Community Grants

Ahu Community Trust supports people, projects and places across Mid and South Canterbury, helping communities grow, connect and flourish over time.

Funding Our Communities

Community Grants are designed to support local organisations and initiatives responding to practical needs, community opportunities and projects that strengthen the region. They include three main funds, each designed for a different type and scale of community need.

  • Helping Hand Fund

    Our small grants support a wide range of organisations that are well connected to their communities.

    The Helping Hand Fund is designed for organisations working to reduce barriers and improve outcomes for communities of need across our funding region. It is suited to smaller requests where practical support can make a meaningful difference.

    What you Need to Know

    • Open all year, with no set closing dates
    • Funding decisions are generally made within eight weeks of receiving a complete application and all required information
    • Applications focus on the difference the project will make, or the needs of the organisation and how this contributes to the community
    • Only one successful grant application can be received in a financial year (1 April to 31 March)
    • A successful application to this fund counts as that one grant
    • Applications and reporting are managed through SmartyGrants

    Please note that timeframes may vary slightly due to public holidays.

    At A Glance

    Key Date
    Open all year *

    Funding Available
    Up to $5,000

    Purpose
    Suited to smaller requests where practical support can make a meaningful difference
    Apply Now

  • General Grants Fund

    The General Grants Fund supports both operating costs and capital needs, helping organisations strengthen the roots of their work in the community.

    Applications can include support for services and day-to-day delivery, such as wages, rent and insurance, as well as equipment and other capital items. Requests may combine both operating and capital costs up to a total of $20,000.

    What you Need to Know

    • Three funding rounds are available each year
    • Applications are made through SmartyGrants
    • Funding can support:
      • operating costs
      • service delivery
      • wages
      • rent
      • insurance
      • equipment and other capital items
    • Applications combining operating and capital costs are welcome, up to $20,000
    • Multi-year funding may be considered where there are ongoing service costs

    At A Glance

    Next round closing date
    5pm, 14 August, 2026

    Funding Available
    Up to $20,000

    Purpose
    Supports both operating costs and capital needs, helping organisations strengthen the roots of their work in the community
    Apply Now

  • Flourishing Communities Fund

    The Flourishing Communities Fund supports innovative ideas and projects that create new opportunities for communities that have experienced disadvantage or exclusion.

    This includes, but is not limited to, Māori, Pacific peoples, ethnic minorities, migrants, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community, and people with neurodiversity.

    Applications may include both operating costs and capital purchases, up to a maximum of $20,000.

    What you Need to Know

    • Supports projects and programmes creating new opportunities for historically disadvantaged or marginalised groups
    • Applications can include both operating and capital costs
    • Maximum application amount is $20,000
    • Only one grant can be received in a financial year (1 April to 31 March)
    • Only one funding programme can be applied to at a time

    Funding Rounds

    Applications are considered three times a year

    • February
    • May
    • September

    At A Glance

    Next Round Closing Date
    30 August, 2026

    Funding Available
    Up to $20,000

    Purpose
    Innovative ideas and projects that create new opportunities for communities that have experienced disadvantage or exclusion.
    Apply Now

Need help deciding which fund is the right fit?

If it’s not clear which rooms are best for you, a conversation can help clarify what’s possible and where to begin.

Call: 0800 672 287
Email: grants@ahu.nz

Contact Us

Other Ways We Support

Alongside our main funding pathways, Ahu Community Trust may also support communities through a number of additional approaches. These create flexibility where longer-term, collaborative or nationally significant opportunities arise.

Multi Year Grants

In some cases, Ahu Community Trust may provide funding over more than one year. This approach may be considered where longer-term support aligns with the Trust’s strategic direction, available funding, and the needs of the organisation or project.

Collaborative Funding

From time to time, Ahu Community Trust may work alongside other funders to support a project or initiative through a collaborative funding approach. This can help strengthen impact, share resources and support larger community outcomes.

Kaupapa of National Significance

Ahu Community Trust may also be involved in national funding initiatives led collaboratively by Community Trusts across Aotearoa New Zealand. These opportunities sit outside the Trust’s local funding streams and are guided by a shared annual kaupapa of focus.

Stories & Impact

More Stories