Community Funding Options

There are many funding opportunities to undertake climate action, but their criteria don’t often align with all types of climate action. Typically, they will be aligned with one of either environmental or habitat protection, nature restoration, waste reduction, sustainability, resilience or community development. If you get creative, there are probably even more funds that could be used to drive positive climate outcomes in other areas.

Local Funding

Local funding opportunities are available via your district council. These can include areas such as arts, composting, garden, events and environmental focused grants:

• Funding | Far North District Council
• Grants and funding for Kaipara Communities, Kaipara District Council
• Community funding – Whangarei District Council

Northland Regional Council offers the Climate Resilient Communities Fund, which supports projects that help the most affected communities in Te Taitokerau withstand our changing climate. It also has funds that also have funding opportunities typically align with environmental restoration, freshwater monitoring or and biosecurity.

Funding – Northland Regional Council

Philanthropic funding or targeted grants may be another avenue available to you. If your project benefits the community and is overseen by a non-profitable organization then you should check eligibility with Foundation North.

Foundation North | Pūtea Hāpai Oranga • Funding for your community projects

A longer list of potentially funders is provided by generosity New Zealand, they list many community grants on the GivUs portal that you can access for free via Far North or Whangārei libraries. 

Generosity NZ Platform

National Funding

Nation-wide funding that might be available to community groups can be found on the Ministry of the Environment website. A number of these funding avenues, that are from different sources, including central government funding, research institutes and non-profit agencies.

Funding opportunities for Climate Change identified by Ministry for the Environment

International Funding

Most international funds focus on developing countries where climate change impacts are likely to be greater. New Zealand as a developed country has agreed to contribute a proportion of funds to support some of these projects.