Youth Week Fund

Generation Z Fund

He Iti te Toki | From Small Beginnings

This fund supports rangatahi and tamariki aged 12 - 24 to organise a community event or project to celebrate Youth Week in Whangārei, and to learn and grow through the process.

Amount: we can consider requests from $100 through to $2,000 from this Fund

You can apply as an individual or as a group, but one person will need to be the lead for the project and the funding application.

Closing date:  applications close at 11:59pm on 7 March 2025.

What is Youth Week?

Youth Week is a nationwide festival of events organised by young Kiwis to celebrate the talents, passion, and success of local young people.

Youth Week runs from 19 to 25 May 2025.

Find out more about Youth Week and Ara Taiohi:

Ara Taiohi Youth Week (arataiohi.org.nz)

Examples of suitable events or projects

We are keen to see events and projects that bring people together for a common purpose, which could be to share ideas, learn new things, make connections, break down barriers, celebrate, do good in the ‘hood.

Some examples include:

  • workshops to try something new
  • talks with guest speakers
  • public celebrations and socials (e.g., silent disco, festival)
  • expos and swap-meets
  • community clean ups
  • activities that support our diverse communities and offer opportunities to connect and create understanding (e.g., sharing circle)
  • activities that address social challenges like addiction, poverty, violence, inequality, and mental wellbeing
  • arts, sports, environmental, health and wellbeing.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply:

  • you must be aged between 12 and 24 and live in the Whangārei District
  • your event or project must happen in the Whangārei District and during or around Youth Week (16 to 25 May 2025)
  • the event or project must be youth-led. You can have support from an older adult, but the idea and the mahi must be yours.
  • your event or project must provide a positive impact for local young people or the wider community.

Community organisations wanting to organise an event for Youth Week (or any time of the year) are not eligible to apply to this Fund, but can apply to the Whangārei Communities Fund or Creative Communities Scheme (if arts related).

Our criteria

Your event or project must also meet at least one of our Community Funding Priorities:

  1. Arts, Culture, and Heritage:  To support and celebrate the history, language, culture, and arts of our diverse communities.
  2. Recreation and Sport: To support and deliver a variety of recreational and sporting opportunities for all ages, abilities, and life stages.
  3. Environment: To support initiatives that:
    • make a positive difference to our environment
    • enable kaitiakitanga of our taiao
    • raise environmental awareness
    • support resilience to climate change impacts.
  4. Community Wellbeing: To support initiatives that:
    • enable equitable outcomes
    • raise community resilience, participation, and connection
    • help create safe, healthy, thriving communities.

We will seek to distribute the funds across these four areas.

In making our funding decisions, we consider the:

  • uniqueness of your idea
  • quality of your plan and budget
  • potential impact and benefits of your project for the participants and the community
  • equitable share of the funding amongst the four Funding Priorities, our diverse communities and across the district.

How much funding can I apply for?

You can apply for funding to help pay for the things that you need to deliver your Youth Week event or project. We can consider requests from $100 through to $2,000 from this Fund.

If you are planning a much larger event and need more than $2,000 then either the Whangārei Communities Fund or Creative Communities Scheme might be a better option for you. Talk to us about putting an application in to either of these.

You can use the funds for most costs involved to deliver your project including:

  • venue and equipment hire – like a stage and sound system
  • materials and consumables – like stationery and rubbish bags (but aim for zero waste)
  • marketing – like printed posters or social media boosted campaigns
  • koha for performers, speakers, helpers.

What can't I use the funds for?

There are some things that we can’t provide funding for, and we’ve provided some examples below. We’ll let you know if there is anything on your budget that we can’t support.

  • buying of equipment – like computers or phones
  • merchandise – like event t-shirts (unless it is for an arts workshop)
  • prizes and give-aways (try sponsors for these)
  • alcohol, cigarettes, vape, or drugs
  • sponsorship funds for individuals
  • events or projects that are for fundraising purposes
  • events or projects that support, endorse, or promote any commercial, political, ideological, or religious viewpoint or entity
  • events or projects that may cause harm to people or property or pose a reputational risk to Council or other organisations.

Apply for Youth Week Fund

Online

Step 1.Complete application

Fill in our online form:

Youth Week Fund application form

Applications close at 11:59pm on 7 March 2025.

Step 2.Meet an adviser

If your application is accepted as eligible, you will need to meet with one of our advisers to discuss your project in more detail.

Our adviser can work with you to develop your project and help you with completing your grant application (stage 3).

Step 3.Provide support documents

You will need to provide us with:

  • a Project Budget – see our Budget Template and Budget Example (both provided below)
  • photo ID
  • any quotes for expenses or other evidence of costs
  • any letters of support from community leaders or organisations that endorse you and your project
  • anything else we might need you to provide to support your application.

Budget example(PDF, 137KB)

Budget template(XLSX, 26KB)

Step 4.Outcome of application

We’ll email you to let you know if your application has been successful or not.

If successful, the grant will be paid into the nominated bank account in about 14 days.

It is important that you read the outcome letter as it contains your grant terms and conditions and instructions for your project so you can report back to us.

Step 5.Post-project report

After your project is finished (and no later than 15 June) complete an Accountability Report.

In this report you’ll be telling us what the grant was spent on, if you delivered the project as stated in your application, what you learnt through the process, and how successful it was (for you personally and for the community).

Accountability Report options:

  • Complete online report form OR
  • Request appointment to complete this in-person with an adviser.

