Community engagement fund

This fund supports local activities and events that directly benefit the communities concerned. Find out about how to apply and the kinds of projects that can get funding.


About the Community Engagement Fund

Community boards and funding panels receive a set amount of funding to give out to applicants each financial year.

Applications must support the Local Community Plan (if there is one) and also core Council business identified in our Long Term Plan.

Community Engagement Fund Information Sheet (PDF 231.4 KB).

Eligibility criteria

You must:

  • have legal status as charitable trusts or incorporated societies that have the right to receive or administer charitable funding
  • be based in Hutt City
  • be planning an event/activity in Hutt City.

Available funding

Hutt City Council made budgetary provisions in 2021/2022 of $48,850 per annum through the Community Boards/Funding Panels as follows:

Community boards

Board Amount
Eastbourne $2,366
Petone $6,250
Wainuiomata $8,607

What we fund

  • Purchase of office equipment
  • Food and catering costs
  • Community festivals
  • Youth group events and projects run by the elderly or citizens associations
  • Art projects that are not part of the core curriculum
  • Advertising, promotion costs

What we don't fund

We don't fund activities that:

  • promote an organisation’s religious, ethical, commercial or political views
  • involve buying land or buildings or carrying out maintenance on buildings
  • duplicate services that are already covered by Council or by government agencies eg, health or education providers
  • have already begun or have already finished
  • involve the redistribution of funds to others at the applicant’s discretion
  • involve fundraising or legal costs
  • involve capital investments or trust funds
  • go towards prize money
  • are operational costs eg, salaries, wages, rent, power.

Funding rules

Successful applicants must:

  • use funds only for the approved purpose and in line with any terms and conditions we've set
  • use funds by June 30 of the following year
  • let Council’s funding officer know immediately if any difficulty or potential difficulty arises that may compromise the service or project
  • allow us to audit the use of the funds if we decide to
  • recognise our support in all publicity material, annual reports and similar publications
  • complete an online Accountability Report no later than six weeks after completing the project. This should outline how the funds were used and how the community benefited
  • lay a complaint with Police if any funds are stolen or misappropriated, and then notify us
  • present back to the Community Board/Funding Panel to show how the project/event met its objectives.

How to apply

Funding is now closed. For more information see our funding calendar

Past successful applicants


Contact details

Email: funding@huttcity.govt.nz