On this page: Environmental Initiatives Fund, Enviroschools Grant Fund, Waikato River Clean-up Trust, Dr Stella Frances scholarship, Small Scale Community Initiatives Fund
Environmental Initiatives Fund
The Waikato Regional Council's Environmental Initiatives Fund provides one-off grants to projects, which directly enhance and/or benefit the environment or provide environmental education.
Guidelines for applicants
How much money is available?
Up to $40,000 is available to any one project.
Who can apply?
Anyone can apply to the fund. However, proposals designed to generate personal or commercial profit or compensate individuals are not eligible for funding.
What types of projects can be funded?
Projects must be in keeping with council’s mission, goals and its statutory functions and duties as a regional council. Funding can be provided to specific projects designed to:
- enhance the environment
- promote and/or contribute to sustainable management of the environment
- raise community awareness of environmental issues
- provide environmental education.
Assessment criteria
How are applications assessed?
Applications are assessed by Waikato Regional Council's staff according to how well they meet the following criteria:
- The project must have clear objectives that are consistent with council’s statutory functions, Regional Policy Statement and environmental outcome objectives
- The project must have clearly assigned responsibility for the ongoing promotion or viability of the initiative; the administration of fund money in accordance with standard accounting procedures and the presentation of a report to council outlining the progress of the initiative
- There can be no potential conflict of interest for council as a consent authority
- The project must not be designed primarily for commercial or personal profit or to compensate individuals
- Schools do not usually qualify for Environmental Initiatives Funding, please apply through Enviroschools.
In addition applications should:
- be designed to become self-supporting without ongoing financial contributions from the council
- not involve activities that are the core business of council or other agencies
- demonstrate the necessary skills and experience to undertake the project
- seek contributions from other sources if appropriate
- promote community involvement or awareness in environmental issues
- be a new initiative, new to the particular area or an extension of an existing project. Ongoing operational costs of existing activities will not be funded.
Deadlines
EIF applications are reviewed by the Waikato Regional Council's Finance and Audit Committee, which meets quarterly. Applications for more than $5000 will be processed twice a year and must be received by 1 October or 1 April.
Applications for $5000 or less will be considered as soon as practical after they are received. Exceptions to these deadlines will be allowed in cases of special need.
How to apply
Download the Word version of the application form below. Fill in the form and email it to kevin.collins@waikatoregion.govt.nz:
- Open the Word document below.
- Save the Word document to your hard drive.
- Type in your details and answers to the questions, then save the document.
- Attach the document to an email and send it to kevin.collins@waikatoregion.govt.nz (email is strongly preferred over paper copies).
EIF Application Form
(82 kb, 11 seconds to download, 56k modem)
Preparing for an application
The following questions should be considered before you start preparing your application. The more complete the information you supply, the easier it will be to process your application.
Please contact us if you require any assistance in preparing your application.
Describe the project.
- What are you trying to achieve through the project?
- What are the specific objectives of the project?
- How will these objectives be achieved?
- What is the time frame for the project?
Describe your organisation or the ‘owner’ of the project.
- What is the purpose and function of the organisation or group?
- How long has the organisation been going?
- How many members does the group have?
Who will benefit from the project?
- What is the geographic area covered by your project?
- Who will benefit from the project and in what way?
What arrangements have been made for the long-term management of the project?
- How will the project be funded in the future?
- Who will be responsible for the ongoing management of the project?
How much will your project cost?
- What is the total cost of the project?
- How much funding is sought from the Environmental Initiatives Fund (excluding GST)?
- Could you itemise all costs you are requesting funding for?
- What other agencies/organisations are contributing funding to the project?
- How much are these other agencies/organisations each contributing?
- Are there in-kind contributions?
Does the project involve the community?
- How does the project involve and/or encourage community input?
Why is your project special?
- Do similar projects exist in the Waikato region?
- How does this project differ?
Enviroschools Grant Fund
The Waikato Regional Council's Enviroschools Grant Fund assists Enviroschools with environmental projects. The fund provides one-off grants to projects that directly enhance and/or benefit the environment or provide environmental education.
Guidelines for applicants
How much money is available?
Up to $25,000 annually.
Who can apply?
Enviroschools can apply to the fund. However, proposals designed to generate personal or commercial profit or compensate individuals are not eligible for funding.
What types of projects can be funded?