Youth week fund report form(PDF, 187KB) 

By email

Step 1.Complete application

Download the application, print and complete it by hand.

Youth Week Fund application form(PDF, 415KB)

Applications close at 11:59pm on 7 March 2025.

Step 2.Email us

Email your completed application to:

Email:  funding@wdc.govt.nz

Step 3.Meet an adviser

If your application is accepted as eligible, you will need to meet with one of our advisers to discuss your project in more detail.

Our adviser can work with you to develop your project and help you with completing your grant application (stage 3).

Step 4.Provide support documents

You will need to provide us with:

  • a Project Budget – see our Budget Template and Budget Example (both provided below)
  • photo ID
  • any quotes for expenses or other evidence of costs
  • any letters of support from community leaders or organisations that endorse you and your project
  • anything else we might need you to provide to support your application.

Budget example(PDF, 137KB)

Budget template(XLSX, 26KB)

Step 5.Outcome of application

We’ll email you to let you know if your application has been successful or not.

If successful, the grant will be paid into the nominated bank account in about 14 days.

It is important that you read the outcome letter as it contains your grant terms and conditions and instructions for your project so you can report back to us.

Step 6.Post-project report

After your project is finished (and no later than 15 June) complete an Accountability Report.

In this report you’ll be telling us what the grant was spent on, if you delivered the project as stated in your application, what you learnt through the process, and how successful it was (for you personally and for the community).

Accountability Report options:

  • Complete online report form OR
  • Request appointment to complete this in-person with an adviser.

Youth week fund report form(PDF, 187KB)

In-person

Step 1.Complete application

Download the application, print and complete it by hand.

Youth Week Fund application form(PDF, 415KB)

Applications close at 11:59pm on 7 March 2025.

Step 2.Bring into us

Bring your completed application form into one of our Customer Service centres:

Te Iwitahi
 9 Rust Avenue, Whangārei
Hours:  Monday to Friday - 8:00am to 4:30pm
Closed public holidays

Ruakākā service centre 
9 Takutai Place, Ruakākā
Hours:  Monday to Friday - 8:30am to 4:00pm
Closed public holidays

Service centre at isite
92 Otaika Road, Raumanga
Hours: Monday to Friday - 9:00am to 12:00pm and 12:30pm to 4:30pm
Closed public holidays

Step 3.Meet an adviser

If your application is accepted as eligible, you will need to meet with one of our advisers to discuss your project in more detail.

Our adviser can work with you to develop your project and help you with completing your grant application (stage 3).

Step 4.Provide support documents

You will need to provide us with:

  • a Project Budget – see our Budget Template and Budget Example (both provided below)
  • photo ID
  • any quotes for expenses or other evidence of costs
  • any letters of support from community leaders or organisations that endorse you and your project
  • anything else we might need you to provide to support your application.

Budget example(PDF, 137KB)

Budget template(XLSX, 26KB)

Step 5.Outcome of application

We’ll email you to let you know if your application has been successful or not.

If successful, the grant will be paid into the nominated bank account in about 14 days.

It is important that you read the outcome letter as it contains your grant terms and conditions and instructions for your project so you can report back to us.

Step 6.Post-project report

After your project is finished (and no later than 15 June) complete an Accountability Report.

In this report you’ll be telling us what the grant was spent on, if you delivered the project as stated in your application, what you learnt through the process, and how successful it was (for you personally and for the community).

Accountability Report options:

  • Complete online report form OR
  • Request appointment to complete this in-person with an adviser.

Youth week fund report form(PDF, 187KB)

By post

Step 1.Complete application

Download the application, print and complete it by hand.

Youth Week Fund application form(PDF, 415KB)

Applications close at 11:59pm on 7 March 2025.

Step 2.Post to us

Post your completed application form to:

Attn: Community Funding Co-ordinator
Whangarei District Council 
Private Bag 9023
Te Mai
Whangārei 0143

Step 3.Meet an adviser

If your application is accepted as eligible, you will need to meet with one of our advisers to discuss your project in more detail.

Our adviser can work with you to develop your project and help you with completing your grant application (stage 3).

Step 4.Provide support documents

You will need to provide us with:

  • a Project Budget – see our Budget Template and Budget Example (both provided below)
  • photo ID
  • any quotes for expenses or other evidence of costs
  • any letters of support from community leaders or organisations that endorse you and your project
  • anything else we might need you to provide to support your application.

Budget example(PDF, 137KB)

Budget template(XLSX, 26KB)

Step 5.Outcome of application

We’ll email you to let you know if your application has been successful or not.

If successful, the grant will be paid into the nominated bank account in about 14 days.

It is important that you read the outcome letter as it contains your grant terms and conditions and instructions for your project so you can report back to us.

Step 6.Post-project report

After your project is finished (and no later than 15 June) complete an Accountability Report.

In this report you’ll be telling us what the grant was spent on, if you delivered the project as stated in your application, what you learnt through the process, and how successful it was (for you personally and for the community).

Accountability Report options:

  • Complete online report form OR
  • Request appointment to complete this in-person with an adviser.

Youth week fund report form(PDF, 187KB)

Contact us

For advice and help with your application, please contact us.

Email:  funding@wdc.govt.nz

Phone: 09 430 4200

You can use our online form to make an enquiry about our community services.

Enquire online

Our Youth Week video

English

Watch on YouTube

Te reo Māori

Watch on YouTube

 

Related Information

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