Frequently Asked Questions on Tamariki and Rangatahi Funding

You can apply for up to $5000 for a project.

You can apply for almost anything to help you deliver your project including:

• Kai/food
• Venue and equipment hire
• Marketing and promotion
• Prizes and giveaways
• Equipment
• Performer fees

You can see the other projects we have funded here.

There are a number of things that the Otago Community Trust can’t fund including:

• Individuals;
• Scholarships or sponsorships;
• Retrospective costs i.e.. We can’t pay you back for something you have already done;
• Political parties or groups aligned with political parties;
• Projects that are the responsibility of central or local Government e.g. health services
• Spiritual activities of religious organisations;
• Advocacy groups;
• Uniforms for over 18-year olds.
• Overseas travel for groups or individuals;
• Commercial organisations - Private businesses.

You can apply through our online form. It is ok if you don't know all the answers to the questions, just do your best and we will be in contact with any questions or to help where we can.

It is ok if you aren't sure how to put together a budget. We have created a budget template you can use and an example of one already filled out. If you still aren't sure, submit your application without a budget and we might be able to help later on.

All applications must come from rangatahi. We know that sometimes adults will be helping rangatahi with their ideas and projects, but we want to hear directly from the rangatahi, they should be the ones filling out the form and they are the ones we want to talk to.

All applications need to have an organisation who will hold the money for them, like a school or a youth trust or church. This is because Otago Community Trust can only provide funding to not for profit organisations, we can not give money to individuals.

Yes! We still want to hear your idea and if we think you project matches our criteria, we can help you find a host organisation.

Under the Impact Fund we expect to only fund a small number of innovative, game-changing projects that focus on improving outcomes for Tamariki and Rangatahi. These projects will be larger in dollar amounts than our usual granting and they will be multi-year.

Our usual granting activity will continue for both projects that align with the Tamariki and Rangatahi Strategy and our other funding pillars. (Empowered communities, Improved health and wellbeing, Increased access to opportunities)

We expect that our funding for Impact Fund projects will either end or reduce significantly after the initial grant agreement.

An important part of the Impact Fund will be that the Trust will work closely with the funded organisations to help them plan for sustainability.

This may include supporting them to identify and report on their outcomes so they can advocate for sustainable funding from other sources and connecting them with other funders including government agencies.

If you have a project that you think meets the vision and criteria of the Impact for Tamariki and Rangatahi Fund it is best to start with a conversation with our Community Engagement Advisor, Liz Harburg (liz@oct.org.nz) who will guide you through the process.

We expect the whole process will take at least 3 months, depending on how far along your project is and Trust staff will work alongside you through the whole process. The Trust is committed to minimising barriers in our application process and we hope to make sure our decisions are as timely as possible.  

We have heard from the sector that you would like to see a less transactional relationship with the Trust and more of a partnership and we intend to apply this approach with our Impact Fund recipients and the Tamariki and Rangatahi sector in general.

What this looks like on the ground will likely be a little different for each grant and each organisation.

We expect that only a small number of applications will come through the Impact Fund, however if you do not qualify for the fund but have a project that aligns with the Tamariki and Rangatahi Strategy we encourage you to apply to our Community Response Grants and we may also be able to help you to identify other funding sources.

That’s great news! We are hoping that more projects that target tamariki and rangatahi come to the Trust.

If your project doesn’t fit within the 3 new funds, we encourage you to submit an application to our  Community Response Grants, either under $10,000 or over $10,000.

Groups are welcome to contact our Grants Manager, Sue Stewart or our Community Engagement Advisor, Liz Harburg on 0800 10 12 40 to discuss their project or event.

Absolutely! Under the capability fund, organisations can apply for funding for work that builds skills and capability of staff, management or governance. This fund may also cover projects that build the sustainability of the organisation as a whole.

Yes, you can. Applying for capability building assistance does not prevent organisations from making a regular grant application to the Otago Community Trust.

If you receive funding from the Tamariki and Rangatahi Sector Capability Fund you will only be able to apply the Trust’s General Capability Fund or Arts Capability Funds for non-youth related activities. Please contact us to find out which fund is the most appropriate for your organisation.

We are unlikely to fund sporting clubs or education providers under this fund as other funding is available for this purpose. 

No. We are unable to costs associated with tertiary education as we do not offer scholarships. You may qualify for a scholarship offered by the government, university or other organisation. This website is a good starting point for scholarship information.

We are unlikely to pay course fees for youth worker qualifications as we do not offer scholarships. However, we may consider other costs associated with achieving the qualification or competencies, particularly if the request will support a number of youth workers.

We also encourage you to discuss your needs in this space with your local Department of Internal Affairs Community Operations Team as they also offer funding for Youth Worker training. https://www.communitymatters.govt.nz/ask-us/view/1830?t=300393_355493

Our Tamariki and Rangatahi Strategy is for 5 years from 2022-2027.

We haven’t been specific on how many years each of the funds will run for and that is intentional. Things can change over 5 years and we want to be able to adapt and change our funding strategy to meet the region’s changing needs.

Our commitment to the strategy won’t change, and while we have a lot of confidence in how we have designed the funding, we are prepared to be flexible, learn as we go and listen to feedback.

No, if you receive funding under one of the new Tamariki and Rangatahi Funds, you can still apply to our other grants for other aspects of your organisation.

Definitely. Part of our Community Engagement Advisor, Liz Harburg’s, role is to work alongside the sector, and where she sees opportunity for collaboration between organisations, she will work to bring the organisations together.

For the purpose for the strategy and funding, the Trust defines the age range as 0-24yrs.