Recovery Office launches community grants to support community-led storm recovery

The Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery Office (Recovery Office) is pleased to announce that on 20 November we launched the Storm Recovery Community Grant programme to support community-led recovery initiatives. The new programme provides grants of up to $10,000 each to residents’ groups and collectives to ensure they have the resources they need to continue the important work they have been doing.

“We know from local and international examples that the most successful disaster recoveries are led and resourced by local communities,” says Group Community and Social Recovery Lead, Linda Greenalgh.

"Since the weather events, we’ve seen extraordinary examples from across Tāmaki Makaurau of residents coming together to provide support, practical assistance and to advocate for the needs and aspirations of their communities. We want to ensure they have the resources they need to continue doing this wonderful work.”

The first grant round will run from Monday 20 November until Monday 11 December, with a second round opening in early 2024. The programme’s grant criteria reflect that each affected community has unique needs, and even the needs of the micro-neighbourhoods within communities can vary greatly.

For example, residents’ groups can apply for a grant to help provide their communities with the practical support they need here and now – whether that’s to run workshops on house repair or tenancy advocacy, for administrative or facilitation support, or to deliver a series of neighbourhood events to build resilience and connections. It might be a mix of a number of these things!

"We recognise recovery needs vary from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, and trust that communities know best what they need. We want to harness the creativity and lived experience of communities and we’re excited to see the different ways the funding is used in different communities,” says Greenalgh.

How to apply

You can apply for a Storm Recovery Community Grant using our Smarty Grants form. The first funding round is open from 20 November – 11 December. We will contact successful applicants by Friday 22 December. We will open a second grant round in early 2024.

To read more about who qualifies for the grant, please download the guidelines from the Smarty Grants link above and see the frequently asked questions (FAQs) section below.

FAQs

What is a residents' group?

A residents’ group is a group of residents and businesses in a suburb or neighbourhood who want to advocate for or support their local community.

For example, a residents' group may coordinate ‘street chats’ to support connection and mental wellbeing, walking school buses, youth activities or address safety concerns. They may also organise local community events, like fairs or street BBQs, or make submissions to their local council about issues affecting their community. To be eligible, the group must be set up as an Incorporated Society or Charitable Trust, or supported by a larger group that is. The Recovery Office can help smaller groups identify a suitable ‘umbrella’ group if necessary.

Who can apply?

Applications are open to all residents’ groups and community organisations who are supporting residents’ groups within, and working closely with, flood and landslide-affected communities.

We are only able to pay Incorporated Societies or Charitable Trusts, so if you are not affiliated as an Incorporated Society or Charitable Trust, you will need to find an organisation that is willing to ‘umbrella’ your application and funding on your behalf. If you need help to find an umbrella organisation, please contact the Recovery Office’s Storm Recovery Liaison for your area – you can find their details in the table at the bottom of this story.

Working with an umbrella organisation enables a smaller group to work on projects without having to take on the costs and responsibilities of becoming incorporated. It can also help to obtain funding.

The umbrella group may also receive and pass on any money to a group within its structure, possibly charging a handling or administration fee for its services.

If there is more than one residents’ group in a community, we will look at ways you may be able to work together to meet the different needs within your community.

How much can you apply for?

You can apply for grants up to $10,000, which includes any potential administration fees to the umbrella organisation.

What can the grant be used for?

The Recovery Office is providing this funding to ensure flood and landslide-affected residents’ groups have the resources they need to continue doing the wonderful work they have been doing.

We recognise the needs vary from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, and this is why we have ensured these groups can use the funding in whatever ways their communities need.

As above, this may look like:

• Activities to support connection now, to plan for the future and provide the means for how to continue their Recovery.

• Regular neighbourhood events to build resilience and connections

• Paying a coordinator to facilitate regular community meetings and communications support.

Please note these grants are not intended for:

• Individual homes

• Rebuilds, repairs or adaptations

• Not for resilience/preparedness or response plans

• Natural and built environment initiatives or projects

When do applications for the two rounds of applications open and close?

Applications for the first round of funding open on Monday 20 November, and will close on the Monday 11 December. We will notify successful applicants by 22 December.

Applications for the second funding round will open in early 2024. We will provide more information about this funding round closer to the time.