A regional focus for our 2027 Grants Round

For the 2027 Grants Round, we're trialling something different and focusing our funding on organisations and projects based in Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson-Marlborough, West Coast, Canterbury and Otago-Southland.

We know this is a change, and if you're outside these regions, we understand this might be disappointing to hear, especially if you've applied to us before.

We're conscious of the repsonsibility we hold as a funder to direct funding to where it can make a real, tangible difference, and spreading our funding across the whole country makes it harder for us to build the kind of local knowledge and relationships that help us fund well. Our Trustees have agreed to trial a more focused regional approach, so we can properly get to know the communities we're funding, understand where and what the need is, and make sure our resources are landing where they'll have the most impact.

What we learn will directly shape our longer-term funding strategy from 2028 onward, including whether we continue with a regional focus, and how we approach funding priorities and categories more broadly.

We don't take this decision lightly, and it isn't a reflection on the value of the work being done outside these regions — we've seen and funded excellent projects from right across Aotearoa. Thank you for everything you do in your communities, and for your understanding as we take this step.