Photo credit: Right and top left, Adele Krantz
Photo credit: Right and top left, Adele Krantz

Ngā angitūtanga pūtea, rauemi hoki

Funding opportunities

Explore the many funding opportunities available for conservation in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland.

Photo credit: Right and top left, Adele Krantz

Along with the hard work of many conservation volunteers, projects need to be adequately funded to make sure they are successful. Find out what funding may be available for your project.

Start with these resources

Regional Environment and Natural Heritage Grant

A grant that aims to support the protection, restoration or enhancement of Auckland’s environment.

Community Coordination and Facilitation Grant

A grant that aims to support the embedding of coordinators and facilitators into the conservation community to amplify conservation outcomes.

Waterway Protection Fund (WPF)

Find out if your project is eligible for the Waterway Protection Fund.

GEM Local Community Group Scheme Application form

Auckland Council has partnered with Strategic Grants to provide community groups with free access to GEM Local, a database that helps not for profit groups find the right grants for them.

PDF download 1.6 MB

Government agency funding

Predator Free 2050 funding

This Crown-owned, charitable company has the aim of helping the government eradicate possums, stoats and rats and provides co-funding opportunities for large scale predator control and eradication projects.

Predator Free NZ funding

Local and national funding for organisations that support predator control projects.

DOC Community Fund

The DOC Community Fund is directed towards practical projects that are conserving New Zealand’s indigenous biodiversity on both public and private land.

Nature Heritage Fund

This fund helps private landowners, local government, community groups and others protect high-value ecosystems.

Ngā Whenua Rāhui (Māori land protection)

This funding programme exists to protect the natural integrity of Māori land and preserve mātauranga (knowledge and wisdom) Māori.

Mātauranga Kura Taiao Fund

A contestable fund that supports whānau, hapū and iwi projects designed to reclaim, revive, preserve and promote the use of traditional Māori knowledge and practices in indigenous biodiversity management.

Generosity New Zealand

The largest search facility to find funding in Aotearoa / New Zealand. Use their search tool to connect to funding opportunities.

Lottery Environment and Heritage Fund

Provides grants for plans, reports and one-off projects that will protect, conserve and promote New Zealand’s natural, cultural and physical heritage.

Lottery Significant Projects Fund

Provides grants for projects to purchase, create or improve the capital assets of regional or national significance that help make communities stronger.

Pacific Development and Conservation Trust

This trust provides grants for a range of conservation, cultural heritage, development and goodwill projects and activities in the pacific.

Community Internship Programme

Providing government grants for community organisations to employ skilled workers as interns. Grants are used to pay people while they are away from their own workplace doing a community internship.

Love your neighbourhood

Is your neighbourhood in need of environmental love? Find funding for environmental and volunteer-driven initiatives in your neighborhood.

Regional Historic Heritage Grant

This grant aims to encourage best practice and community involvement in the care of our regional heritage sites and places.

Local board grants

Find out about local and quick response grants across 21 local boards, their outcome and funding priorities and how to apply for one.

Multi-board grants

Grants for projects or activities that are either held in, or have participants in, three or more local board areas.

Contact an Auckland Council grants advisor

If you are unsure what funding to apply for or how, contact an Auckland Council grants advisor for advise and support.

Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund

The conservation fund supports conservation efforts in the wild, in both New Zealand and overseas. The Small Grants Programme provides relatively small levels of funding for ongoing projects or pilot programmes with clear conservation value.

Community Environment Fund

This fund supports projects that strengthen environmental partnerships, raise environmental awareness and encourage participation in environmental initiatives in the community.

Freshwater Improvement Fund

Funding for projects that improve the management of lakes, rivers, streams, groundwater and wetlands in Aotearoa / New Zealand.

Environmental Legal Assistance Fund (ELA)

Ideal for not-for-profit groups advocating for matters of environmental public interest. This fund enables applicants to participate more effectively and efficiently in resource management processes.

Sustainable Farming Fund

This fund supports applied research and projects led by farmers, growers and foresters.

Funding to help plant one billion trees

Help us plant one billion trees by 2028. There are different funding options for landowners, organisations and communities who want to plant trees or revert land to native forest.

Earn carbon credits through the Emissions Trading Scheme

The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) encourages landowners to establish and manage forests in a way that increases carbon storage. Find out how you can earn carbon credits through this scheme.

Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund (WMIF)

The WMIF supports projects that aim to reduce and minimise the amount of waste going to landfill.

Franklin Local Board Waterway Protection Grant

This grant aims to improve water quality in the Mauku, Whangapouri, Wairoa, and Whangamarie Stream catchments.

Non-government agency funding

Foundation North Grants

Find out how you can get funding for community projects in Auckland and Northland.

The NEXT Foundation

NEXT invests in environmental initiatives to support a predator-free New Zealand and healthy rivers.

The Tindall Foundation

There are small and large donations available as part of this philanthropic foundation to support communities and the environment to thrive.

The Lion Foundation Grant

This trust provides funding for a range of good causes that benefit the community including arts and culture, heritage, environment and more.

Mazda Foundation

Ideal for individuals and organisations who maintain and improve the natural environment.

Community Conservation Fund

Supports communities to run projects that conserve and restore New Zealand's natural environment – freshwater, coastal, wetlands, forest and dunelands.

Environmental Education Action Fund

Ideal for schools and communities who, as part of their learning, are taking hands-on action to address an environmental issue.

Save the Kiwi

The Kiwi Trust has funding options available for community-based kiwi conservation groups, universities and recognised research facilities.

The NZ Game Bird Habitat Trust

This fund is aimed at developing and enhancing habitat for the benefit of game birds and other wetland inhabitants.

Trees that Count

This conservation charity is focused on planting native trees. Find out how you can get involved.

Fonterra grass roots fund

Fonterra supports a range of initiatives and projects throughout regional New Zealand.

Countdown Growing for Good Grants

Countdown is giving grants to help foster the next generation of budding environmentalists, gardeners and conservationists.

The Sargood Bequest

This charitable trust gives grants to projects and activities focusing on access, inspiration and participation.

The Stevenson Fund

Ideal for landowners to support the ongoing management and enhancement of their protected land.

Community Care Fund

Transpower gives funds to communities affected by Transpower assets and projects by investing in community-based projects.

Treemendous

Treemendous teaches children about the importance of caring for the environment through the development of outdoor classrooms.

Ron Greenwood Environment Trust

Waikato Biodiversity Forum funds community groups committed to protecting and restoring biodiversity.

The Harcourts Foundation

This foundation distributes grants to charities and community groups globally.

Predator Free national funds

Find out what national funds are available to support environmental projects including predator control.

ANZ Staff Foundation

This foundation has distributed $6 million in community grants to over 650 charities and community projects nationwide.

Predator Free Schools

Join this programme that teaches kids about what makes New Zealand’s native species special and how introduced predators impact their survival.

Dragon Community Trust

Priority funding that supports the local Asian community.

Million Metres Stream Project

Help put life back into our streams by finding a project and donating. Crowdfund your conservation project to improve the water quality and biodiversity of your local waterway.

Grants available to support zero waste events

Keen to make your event zero waste? Thanks to Auckland Council and EcoMatters grants of up to $200 are now available to help reduce waste sent to landfill at community events. Applying is quick and easy.

GEM Local grants calendar

GEM Local is a grants calendar database designed specifically to help small New Zealand charitable and community organisations find the right grants for them.