Sport for development uses sport as a vehicle to achieve social outcomes — reducing youth crime and disengagement, building community cohesion, improving health, and supporting marginalised communities. New Zealand has a strong tradition of sport for development, particularly in Māori and Pacific communities. This guide covers the key funding sources.
Sport NZ funds sport that achieves social outcomes:
- Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa: Community sport participation fund — targets underserved communities
- Community sport investment: Sport clubs that deliver community wellbeing
- Sport for youth at risk: Targeted programmes for at-risk young people
- Māori and Pacific sport: Culturally grounded sport for development
MSD funds sport and recreation where it achieves social outcomes:
- Community Development Scheme: Community sport as social development
- Youth programmes: Sport for youth at risk of disengagement
- Social cohesion: Sport and recreation building community connection
Te Puni Kōkiri funds Māori sport for development:
- Kaupapa Māori sport programmes
- Sport as vehicle for Māori language and culture
- Waka ama as development vehicle for Māori youth
- Marae-based sport and recreation
Ministry for Pacific Peoples funds Pacific sport for development:
- Pacific sport and culture programmes
- Sport as vehicle for Pacific youth engagement
- Pacific community-led sport initiatives
- Pasifika sport for wellbeing
Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children) funds programmes for at-risk youth:
- Sport as intervention for children and young people at risk
- Community sport as child wellbeing support
- Sport and recreation as protective factor
RSTs fund sport for development at community level:
- Aktive Auckland: Auckland sport for development — large diverse population
- Sport Wellington: Wellington community sport outcomes
- Sport Canterbury: Christchurch community rebuilding through sport
- Sport Waikato: Waikato region community sport
RST sport for development programmes:
- Sport as pathway for at-risk youth
- Community sport in low-income areas
- Refugee and migrant sport engagement
- Disability sport inclusion
Private funders investing in sport for development:
- Māia Health Foundation: Community health through sport
- J.R. McKenzie Trust: Child and youth wellbeing through sport
- Todd Foundation: Youth development through sport and recreation
- Community trusts: Regional sport for development investment
Youth at risk programmes using sport:
- Youth mentoring: Sport as mentoring vehicle
- Youth justice diversion: Sport programmes as alternative to prosecution
- School disengagement: Sport reconnecting young people to community
- Māori and Pacific youth: Culturally appropriate sport development
Strong funders for youth at risk sport:
- MSD
- Oranga Tamariki
- Community foundations
- Gaming trusts (Four Winds, Lion Foundation)
Sport for development with new communities:
- English language: Sport as social language acquisition
- Community integration: Sport as belonging and identity
- Welcoming Cities: City-level sport for migrant integration
- RSTs: Targeted outreach for refugee and migrant communities
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Social outcomes: Specific outcomes beyond participation — youth engagement, wellbeing, social cohesion
- Target community: Clearly defined underserved population
- Evidence base: Evidence that sport works as development vehicle for this group
- Community leadership: Programme led by or deeply connected to the target community
- Cultural responsiveness: Kaupapa Māori or Pacific-led for those communities
- Participant numbers: Members, sessions, and social outcome indicators
- Coordination: Links to MSD, Oranga Tamariki, schools, or other social services
- Sustainability: Plan for ongoing funding beyond grant period
Tahua's grants management platform helps sport for development organisations manage grant applications across Sport NZ, MSD, RSTs, community foundations, and gaming trusts, tracking social outcomes alongside participation data.