Applications open from 1 February for local community groups to seek a share of more than $400,000 through Hamilton City Council’s 2020 Single-Year Community Grants.

Sandra Larsen, the Council’s Community Funding Advisor, says there has already been plenty of interest in the funding opportunity from community groups, and encourages people to attend one of two free information sessions in February to find out more – the first of them this Saturday.

Grants of up to $8000 are available for not-for-profit community organisations to support small community-led projects which are aligned with the Council’s plans and strategies. Successful recipients will contribute to the social, cultural and environmental wellbeing of the city by delivering community-wide services.

The hotly-contested grants last year received applications for more than double the available funding. Around $310,000 was distributed and this year the total funding pool has been increased to more than $400,000.

“We had 147 applications last year and the assessment committee confirmed 79 successful applications and distributed around $310,000. To give your application the best chance we recommend you get in touch and pop along to one of the sessions,” Sandra says.

The information sessions are held in the Auaha Room, in the front of the Central Library on:

• Saturday 1 February 2020 at 9.30am

• Wednesday 19 February 2020 at 5.30 pm

The funding round opens on 1 February 2020 and applications can be submitted online until the closing date on 1 March 2020.

Applications are assessed by an external panel made up of members of the community and Councillors Mark Bunting and Kesh Naidoo-Rauf. Final decisions on funding are made in April 2020.

For more information contact Sandra Larsen at sandra.larsen@hcc.govt.nz or visit hamilton.govt.nz/communityfunding

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