The Waitaha Action to Impact Fund (WAI Fund) supports community-led projects across Waitaha Canterbury that empower people to take action, build capacity, and deliver tangible outcomes. Find out what the fund supports, check the eligibility criteria, and apply online.
You can apply for a minimum of $5,000 per year, with a maximum of $30,000 per application per year. You may apply for up to two years of funding. We may not be able to fund the full amount that you have applied for.
This fund is open to community groups, rūnanga, trusts, and non-profit organisations that want to make a positive difference in their local environment.
Applicants must be a legal entity. If your group is not a legal entity, you may be able to partner with a community organisation that has legal status. Email communitygrants@ecan.govt.nz for more information.
Joint projects are welcome. The lead organisation must be a legal entity and will be responsible for managing the funding, tracking spending, handling health and safety, and completing accountability reporting.
Note: This fund is not open to individuals, businesses, educational institutions, or government agencies.
Projects that:
Examples
There are some key criteria you need to meet to be eligible for funding:
The decision panel will assess applications using the following criteria:
| Criteria | What do we mean by this? |
|---|---|
| The significance of the problem or opportunity | What is the issue the project will address and why does this matter? We’ll consider the urgency and scale of the issue/opportunity and what might happen if no action is taken. |
| Expected impact of the project | What do you think will be achieved, and how much of a difference will it make, including the scale of the impacts and how enduring they will be? We’re interested in short, medium and long-term impacts. |
| Value for money | Are the costs set out in the project budget reasonable? Is there potential for leveraging additional funding from other sources? Can we be confident that you will be able to meet all the project costs you have anticipated in your project budget? |
|
Project management, including leadership and financial oversight |
Who will be involved in delivering the project and what experience do they bring? We will expect to see details of what you are planning to do and a budget, including a clear description of what the funding from Environment Canterbury will be spent on if you are successful. You should also demonstrate awareness of any health and safety requirements how they will be addressed. |
| The extent to which the community is likely to be engaged | Community engagement can take a variety of forms – it could be a project that is community-led/delivered that may not involve a lot of people but is very important to the local community, or it may be something that involves a lot of people and will help build awareness of local values. We want to support children and young people in the community by providing opportunities for them to engage with us about issues that matter to them and Canterbury's future, so please tell if young people are involved in your project. |
Once you’ve confirmed your eligibility:
Successful applicants: View last year's and past years' successful applicants.
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