Community Climate Action Fund

• Community organisations, Iwi or Hapū groups, schools, early childhood centres, social enterprises and not-for-profit businesses.
• Applicants must either be a legal entity registered in New Zealand – such as an incorporated society, charitable trust or limited liability company – or an organisation or group without legal entity status that has partnered with an organisation that has legal entity status.
• Applications led by government organisations will not be considered. However, groups or organisations partnering with government organisations is acceptable.

Each group or organisation can apply for up to $20,000 each year.

The total value of funding available for the council to allocate this year is $50,000.

The Community Climate Action Fund can be used for up to 50% of your total proposal cost. In your application, you will need to either show you have 50% of the funding available or identify a funding partner or partners (and include proof of this third party funding).

Your contribution to 50% of the costs may include some in-kind funding (where goods or services other than money are contributed).

The Community Climate Action Fund can be used for:

• events
• project or programme costs
• resources, equipment and materials
• salaries and wages.  

The Community Climate Action Fund can’t be used for:

• debt servicing or repayment
• ·operational or administrative costs for an organisation or group
• legal and medical expenses
• activities promoting religious ministry or political purposes and causes
• activities intended to generate profit
• public services that are the responsibility of central government (such as core education or primary health care)
• physical works (such as improving community buildings) where consents or permits are required but have not yet been obtained (grants may be awarded in principle but funds will not be released until all conditions are satisfied)
• purchasing alcohol.

Whanganui District Council’s climate change advisory group – made up of Tangata Whenua and community representatives, subject matter experts and council staff – will allocate funding. 

The amount allocated will depend on the number of applications received.

Preference will be given to Whanganui-based organisations and projects must take place within the Whanganui district.

When evaluating projects, we look at:

• how the project empowers the community and supports the district to reduce emissions or build resilience to climate change
• who the project benefits and how long the benefits will last

• how ready the project is to deliver
• how success will be measured and whether there any risks associated with the project
• what other funding you have in place and whether there any alternative funding options.

See our Applying for the Community Climate Action Fund document for more detail on our criteria.

Successful applicants will need to submit a report no more than one year after receiving funding. The report will need to cover:

• a description of the project and how the funding was used
• whether the project went ahead as planned
• an outline of the positive impacts of the project
• information on the level of community engagement
• a summary of how successful the project was
• a description of any barriers or difficulties
• a reflection on what you would do differently next time
• lessons learnt.