This scheme supports and promotes existing and potential social services, recreational and community organisations at the local level.
Financial assistance, in the form of a grant is provided to enable the development of these services and programmes in the Rodney District.
To encourage groups to help themselves, priority is given to those groups and organisations willing to contribute funding towards the project for which the application is being made.
Who can apply?
Organisations that meet the following eligibility criteria are invited to apply for assistance:
- Activities directly related to one of the four wards of the Rodney District;
- Activities associated with social, recreational and community services.
What can the funds be used for?
Eligibility and priority for assistance is determined by the purpose applied for rather than the organisation applying; however, the scheme is for one-off community-based projects rather than re-occurring costs. The cost must be clearly identifiable and directly related to the purpose for which funding is requested.
To meet Inland Revenue Department requirements, all grants must be used for purposes within New Zealand.
What can’t the funds be used for?
- Retrospective applications
- Subsidising rentals or reducing debt loadings
- Payment of legal expenses
- Purchase or subsidy of alcohol
- Costs associated with staging ‘after match’ functions for sporting groups
- Inter-hotel tournaments
- Grants to further the activities of professional sports persons
- Grants for individuals
- Family reunions
- Prizes for sporting events (except for trophies)
- Portable electronic equipment
How much money is available?
Funding is available on a per-head-of-population basis.
It is usually allocated in small amounts to a larger number of organisations, with the majority of grants being for less than $6000.
Who makes the decisions?
Grants are awarded in October by the Rodney District Council Community Grants Sub-Committee. Each application will be treated on its own respective merits. As a result of increasing demands, groups and organisations that have successfully applied for funding through the Community Grants Scheme in previous years may not receive priority consideration during the current funding round and organisations may not receive the total funding requested.
Applications are now closed for 2009.