Community sport and recreation is one of the most broadly funded sectors in New Zealand's philanthropic landscape. Sporting activity generates widely recognised community benefits — physical and mental health, social connection, youth development, community identity — and there is broad public support for community sport funding. Despite this, many sport and recreation organisations struggle to navigate the complex funding landscape and access the support they need. This guide covers the main sources of sport and recreation grant funding in New Zealand and what makes applications successful.
Sport New Zealand (Sport NZ) is the primary government agency for sport and recreation. Sport NZ allocates funding from the government's sport and recreation budget, distributing through:
- Regional sport trusts (RSTs): 17 regional sport trusts receive bulk funding from Sport NZ and distribute to community organisations in their regions
- National sports organisations (NSOs): Governing bodies for specific sports receive funding from Sport NZ and may have community grants for affiliated clubs
- Direct grants programmes: Sport NZ runs some direct funding programmes, particularly for initiatives aligned with current strategic priorities
Lottery Grants Board (Sport committee): The Lottery Grants Board's sport committee distributes lottery profits to community sport organisations. This is separate from Sport NZ funding and is administered through the Community Matters portal.
Lottery Grants Board (Facilities committee): Capital grants for sport and recreation facilities — club rooms, courts, grounds infrastructure. This is a different committee from the sport committee and funds physical assets rather than activities.
Gaming trusts: Pub charity gaming trusts (Lion Foundation, Four Winds Foundation, Pub Charity, and others) are major funders of community sport. Gaming trust funding is often more flexible than government funding and can fund things that government programmes won't.
Local councils: Many councils fund community sport through rates-funded grant programmes, facility subsidies, or direct support for sports events. Council sport grants vary significantly by region.
Community trusts: Some community trusts in New Zealand include sport and recreation as a funding priority. Foundation North, Community Trust South, and regional community trusts all fund sport to varying degrees.
Corporate sponsorship: While not grants, corporate sponsorship is a significant funding source for community sport — particularly for events, facilities naming rights, and uniform support. Sponsorship is managed differently from grant funding.
Regional sport trusts are the most significant point of contact for most community sport organisations in New Zealand. RSTs receive bulk funding from Sport NZ plus independent revenue (gaming trust grants, council contracts, donations) and distribute it to community sport organisations in their regions.
The 17 RSTs cover all parts of New Zealand. Each RST operates independently with its own programmes, priorities, and processes — but all work within the Sport NZ strategic framework.
What RSTs typically fund:
- Community sport development programmes
- Coaching development and education
- Participant support (reducing cost barriers to participation)
- Facility development in some cases
- Events and competitions
- Volunteers and community sport leadership
How to engage with your RST:
1. Identify your regional RST (Sport NZ website lists all RSTs)
2. Contact the RST before applying — most RSTs prefer pre-application conversations
3. Understand the RST's current priorities — each RST has its own strategic plan
4. Build an ongoing relationship, not just a grant-cycle relationship
The Lottery Sport committee is one of the most active sources of sport grant funding outside of Sport NZ. Applications are submitted through the Community Matters portal.
What the committee funds: Participation programmes, equipment, competition travel for representative teams, coaching education, and some operational costs for community sport organisations.
What it doesn't fund: Elite sport, professional organisations, activities that are primarily commercial, facilities (funded by the facilities committee).
Application considerations:
- Applications must be from eligible organisations (registered charities or incorporated societies)
- The committee meets on a schedule — check the Community Matters portal for current round dates
- Evidence of participation numbers and community reach is important
- Applications for equipment should include quotes and demonstrate that the equipment isn't already available
Gaming trusts are a flexible and accessible source of sport funding. The major national trusts (Lion Foundation, Four Winds, Pub Charity) all fund sport; there are also regional gaming trusts with geographic focus.
Advantages of gaming trust funding for sport:
- Often more flexible than Lottery or government funding
- Can fund operational costs, not just programmes
- Simpler application processes in many cases
- Multiple trusts mean multiple funding sources
How gaming trust funding works: Pubs and clubs with gaming machines must distribute a portion of gaming profits to community purposes through an authorised gaming trust. The trust collects these proceeds and distributes them through a grants process. The host venue (pub or club) often has input into the trust's local priorities.
The relationship with the host venue: In some cases, community sport organisations can work directly with a pub or club that hosts gaming machines to identify which trust their gaming proceeds go to and encourage support. This doesn't guarantee grants but can strengthen applications.
Clear participation focus. Grant funders for community sport are primarily interested in participation — getting more people, especially underrepresented groups (women, youth, disabled people, low-income families), active in sport. Applications that articulate participation goals clearly are more compelling than those focused on winning competitions.
Demonstrated community need. Evidence that your community or demographic has lower participation rates, fewer facilities, or fewer opportunities than others strengthens the case for funding. Local sport participation data from Sport NZ or your RST can support this.
Realistic budgets. Applications with budgets that have been costed accurately — with realistic assumptions about what things cost — are more credible than applications with round numbers and vague cost categories.
Volunteer and community investment. Most sport funders want to see that communities are investing in themselves — through volunteer hours, fundraising, member fees, and community effort. Applications that show leverage of community investment alongside grant funding are more compelling.
Equity and inclusion. Funders increasingly prioritise sport and recreation programmes that actively address participation barriers — cost, transport, cultural barriers, disability access. Demonstrating how your programme is reaching underserved groups strengthens applications.
Alignment with funder priorities. Sport NZ's current strategic plan, RST priorities, and Lottery committee guidelines all signal what funders are prioritising. Applications that address current strategic priorities — such as increasing participation among women and girls, or supporting Māori and Pacific sport leadership — are more likely to succeed.
Most sport funders require reporting at the end of the grant period covering:
- Participation numbers (actual vs. projected)
- Demographics of participants
- Programme activities delivered
- Financial acquittal — how grant funds were spent
- Reflection on what worked and what could be improved
For multi-year grants or significant capital projects, milestone reporting during the grant period is common.
Keep records throughout the grant period rather than reconstructing them at report time. Attendance registers, photos, and brief notes about programme activities become reporting evidence.
Tahua supports regional sport trusts and community funders in managing sport and recreation grant programmes — from application intake to assessment, awarding, and outcome reporting.