Posted

WCF’s General Grants funding will be closing early this year. No applications for General Grants will be accepted after 5pm 30 September 2024, until the new financial year (1 April 2025). He Rau Aroha remains open.

Why we are doing this

A higher demand and lower budget has seen us grant over half of the General Grants budget in the first quarter of the year.

We’ve been prioritising grants to our priority population groups and locations, however this early demand in the year means we have less to grant for the remainder of the year. In order to give grant seekers a fair opportunity to apply for the remaining budget, we’ve decided to close applications early and impose a deadline.

We have made this decision to support the most equitable distribution of our remaining General Grants funds this financial year. However, we know this September deadline is a big change, and is harder to work with than our usual no-deadlines process. We encourage grant seekers to get in touch with our Funding Manager Chiara LaRotonda (chiara@wellingtoncommunityfund.org.nz) to discuss your situation.

How it will work

We will assess all applications for the rest of the year, in one big group.

What this means for grant seekers

  • A longer waiting time for a decision: Grant seekers will receive a decision on 7 November (both for smaller and larger funding applications)
  • Funding will be prioritised to organisations whose kaupapa is very closely aligned with our funding priorities, targeting only our priority populations and locations
  • Expect that, due to our budget constraints, you may receive less than requested.

What will happen next year

We are working on the process for our next financial year (beginning April 2025) so that we can provide you with more certainty and a better ability to plan. More info will be available later in the financial year.

Key questions:

  • What if I’ve already submitted a General Grants application?
    • If you haven’t received a decision already, your application will be assessed with this final group and you will receive a decision on 7 November
  • Should I apply for more than what I need?
    • Please apply for what you need (up to a maximum of $50,000) and if successful please expect that due to our budget constraints you may receive less than requested
  • Is He Rau Aroha running out of budget?
    • He Rau Aroha will remain open for applications
  • Can I apply for a He Rau Aroha grant instead of General Grants?
  • If I’ve received a General Grant already this year, can I apply again?
    • We only accept one application for General Grants per financial year. Our financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March.