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What is the organisational capability priority of the Community and Volunteering Capability Fund?

Organisational capability funding available through the Community and Volunteering Capability Fund (CVC) provides for a skilled professional that can be:

  • full-time for 3 months
  • full-time 6 months
  • part-time for up to 12 months.

Partners needed for an organisational capability project:

  1. The application organisation for the project. This is a non-profit community organisation, hapū or iwi organisation that wants to improve what it does and grow stronger. It is this organisation that requests the grant, with the agreement of the other partners
  2. The ‘skilled professional’. This is an experienced person who leaves their own work to work for the applicant organisation during the project. They earn their usual salary during this time
  3. The 'home agency'. This is the skilled professional’s usual workplace before and after the project. A home agency may be a business, iwi authority, government department, local authority or non-profit community group. Where the skilled professional works as a contractor or consultant, this partner is not required for an application.

Ngā kaupapa ka tautokona ā-pūtea / What we fund

Organisational capability grants may only be used for covering the skilled professional’s usual income or salary during the project.

Ngā hua / Outcomes

The partners to a organisational capability grant need to show how they will benefit and achieve outcomes that:

  • develop the applicant organisation or improve the work it does
  • share their skills, expertise and points of view.

Requests need to show how a project will:

  • meet a need for developing the applicant organisation
  • provide the skilled professional the opportunity to gather new experiences, build new networks and gain a new community perspective
  • enable the home organisation (where applicable) to draw on the skilled professional’s broadened experience, renewed energy, and new ideas
  • enable the skilled professional to share their learning across their sector, which enables wider sector impact.

Ngā kaupapa matua / Priorities

Requests are more likely to be funded if the applicant organisation shows it:

  • has robust management and controls
  • can be a good employer, and
  • can meet the planned outcomes for the internship.

A home agency may want to:

  • build stronger ties with a community, hapū or iwi organisation, or gain a better understanding of how it works
  • learn more about a community or build stronger links with it, and
  • give an employee an opportunity to share their skills or develop in a community setting.

When planning an organisation capability request, think about:

  • why the project is needed and what will be achieved
  • how the skilled professional will improve the applicant organisation’s ability to do its work and make it stronger
  • the amount needed to pay the skilled professional (this should be the same as their current income)
  • ways to support the skilled professional during the project
  • what systems the applicant organisation has in place to manage the project
  • how the applicant organisation will achieve the project outcomes
  • the benefits and outcomes from the project, even after it is over
  • ways to share knowledge after the project is over.

There is no closing date for organisational capability funding under the CVC.

Requests may be made at any time, but allow 4 to 12 weeks for us to review your request once we have received all the required information.

Ngā kaupapa kāore e tautokona ā-pūtea / What we don't fund

Organisation capability priority funding does not fund:

  • requests from individuals
  • requests from community organisations that do not have a legal entity
  • day-to-day business activities between applicant organisations and home agencies, consultants, contractors, self-employed
  • permanent jobs or start-up wages with an applicant organisation
  • requests for skilled professionals from outside New Zealand
  • students or people wanting practical experience to meet study needs
  • work experience for new graduates
  • the costs of running or supporting a project (grants are only for paying a salary or wage) 
  • requests where someone could personally benefit, but the possible conflict of interest has not been stated or dealt with properly
  • projects that have already taken place or start before a grant is made
  • debt repayment or debt servicing
  • projects to develop commercial, political, or religious activities, including political advocacy, employment and/or business initiatives and commercial enterprises
  • projects specifically intended to generate a profit, though profits are allowed if the purpose is to achieve ongoing sustainability for the applicant organisation.

Organisational capability funding is not available to any applicant organisation or skilled professional who has received (participated in) a grant from this priority in the last 2 years.