Netball is one of New Zealand's most popular participation sports, with hundreds of clubs and associations nationwide. From junior school programmes to the Silver Ferns pathway, netball organisations at every level rely on grants to sustain and grow the game. This guide covers the key funding sources available to netball clubs and organisations in New Zealand.
Netball New Zealand (NNZ) is the national governing body for netball and receives Sport NZ investment.
Key funding areas:
- Junior netball and Bee Netball: Primary school and introductory participation
- Club and association development: Funding through regional netball centres
- Women's and girls' netball: Priority investment across all levels
- Coaching and officiating development: Subsidies for coaching education and umpire training
- Māori and Pasifika netball: Community participation and pathway programmes
Access point: Most NNZ funding flows through regional netball centres and associations. Contact your regional centre to find out what grants or support is available.
Sport NZ invests in netball primarily through Netball New Zealand and through regional sport trusts.
Community access:
- Regional sport trusts may have direct grant programmes for netball clubs
- Sport NZ's Women in Sport investment supports women's and girls' programmes across codes, including netball
Gaming trusts are among the most accessible grant sources for community netball clubs in New Zealand.
Key trusts for netball:
- New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT)
- The Lion Foundation
- Pub Charity
- Pelorus Trust
- Regional gaming trusts: Trust Waikato, Trust Taranaki, Southern Trust, etc.
What gaming trusts fund for netball:
- Balls, bibs, and playing equipment
- Court repairs or resurfacing contributions
- Goalposts and nets
- Uniform and kit
- Junior and youth development programmes
- Transport costs for teams
Gaming trusts generally require clubs to be incorporated societies operating for community benefit.
The Lottery Grants Board offers grants for sport facilities and programmes.
Netball applications:
- Court construction or resurfacing
- Equipment grants
- Programme development
Applications go through the Lottery Grants Board website with regional distribution processes.
Each region of New Zealand has a regional sport trust (RST) that invests in community sport and physical activity.
RSTs relevant to netball include:
- Aktive — Auckland Sport and Recreation
- Sport Waikato
- Sport Wellington
- Sport Canterbury
- Sport Otago
- Sport BOP
RSTs often run capability-building programmes, facilitate connections to funders, and may have small grant funds for clubs.
Community trusts and private foundations in each region may fund netball through sport and recreation funding streams:
- Community Trust South
- Nikau Foundation (Wellington)
- Acorn Foundation (Waikato)
- Toi Foundation (Bay of Plenty)
These funders typically prioritise community access and inclusion.
Netball is a core school sport in New Zealand. Schools can access:
- Ministry of Education: Sport and PE facilities funding
- Sport NZ's Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa Fund: Community-led physical activity initiatives (including schools)
- NNZ's school programmes: Delivered through regional netball centres
- OSCAR and community sport providers: After-school netball programmes
Schools that want to grow netball should connect with their regional netball centre, which often has a community coordinator who can help with programme development and funding access.
Funders in New Zealand are particularly interested in netball programmes that:
- Increase participation among youth, Māori, and Pasifika communities
- Support women's leadership (coaching, officiating, administration)
- Improve accessibility for players from lower-income backgrounds
- Build club capability — governance, financial management, coach development
Positioning your application around these priorities strengthens competitiveness.
Tahua's grants management platform helps sport organisations manage multiple funding relationships, track reporting requirements, and build the evidence base that grant funders look for.