Community Board grants are open at the start of the financial year and will remain open until fully allocated.
Examples of eligible projects: Bold this heading
Lady Featherston’s Lemon Ball
Greytown Menz Shed – tool purchase
Matariki Glow Walk group of individuals who have come together for a common purpose to benefit the Featherston ward.
Pain Estate Fund
What is the priority of the fund?
George Pain’s Will in 1932 bequeathed his 210-acre property known as the Pain Farm, to the Borough Council (now the South Wairarapa District Council). Under provisions of the Charitable Trust Act 1957 in February 1966 the Court directed:
“That the income from the Trust Lands should be used, in maintaining and improving the borough’s parks, sports grounds, camping ground, swimming baths, providing equipping and maintaining sports facilities and a children’s playground”
His vision was for this property to support the community, ensuring that future generations would benefit from its resources. Today, thanks to George Pain’s generous legacy, the income generated from these lands is available to help fund important community projects that enrich our parks, sports grounds, swimming facilities, and more.
Who can apply to the Pain Estate Fund?
To be eligible for this grant, applicants must be in Martinborough and/or have a vested stake in the maintenance or improvement of Martinborough’s parks, sports grounds, campgrounds, swimming pools, or sports facilities. Applicants are expected to detail how their project meets one or more social, cultural, environmental and economic impact outcomes.
Examples of eligible projects:
Martinborough Golf Club House
Martinborough Pump Track
Martinborough School – basketball hoops
How to apply?
The Pain Estate Fund is a contestable grant fun with a pool of $50,000 to grant to eligible project, applications are assessed by the Martinborough Community Board as delegated by Council.
The Martinborough Community Board will receive applications between 12 May 2025 and 30 June 2025.
Creative Communities Scheme Fund
What is the priority of the fund?
To get funding through CCS your arts project must do at least one of the following:
- Participation: create opportunities for local communities to engage with and participate in local arts activities.
- Diversity: support the diverse artistic cultural traditions of local communities.
- Young people: enable young people (under 18) to engage with and participate in the arts.
The projects must take place within our district, be completed within 12 months of funding being approved and should benefit local communities.
Who can apply?
Individual artists (must be citizens or permanent residents), community groups and hapori, and schools permitting the project is not part of standard curriculum.
Examples of eligible projects:
Performances and workshops featuring local artists
Creation of a community film or public artwork by a community
Festivals or exhibitions by cultural groups or collaboration from a range of communities
How to apply?
The Creative Communities Scheme (CCS) supports and encourages local communities to create and present diverse opportunities for accessing and participating in arts activities within the South Wairarapa. The scheme is a partnership between Creative NZ and the Council who administer the scheme. To be successful applications must show that the proposed project meets one or more of the funding criteria: Access and participation, diversity and/or young people. Further information on CCS and your application can be found here (English / Te Reo).
Sport New Zealand Rural Travel Fund
What is the priority of the fund?
The Sport NZ Rural Travel Fund is designed to help subsidise travel for rural junior teams aged between five to 18 years of age, removing the barrier of travel cost so they can compete in regular sporting competition. The fund is administered on behalf of Sport NZ by 35 eligible Territorial Authorities across Aotearoa.
Who can apply?
Sport clubs (informal and formal) and schools based in the South Wairarapa district participating in regular local sports competition. Regular can be weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
Examples of eligible projects:
Petrol vouchers to offset the cost of Friday night hockey at Clareville or funds to hire a shuttle from rural Wairarapa to transport Tamariki to Saturday morning football matches
How to apply?
Sport New Zealand Rural Travel Fund Application Form (PDF)
Or send your application to grants@swdc.govt.nz
Are there any other grants I may be eligible for?
Most likely. To assist our community to find additional sources of funding we have a Fund Finder tool. This platform is free for the South Wairarapa community to use and can help people to achieve their funding aspirations. It encompasses all government and private sector grants available as well as our council’s grants and funds.
Other ways we can support
We believe the rich and diverse fabric of the South Wairarapa community and business is the heart and soul of our district. We want to support you to achieve your fundraising goals where we can by:
Providing letters of support: Your local Councillor or one of our team members may be able to endorse your project with a letter of support for external grants funding.
Venue concession: your event may be eligible for a concession of up to 50% of the cost or charge for hire or similar fee payable for the short-term use of a Council owned facility.
Accountability and Reporting
Accounting for your funding is best practice for your organisation.
You may have additional reporting requirements if you are registered under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 or the Charities Act 2005. We will let you know what the expectations are in your grant’s outcome letter.
How do I account for my grant funding?
To account for your funding, you should be able to provide receipts (showing the purchase of the ‘approved purpose’), bank statements and complete an accountability form by the deadline. You should keep these records safe, typically for seven years.
When do we need to account for our funding?
You should account for your funding within 12 months of date of receipt regardless of when you applied for funding. For Council grants your will not be eligible for future funding unless you complete your accountability report, before your next grant application.
What if we need more time to account for our funding?
If you can’t meet your deadline, please get in touch with our team at grants@swdc.govt.nz
What is an approved purpose?
An approved purpose is the purpose for which the grant was approved i.e. Solar Panels for Early Childcare Centres in Twizel, September 2024. If the funding is spent on anything other than the approved purpose, a refund may be required. Your grants letter will detail the specific items we have agreed to fund.
Can we request a change to our approved purpose?
Only in exceptional circumstances. You will need to make a request to the by sending a letter to grants@swdc.govt.nz. If your request is declined, you will be required to refund the grant back to us.
What documents do we need to provide?
This may differ for each fund; your approval letter will detail the specific items. To meet the minimum requirements, you will need to provide a receipt or tax invoice and bank statement.
Accountability forms:
- Creative Communities Project Completion Report
- Sport NZ Rural Travel Fund Accountability Form
- SWDC Grant and Funding Accountability Report
Contact us
If you have any questions or require any support with funding applications, please contact us at grants@swdc.govt.nz.
What kind of projects have been funded in the past?
Information about all the projects and organisations which have been funded since 2019 can be found here: