Frequently Asked Questions

We only accept applications from not-for-profit organisations. These include:

• an incorporated society, association or organisation, which is not carried out for the purpose of providing profits or gains to any member or shareholder, and whose governing rules or constitution restrict any distribution of funds to any member or shareholder.
• any entity registered under the Charities Act 2005.
• a not-for-profit educational institution or body, church or church administration organisation.
• if you are a small unincorporated organisation which benefits the community and has been operating under a constitution or set of rules, for at least 12 months, please contact us to discuss options for applying under an umbrella organisation. Your organisation would need to have its own bank account, and financial statements, and have letters of support from at least two independent sources.
• collaborative partnerships acting as backbone organisations, should contact us to discuss how best to apply. 
• projects where the benefit is in our four funding regions:
  • Our Canterbury region includes Hurunui, Waimakariri, Selwyn and Christchurch City local authority areas.
  • Our Nelson region includes Nelson and Tasman local authority areas.
  • Our Marlborough region includes Marlborough and Kaikōura local authority areas.
  • Chatham Islands.

If your organisation is based outside our regions , we can consider projects that can demonstrate they will be of benefit to our region.

If you have any questions relating to the above contact us on 0508 266 878 and ask to speak to one of our Community Investment Team. You can also email enquiry@ratafoundation.org.nz

Who from my organisation should register with Rātā to be able to apply for funding?

Our application process is online. If you want to make an application you will first need to be registered in our Fluxx Portal. Find out how to set your organisation up in our portal and register yourself as a user below.

We only accept registrations from individuals whose organisations have approved them to register. We may contact your organisation for confirmation. 

Rātā requires a minimum of two people from your organisation to register, one of which should be your Chair, President or equivalent head of governance position. We need this for each application and for completing Terms and Conditions.

How do I update contact details for our people and/or organisation?

You can update contact details when you log into the Fluxx Portal. 

You cannot update your name or your Organisation’s. Please contact us if you wish to change your name or your organisation’s name.

If you need support with this process, you can call us and we can help you with these changes.

It’s important that registration details are not shared between people. This is both for privacy reasons and our record keeping. 

If a person is listed and no longer involved with your organisation please email enquiry@ratafoundation.org.nz and we will remove the person from Fluxx.

If you wish to replace a contact or add an additional person to your organisation’s records, please follow the registration process on our website by clicking "Register" in the top right hand corner of the Homepage. 

How does Rata look after my privacy?

It’s important we look after your privacy. When you register for the portal your name, email address and phone number will be visible to all people registered from your organisation in this portal. 

Find out how we look after your information in our Privacy Policy.

What types of costs will Rātā Foundation fund?

We support operating costs and/or project costs.

Operating costs may be considered to support the operating and administration costs of community organisations provided your work aligns with our priorities. This may include salaries, plus general overheads such as rent, power, phone and administration costs. 

Project cost grants may be available to assist funding to community projects, events, assets or programmes.

What doesn’t Rātā Foundation fund?

Rātā Foundation does not make grants to:

• Individuals
• Retrospective applications (projects which have been completed or costs committed before you have been informed of your funding decision). For details about our timeframes, read below.
• Commercial organisations or for the commercial activities of not-for-profit organisations.
• Projects where the benefit is outside our funding regions, which cover Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough, Kaikōura, Hurunui, Waimakariri, Christchurch, Selwyn and the Chatham Islands local authority areas.
• Expenditure related to core curriculum delivery in schools, for example computers and other ICT, basic educational resources, teachers' salaries and operational expenses (except where the cost may legitimately be part of a community-based learning programme).
• Competitive, high performance or elite sports or arts activities. Kapa Haka events are not subject to this exclusion.
• Projects where the beneficiaries are animals except where there is a clear community benefit of people involved in the conservation of native species.
• Fund projects that are, or are likely to be, highly socially divisive and/or lacking social license. For example, organisations applying to fund projects which are political in nature.
• Rātā Foundation does not fund research except where the cost may legitimately be part of a project or programme evaluation.
• Projects that have no community involvement and support.
• Funding for land purchase.
• Loan funding will not be made to retire current debt.
• Directly fund scholarships to individuals.
• Fund overseas travel for groups or individuals.
• Other trust funds, capital funds or endowments.
• Underwrite fund-raising projects.
• Political parties or groups aligned with political parties.
• Support the spiritual activity of religious organisations.
• Fund debt retirement.
• Local government or central government departments for activities that could primarily be deemed to be their responsibility.
• The purchase or maintenance of vehicles or other machinery/equipment which have high carbon emissions.

Can we apply for something which has already happened or will happen before we hear the outcome of our application?

No. We cannot fund retrospectively. This means if you have already committed these costs or the activity will take place before you hear the outcome of your application, we will not be able to fund your request. 

It is important you allow sufficient time for your application to be considered.

If you don't think you have left enough time to hear an outcome before your project begins, please contact our Community Investment Team before applying. Or phone us on freephone 0508 266 878.

Can we apply for more than one project or range of operational costs per application?

Yes. You can only receive one grant per Rātā Foundation financial year (1 April to 31 March), so if you have more than one project you would like to apply for, please include them all in one application.

In your application we ask you to tell us which cost areas you are applying for. You do this by selecting options from a list. You are able to tick more than one cost area or project.

If you need to inform us about the different priorities for each project, you can include it in the ‘Anything More to Add’ section.

Which funding programme is best for our project?

Find out about our funding programmes under How We Fund. You should apply under the programme that best meets your organisation’s needs.

You can also contact our Community Investment Team to discuss your application.

When can we apply and when will we get a decision?

You can apply at any time. However, you can only receive one grant in each Rātā Foundation financial year (1 April to 31 March). This is based on the approval date of your application.

Small Grants Programme (requests for $20,000 or less)

Once your application has been submitted, generally the timeframe* for a funding decision will be ten weeks. If we have to send back your application for further information this may take longer.

Large Grants Programme (requests for over $20,000)

Once your application has been submitted, generally the timeframe* for a funding decision will be four months once we have all the completed information. If we have to send back your application for further information this may take longer.

Building Projects (Applications where the request is over $100,000)

Once your application has been submitted, generally the time frame for a funding decision will be four months* once we have all the completed information. To discuss this option please contact one of our Community Engagement Advisors on 0508 266 878.

*Timeframes specified may vary slightly due to public holidays

Can I apply to other funders while I’m waiting to hear from Rātā?

Yes, you can still apply to other funders while you are waiting for a decision from Rātā. In our application we ask you to tell us about any other funding you may have received, or are applying for, and any reserves your organisation may hold. We expect that most projects will have multiple funders.

Does my application align with Rātā Foundation’s priorities and criteria?

Rātā Foundation has identified five funding areas: Connect, Learn, Support, Participate, and Sustain.

Look through 'Our Priorities' list for each funding area and identify which best aligns with the difference your project, programme or service makes in the community.

These priorities are what we base our assessments on. Under Our Priorities you will find the criteria or what else we will look at when we assess your application.

What do we mean by barriers to access or need?

We aim to enable an equitable society by removing barriers to access or supporting people in need. People may experience need throughout their lives or for a short period. We can’t always predict what those needs might be, for example a community experiencing a natural disaster may have specific needs for a time. We ask people to tell us what their particular needs are.

Barriers to access or need may be experienced by people based on the following:

• Low socio-economic status.
• Gender or sexual orientation.
• Disability/accessibility/chronic health conditions.
• Mental health challenges including people with addiction.
• Culture or ethnicity.
• Isolation – for example rural or other isolation.
• Age – in most cases this will be the under 25s and those over 65.
• Any other specific vulnerability or disadvantage where there is evidence of need.

What makes a good application?

• Try to use clear language that is concise and easy to understand.
• Be specific about the numbers of people you will be working with, what their needs are and what your activity is.
• We are interested in hearing about the difference your project will make. Be clear about the expected outcomes of your project.
• We won’t assess your application on how well you present the information, so please don’t worry about formatting your answers or incorrect spelling.
• Make sure you have all the required documentation.

How do we talk about which priority our project aligns to?

Rātā Foundation has identified five funding areas under which Rātā has funding priorities.
Go to What We Fund and look at our five funding areas:
Connect, Learn, Support, Participate and Sustain. 

Look through 'Our Priorities' list for each funding area and identify which area best fits what you are trying to achieve through your project, programme or service.

Tell us which priority you are applying under in our question ‘What will you do?’ when you are describing your project. 

How do we answer the question about the ‘difference your project will make’?
Tell us about the difference your project will make (the outcomes), not just what your organisation is doing (the outputs).

If you are finding it hard to tell us the difference they will make. Here is an example that may help:
"Older people will attend a weekly lunch club”, tells us what you are doing, but the difference you are making is that “Older people will feel less lonely as a result of attending a weekly lunch club.”

What should we tell you about in the ‘good practice’ question?

Here are some examples:

• If you are working with children tell us how you are keeping them safe. Have a look at our Safer Kids page.
• If your organisation is working with vulnerable people (young people, elderly people, disabled people, people with mental health and other issues), tell us how your service or programme meets good practice or is evidence based.
• If you are running an event tell us about your health and safety plan.
• Please also tell us how you meet any legal requirements. For example - if you are a licensed early childhood education provider. 

How do I answer the ‘Other Funding’ question?

You will notice this question is in a grey box. Please click on the green + to open the form. This form allows you to enter the details of any other funding you may have received or are applying for from other funders for this project and any reserves your organisation may hold. 

Having this information helps provide confidence that your organisation is taking a sustainable approach to fundraising and has clearly identified any reserves.

For further information, please refer to our Applicant Reserves Policy.

How do we answer the question about ‘how you will meet any shortfall’?

We are interested in knowing what plans you have in place to ensure the project goes ahead if Rātā Foundation is unable to fund your full request.

If you are a first-time applicant, or if your trust deed or constitution has changed, you will need to supply a copy of the trust deed or constitution.

All applicants need to supply:

• The organisation’s latest financial statements or performance report, which have been audited (if required). If you are a new organisation you can supply recent bank statements showing some spending activity and/or a project or annual budget.
• Minutes/resolution from your board or committee showing authority to apply to Rātā Foundation for a grant. This must include:
  • the date the resolution was made
  • the dollar amount requested
  • a description of your project request
  • the signature of an authorised signatory from your organisation.

For example: on 1 December 2023, ABC Charitable Trust resolved to apply to Rātā Foundation for $2,000 to run a financial capability building programme. I confirm this to be a true record. Signed the chairperson.

• Two letters of support Your letters of support might be from a national or regional organisation, a governing body, an organisation that you are affiliated to or a community organisation or network.

For example: if your organisation removes barriers to sports activities for children attending low equity schools you might get a letter of support from the school who uses your service.

We need the letter to state:

• the organisation supports the work of your organisation
• the organisation supports the project you are applying for
• It should also endorse that your organisation is in a good position to deliver the project or programme.

The letter must be signed, dated and be on letterhead. The date of these letters of support must be within the last 12 months.

If you are applying under the Large Grants programme, you will also need to upload:

• A full programme or project budget.
• Your organisation’s strategic or business plan. 

If you are applying for a Building Project, please contact the Community Investment Team to discuss what you need to upload.

If you are applying for funding for an environmental project, please read our additional criteria for environment projects.
 
If you are applying for funding for a heritage project, please read our additional criteria for heritage projects.

Do we need to have our financial statements audited?

We require your financial statements to be consistent with the statutory audit and review requirements of the Charities Act 2005. This includes for Incorporated Societies.

Please check Charities Services to find out more about these requirements. You can contact Community Capacity Accounting for support.

What do my accounts need to contain?

The new Charities Services reporting standards provide a framework for what should be covered in a set of financial statements and performance report. There are different requirements for organisations depending on their income and whether organisations are publicly accountable.

Charities Services has information, getting started videos, templates and guidance notes.

There are also other organisations which can support you. See our Resources.

What if we don’t have all the supporting documents?

Please wait until you have all relevant documentation before submitting your application.

If you submit an incomplete application, we will send it back to you with instructions on what needs to be done. We stop assessing your application until you have supplied the required documentation. This means the timeframe in which you will receive your decision may be extended. We may withdraw your application if you do not provide the information.

Once you have all the requested information and have resubmitted your application through the Fluxx Portal we will complete the assessment.

What happens to my application once it is submitted to Rātā Foundation?

We check that all information and documentation is in order. If it is, one of our Community Investment Team members will complete an assessment of your application, looking at your alignment with our priorities. 

A report, which summarises your application, is presented to our Trustees who make decisions on supporting or declining your application.

All this can take time, as we give each request careful consideration and the attention it deserves. Thank you for your patience in waiting for the outcome of your application.

How will we find out about the funding decision? 

You will have had an email from Rātā advising you of the decision. Your application will have moved to ‘Grants Approved’ or ‘Declined Applications’ in the Fluxx Portal. 

To find the decision letter, open the application. Under the Table of Contents click on the blue link to the documents section. 

If our application is successful how do we receive the funds?

First you need to complete the Terms and Conditions in the Fluxx Portal, under ‘Terms and Conditions, Reports and Surveys’. These need to be submitted before we can make your grant payment. 

Your organisation’s Chairperson, President or equivalent head of governance board needs to read the Terms and Conditions, tick that they agree to them and confirm the organisation bank account. To check it is submitted look under ‘Submitted Terms and Conditions’ in the Fluxx Portal menu.

If you are new to Rātā Foundation or have changed your bank account, you will need to send us documentation by email or in the post to confirm your bank account name (which should match your organisation name), account number and proof that the account is fully functional. 

Documentation to confirm this includes:

1. A New Zealand bank statement or print out showing your customer’s name, bank account number and at least one deposit and one withdrawal of differing amounts. OR
2. A letter from the bank showing your customer's name, bank account number and clearly states the account is fully functional or active.

If there are specific terms and conditions attached to the grant, you will be advised of the timeframe in which you need to meet them.

For example, Building Projects instalments will be paid as agreed, in line with your project timeframe and as conditions are met.

How long do we have to spend the grant?

The grant should be spent within 12 months of the decision date.

We recognise things change. If this happens, please let us know. We might be able to extend the timeframe or allow you to re-purpose the funds to something with similar outcomes.

How long will it take to hear the outcome of the application?

Each application is unique. We consider each request’s scope and complexity, amount requested, your organisation’s history with us, as well as other factors that could contribute to or hinder its success. This takes time. We give every request careful consideration and the attention it deserves. We appreciate your patience. 

Why are some applications declined?

Rātā Foundation receives requests for funding which are far higher than the grants budget we have available. We have to make difficult decisions about which projects we are able to support. Some reasons an application might be declined include:

• The application did not meet our eligibility criteria or includes a request for excluded items.
• The request did not align strongly with our funding priorities within Connect, Learn, Participate, Support and Sustain.

We look to see what difference your project or service will make and how your organisation is placed to run the project when assessing applications.

Do we need to acknowledge the grant?

You may have opportunities to acknowledge our grant in your communications and marketing materials. This might include your website, social media, marketing and promotional tools. To find out about these requirements and access resources to help you effectively promote your mahi, read more about Telling Your Story in our Resources.

What will we need to report on if we receive a grant?

Rātā Foundation is keen to learn about the difference organisations are making in our communities with the help of our funding.

We will send you a short Post Grant survey at the one year anniversary of the decision date of the grant which asks for some basic information about whom the programme or project benefitted, where it took place, how it went and what you learnt along the way.

In addition, we will ask some of our Large Grant recipients to give us more information. This may take the form of surveys or interviews.

There may be some instances, where a fuller evaluation of your programme would provide useful learnings. This would be agreed upon in discussion with your organisation.

The purpose of our monitoring and evaluation process is for learning and development both for us and our communities.