Fund details
Closed: Thursday 27 March
Contact: Funding Team Funding@wcc.govt.nz
Past allocations: See past allocations (264KB PDF)
About this fund
The Social and Recreation Fund supports projects and organisations delivering services that contribute to our Long-term Plan. We prioritise projects that show evidence-based need and have positive social wellbeing impact across one or more of our priorities.
Social and recreation fund review and framework
The review of the Social and Recreation Fund proposed changes and a new funding framework, this was approved on 17 May 2025. Tahua whaihua hapori - the Community Outcomes Fund will replace the Social and Recreation Fund and will open for applications in July 2025.
Two priorities have been agreed for the new fund, these align with the Council long-term plan and activity areas where Council’s role as a funder can have the greatest impact. These two priorities are:
Safety and Wellbeing, aligned to LTP activity 5.2.8 (City Safety) – supporting an enduring and integrated approach to safety and wellbeing in the city to ensure a vibrant, welcoming environment where everyone feels safe.
Community resilience and connection, aligned to LTP activities 5.2.2 (Community Advocacy) and 5.2.5 (Community Centres and Halls) - delivering equitable outcomes for communities needing āwhina (support), social connections, and shared spaces. This includes provision to support local Residents Associations annually.
In addition to new priorites there will be a separate application process for grant requests under $5,000, with bi-monthly closing dates and decisions made outside Pītau Pūmanawa | Grants Subcommittee.
Grant applications for projects over $5,000 will have three funding rounds with closing dates planned around the meetings of Pītau Pūmanawa | Grants Subcommittee.
The Council Long Term Plan 2024-34 made provision for additional funding for safety initiatives and projects within the Central City, longer term priorities of which will be determined through the Safety and Wellbeing Plan. Applications for support for safety initiatives, aligned with funding priorities will be via Tahua whaihua hapori - the Community Outcomes Fund.
We will update the website with a new fund page and dates for applications in June. You can read the full report here
Eligibility
- The application is from a legal entity.
- The project is Wellington-based and benefits the people of Wellington.
- Projects show evidence of community support, collaboration, and building partnerships with other organisations.
Priorities
The Council has a number of strategies and policies in place to deliver on our 2040 vision and improve wellbeing for the people of Wellington. These include the Social Wellbeing Framework, Strategy for Children and Young People, Tūpiki Ora Māori Strategy, Homelessness (from the Housing Action Plan) and Wellington’s Sustainable Food Initiative.
The priorities for the Social and Recreation Fund are set with the help of these guiding documents and are listed below.
For Wellington to be an inclusive, liveable and resilient city where people and communities can learn and be connected, well housed, safe and healthy, priority will be given to projects that help ensure:
- Different communities are acknowledged and celebrated.
- The social and cultural wellbeing of Māori whanau and communities is prioritised, supported and invested in.
- People can acquire knowledge, skills and experiences with emphasis on children and young people.
- There are opportunities to connect and engage.
- Housing and wrap-around support is available for people in need.
- Harm reduction initiatives support community health and safety.
- Physical and mental wellbeing is improved through sport, recreation and volunteering.
- Projects and initiatives are supported which address community safety in the central city.
Operational support for residents and progressive associations (maximum of $1000)
Priorities will be given to organisations that:
-
Demonstrate a positive and inclusive approach to working with all residents, building connections and neighbourliness.
- Communicate regularly with local residents in the area and have an up-to-date online profile.
- Have an active membership of 10 or more, excluding the committee, meeting regularly (outside their AGM), keep minutes of these meetings.
When submitting an application residents and progressive associations should:
- Provide a summary of their current membership and how often they hold meetings.
- Provide a copy of minutes from recent meetings.
First-time applicants
Read the information on this page, then register and apply online through our funding portal: Funding Portal - Apply online
Check your application status
You can apply for the fund through our Funding Portal. You can also check your application status if you've already applied for funding. If you receive an error message when trying to access the funding portal on a mobile device, please use these instructions or contact the Funding Team.
Go to Funding Portal