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What is the volunteering priority of the Community and Volunteering Capability Fund?

Volunteering funding available through the Community and Volunteering Capability Fund (CVC) provides government grants for community projects that support and promote volunteering in New Zealand.

It also provides grants for the activities of regional volunteer centres and Volunteering New Zealand.

The outcomes for volunteering funding are to:

  • recognise and value volunteers and volunteering
  • have in place systems and processes to protect volunteers
  • support national standards and best practice in volunteer management
  • have options available to support and enable māhī aroha and youth volunteering.

Requests for grants need to show how these outcomes will be achieved.

If you require assistance making the request, contact a Funding Advisor before making a funding request to make sure you meet the criteria.

You can contact a Funding Advisor by:

Ngā kaupapa matua / Priorities

This fund recognises that volunteering can have a special meaning for Māori, Pasifika and ethnic communities. The CVC caters for the different approaches to volunteering and needs of different sectors.

For Māori, voluntary work is called mahi aroha. Mahi aroha is unpaid activity that is done out of duty and caring for others.

Mahi aroha follows the principles of tikanga (Māori customs and values), to preserve māna (spiritual force) and rangatiratanga (authority) rather than for financial or personal reward.

For Pacific people, volunteering includes serving one another, as well as cultural responsibility, spirituality and duty. These concepts are reflected in the customs and values of Pacific organisations.

Ethnic communities often view volunteering as fulfilment of family or social duties and responsibilities. It applies especially to activities involving helping, sharing and giving within families, extended families, communities and then the wider community.

The CVC also recognises the roles of Volunteering New Zealand and regional volunteer centres in promoting good practice and new ideas for managing volunteers. They are also responsible for developing skills and abilities within the voluntary sector, both nationally and within regions.

Ngā kaupapa ka tautokona ā-pūtea / What we fund

There is just over $1 million available for:

  • Māori, Pacific and ethnic, youth or community organisations for original one-off projects that will promote and support volunteering / mahi aroha (total funds available: $111,000)
  • regional volunteer centres for promoting good practice in managing volunteers; recruiting and training volunteers; and providing training and networking for organisations that use volunteers / māhī aroha (total funds available: $747,000)
  • Volunteering New Zealand for working with community and voluntary sector organisations and regional volunteer centres to promote and support volunteering in New Zealand (total funds available: $175,000)

Eligible organisations may be able to apply for multi-year funding

The following organisations are eligible to apply for multi-year funding for up to 3 years at a fixed dollar amount per year:

  • Volunteering New Zealand
  • regional volunteer centres.

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

Volunteering funding available through the Community and Volunteering Capability Fund will not be provided to:

  • individuals
  • projects or activities that will not directly promote and support volunteering
  • projects or activities that have ended or started before a grant is made
  • repay or service debts
  • raise funds, including professional or commercial fundraisers that distribute money to others
  • political activities
  • projects that involve buying land, buildings, furniture or fittings
  • projects where someone could personally benefit, but the conflict of interest has not been stated or dealt with properly
  • duplicate, or for business-as-usual volunteer services, programmes or activities that will continue into the future (apart from the services provided by Volunteering NZ or regional volunteer centres)
  • projects intended to generate a profit – any planned profit or surplus must be shown in the budget and contribute to the project’s volunteering outcomes.