NZ Communities Growth Trust 2025 Contestable

Submissions are now being accepted. Submissions close at 5:00PM 12 December 2025 (NZDT).

New Zealand Communities Growth Trust

(NZCGT) Contestable Grant Round 2025

IMPORTANT: Please read information below to assist you in completing your application online.

Before starting your online application, please take a moment to review the information below. It’s important to carefully consider the eligibility criteria and the Terms and Conditions, which may be updated from time to time.

Public Trust is proud to serve as the Trustee of the New Zealand Communities Growth Trust (NZCGT), which was established by Court Order on 3 April 2000.

Who is eligible: 

  • Organisations (registered with Charities Services) that provide services to New Zealanders or to projects or organisations within New Zealand that meet the objectives of the Trust as outlined under each of the purposes: 1) Counselling and Therapeutic, 2) Education or 3) Public Benefit; or
  • Incorporated societies (registered with NZ Companies Office) that provide services to New Zealanders or to projects or organisations within New Zealand that meet the objectives of the Trust as outlined under each of the purposes: 1) Counselling and Therapeutic, 2) Education or 3) Public Benefit.

      Organisations or incorporated societies may generally have national operations.

                                                                                                                                                                                   

Category 1

Therapeutic and Counselling: Organisations providing professional support services consistent with the purposes of the Trust by:

  • Supporting the establishment of refuges for members of the wider community who need spiritual, psychological, or emotional assistance; or
  • Supporting professional counselling services and conducting seminars and workshops for people in the wider community dealing with psychological, emotional, or social conflicts; or
  • Supporting a professional counselling and support service for adults and children in the wider community who have been the victims of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, including institutional and cult abuse; or
  • Making available qualified professional support as an adjunct to the above therapeutic or counselling objects. Such counselling or therapeutic services must be registered with an appropriate professional body and must comply with the protocols and monitoring of such body.

Please note: This funding is intended for organisations that provide professional support services aligned with the purpose outlined above. If your organisation does not meet these criteria, we kindly ask that you refrain from applying, as such applications will not be eligible for consideration.

                                                                                                                                                                                   

Category 2

Education: To organisations delivering services aligned with the Trust’s purposes. This includes, but is not limited to, initiatives that support educational opportunities aimed at developing work and life skills in ways that reflect the Trust’s charitable objectives.

Any of the following would qualify:

  • Counselling skills relating to psychological, emotional or social conflicts as well as sexual, physical and emotional abuse, including any skills which would provide assistance in the provision of those types of counselling; or
  • Skills which would give the recipient the ability to achieve a standard of living which enhances and sustains a quality of life that is not exploitative of the environment or people and that is permanent, healthy and sustainable for future generations; or
  • Skills which will give the recipient the ability to understand and follow the concept of communal living where material and human resources are shared and made available to others; or
  • Skills necessary to support the establishment of a community or communities in New Zealand and to provide ongoing support for any such community or communities which conduct themselves on the precepts of co-operation and respect of their members. Any such organisation must prohibit the exploitation, abuse and/or damage to the self-esteem of their members and act entirely within the laws of New Zealand; or
  • Skills which would relieve the poverty of the recipient or enable the recipient to assist in the relief of poverty of persons who have been disadvantaged by cults and/or spiritual communities and in particular past residents of the Centrepoint Community and their children.

Please apply under this purpose only if your organisation supports education opportunities that help develop work or life skills aligned with the Trust’s objectives. If your activities do not meet this criterion, we kindly ask that you do not apply, as such applications will not be eligible for funding.

                                                                                                                                                                                   

Category 3

Public Benefit: Organisations promoting a standard of living for the wider community that is not exploitative of the environment and that is permanent, healthy and sustainable for future generations:

  • A standard of living which enhances and sustains a quality of life that is not exploitative of the environment or people and that is permanent, healthy and sustainable for future generations; or
  • The concept of communal living where material and human resources are shared and made available to others; or
  • The establishment of a community or communities in New Zealand and to provide ongoing support for those. Any such community or communities must conduct themselves on the precepts of co-operation and respect of their members and to prohibit the exploitation, abuse and/or damage to the self-esteem of their members and act entirely within the laws of New Zealand; or
  • Organisations focusing on initiatives with an environmental, health and sustainability focus.

If your organisation does not actively promote a standard of living that is permanent, healthy, and sustainable in alignment with the purpose outlined above, we kindly ask that you refrain from applying under this category, as such applications will not be eligible for funding.

                                                                                                                                                                                   

Important Dates for Grant Applications

Applications must be completed and submitted via Public Trust’s online granting system, Smarty Grants.

  • Opening date: 9am, Monday 3 November 2025
  • Closing date: 5pm, Friday 12 December 2025
  • Outcome notification: By 28 February 2026 (subject to change; any updates will be communicated via the Smarty Grants portal to the email address provided in your application)

Please note that late applications cannot be accepted, so we encourage you to submit well before the deadline.

Important Notes for Applicants

  • Applications are generally expected from organisations with national operations seeking funding for initiatives with a nationwide impact, rather than region-specific projects.
  • Each organisation may submit only one application per grant round.
  • Preference will be given to applications that focus on specific projects or programmes.
  • Partial grants may be considered at the Trustee’s discretion.
  • If we require any further information to assess your application, a member of the Public Trust Charities Team will be in touch.

Need help?
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Public Trust Charities Team by emailing nzcgt@publictrust.co.nz  or calling us on 0800 371 471.

Please note: The Trustee’s decision is final, and we are unable to enter into further discussion once decisions have been made.

Important Information to Help You Complete Your Online Application

Welcome to the Public Trust online grant application service, powered by SmartyGrants. Below are some helpful tips to guide you through the process.

Before You Begin

You can start your application from any section. Please remember to save your progress regularly.

If you have questions about the guidelines, deadlines, or specific form fields, feel free to contact the Public Trust Charities Team at nzcgt@publictrust.co.nz  or call us on 0800 371 471.

For technical help, you can download the Help Guide for Applicants or visit the  Applicant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's).

Navigating the Application

Each page includes a Form Navigation box that links to all sections of the form. You can use these links or the Next Page and Previous Page buttons to move through the application.

Saving Your Draft

To pause and return later:

  • Click Save and Close, then log out.
  • When you log back in, go to My Submissions to find and reopen your draft.

You can also download your application (draft or submitted) as a PDF using the Download PDF button at the bottom of the last page.

Submitting Your Application

Before submitting:

  • Click Review and Submit in the navigation panel.
  • Ensure all required fields are completed and there are no validation errors.

Once submitted:

  • You’ll receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application.
  • If you don’t receive this email, please check your spam/junk folder or contact us to confirm submission.

Attachments and Supporting Documents

You may be asked to upload documents. Please:

  • Ensure files are saved on your device.
  • Allow time for each file to upload before adding another.
  • Keep files under 5MB where possible (maximum size is 25MB).

Working as a Team

Multiple people can work on the same application using shared login details — just ensure only one person edits at a time and saves regularly.

Spell Check

Most browsers (e.g. Chrome, Safari, Firefox) have built-in spell check features. You can enable or disable this in your browser settings.