Projects must be in keeping with council's mission, goals and its statutory functions and duties as a regional council. Funding can be provided to specific projects designed to:
- enhance the environment
- promote and/or contribute to sustainable management of the environment
- raise community awareness of environmental issues
- provide environmental education.
What are the application deadlines?
Applications for $5,000 or less will be considered as soon as practical after they are received.
Assessment criteria
How are applications assessed?
Applications are assessed by Waikato Regional Council staff according to how well they meet the following criteria:
To receive funding applications must:
- have clear objectives that are consistent with council's statutory functions, Regional Policy Statement and environmental outcome objectives
- have clearly assigned responsibility for the ongoing promotion or viability of the initiative; the administration of fund money in accordance with standard accounting procedures and the presentation of a report to council outlining the progress of the initiative
- not lead to a conflict of interest for council as a consent authority
- not be designed primarily for commercial or personal profit or to compensate individuals.
In addition applications should:
- be designed to become self-supporting without ongoing financial contributions from the council
- not involve activities that are the core business of council or other agencies
- demonstrate the necessary skills and experience to undertake the project
- seek contributions from other sources if appropriate
- promote community involvement or awareness in environmental issues
- be a new initiative, new to the particular area or an extension of an existing project. Ongoing operational costs of existing activities will not be funded.
How to apply
- Open the Word document below.
- Save the Word document to your hard drive.
- Type in your details and answers to the questions, then save the document.
- Attach the document to an email and send it to Andrea.Soanes@waikatoregion.govt.nz (email is strongly preferred over paper copies).
Enviroschools Grant Fund Application Form
(80 kb, 11 seconds to download, 56k modem)
Preparing for an application
The more complete the information you supply, the easier it will be to process your application. Should you require any assistance in preparing your application please contact Andrea Soanes.
Waikato River Clean-up Trust
The Waikato River Authority is a statutory body formed under the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act 2010 and the Ngati Tuwharetoa, Raukawa, and Te Arawa River Iwi Waikato River Act 2010. The authority has 10 members who are appointed by the river iwi and ministers of the Crown.
The authority is the sole trustee of the Waikato River Clean-up Trust whose role is to fund projects that will improve the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River.
Read the funding strategy for more information.
Applications for funding of clean-up projects this year closed on 16 December 2011. To find out more about making a funding application, visit the Waikato River Authority website at www.waikatoriver.org.nz.
Dr Stella Frances Scholarship
The Department of Conservation and the Waikato Regional Council jointly sponsor this scholarship for students in the final year of a masters degree at the University of Waikato. The Dr Stella Frances Scholarship, to the value of $5,000 per year, is available to students studying environmental issues in the Waikato region. The scholarship is intended to defray research expenses.
About Dr Stella Frances
Dr Stella Frances (1948-2003) served just a few months of her third term as a Waikato Regional Councillor in 1993 when she was offered the position of Waikato Conservator for the Department of Conservation.
Typical of her humanity, Stella was at first concerned for the people who had worked so hard to get her elected to the council and for the expensive by-election her acceptance would cause. Reassured by her supporters, Stella joined the Department on International Women’s Day – March 8, 1993.
After noting through previous experience “the ability of government departments to insulate themselves from the community”, Stella made the appreciation of community perspectives a hallmark of her own work, both in the Waikato and in Auckland, where she moved to in 1997. Stella was widely appreciated for her ability to relate with tangata whenua, departmental associates and local communities.
Having earlier trained as a freshwater scientist with a PhD in freshwater ecology, Stella likened her later career to that of an ‘environmental GP’, playing a role for ecology similar to that of a general practitioner in health. Her greatest passion over the last four years of her life was the Firth of Thames marine and estuarine ecosystem.
Stella Frances died in August 2003. She was a constant source of inspiration to staff and people in the community who worked with her, in both her personal and professional life. Her commitment to our environment is perpetuated in this scholarship.
Information for applicants
Find out more about the scholarship, including eligibility and how to make an application, in the PDF below. The application closing date was 5pm, Friday 18 November 2011.
Dr Stella Frances Scholarship - information for applicants
(934 kb)
Small Scale Community Initiatives Fund (plant and animal pest control)
Applications for plant and animal pest control funding for community groups within the Waikato are currently open.
The principle purpose of this fund is to support volunteer community based groups. Preference will be given to those seeking funding for materials such as traps, bait and herbicides over contracted labour needs.
The application form can be downloaded below. Applications close Monday, 25 June 2012.
Small Scale Community Initiatives Fund - application form (80 kb)