About Acorn funding
There are a variety of ways that the Acorn Foundation provides funding for our community. We have an annual funding round that runs from April to August each year. Charitable organisations can apply each year for this funding, become a ‘tagged’ recipient, or set up their own Community Group Fund with Acorn. Find out more below.
Scholarships are available at different times throughout the year, with specific criteria and timings for each award. For more information on applying for scholarships, click here.
If you are planning a community-driven event that needs funding our new joint event fund may be the answer. Learn more about the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund here.
Acorn’s annual
funding round
Acorn's 2025 Funding Round will be open 1st April to 30th April 2025!
Register your organisation by clicking the link below.
Register your organisation HERE.
We are excited to announce that Acorn has partnered with Tahua, a New Zealand-based grants management software company. The application and granting process will now be through an online funding portal. This system will manage Acorn Foundation WBOP applications and Tindall Foundation EBOP funding applications.
To apply you need to:
Step 1 – If you are new to Acorn: Register your organisation. You are required to add details relating to your organisation. If you received Acorn funding in 2024: Login and check/update your registration details. Before registering please read the funding round FAQs to learn more about what Acorn will and won't fund.( Note that you will not be able to access a funding application (Step 2) until the funding round is open).
Step 2 - Apply for funding. Once the funding round opens, you will be able to access the grant and apply for funding, submitting all details relating to your funding request. The application will automatically save as you progress and you will be prompted to complete and submit the application leading up to the close date to ensure you don’t forget the final steps. Previous applications will be stored here so you can see what you have applied for in previous years. There is a separate Tindall Foundation application form for organisations BASED in the Eastern Bay of Plenty to complete. All other organisations should complete the Acorn Foundation application form [you will be able to indicate on this form if you also provide services in the EBOP].
If you are unsure whether your organisation meets our funding criteria, please call Jo on 021 195 9354 to discuss. Likewise, if you have any questions or problems navigating the online registration and application forms, please contact us either by phone or email: jo@acornfoundation.nz.
As a Community Foundation, our funding is donor-directed. About 60% of our support is tagged to charitable organisations specifically named by our donors. The remaining 40% is contestable by application, as it has been left by donors to a field of interest area (like the environment, animal welfare or youth) or unrestricted for the benefit of the community.
Funding round FAQs
Charities and community organisations that benefit the Western Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand.
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The Western Bay of Plenty region encompasses the following areas: Waihi Beach, Katikati, Kaimai, Tauranga, Te Puke and Maketu, including Paengaora, Pongakawa and Pukehina.
Acorn also distributes funds on behalf of The Tindall Foundation in both the Western BOP and Eastern BOP regions.
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The Eastern Bay of Plenty includes the districts around Whakatane, Opotiki and Kawerau, but excludes Rotorua, Minginui and Murupara.
Acorn will provide funding for any charitable purpose (meaning every purpose which in accordance with the law of New Zealand is charitable) within our stated priority areas. The Acorn Foundation will consider applications for project costs and for general operating costs, including salaries/wages, rent and vehicle operating costs.
If you are unsure whether your organisation qualifies for Acorn Foundation funding, please contact Jo Wilson on 021 195 9354.
Acorn doesn’t fund the following categories:
- Individuals (other than via donor-directed scholarships and awards – see our website for the list of scholarships available)
- Groups that are not registered
- The purchase of capital assets where the total item cost exceeds $5,000 [i.e., Acorn will not provide $5,000 to contribute towards a capital asset exceeding this value.]
- Core education
- Sports clubs or school events
- Overseas travel (other than through scholarships)
- Religious or political advocacy
- Retrospective claims
- Access to housing:
- Improve the accessibility of owning or renting a safe, healthy home.
- Provide wraparound housing support for tenants or owner-occupiers of sub-standard homes.
- Reduce inequity in the home and community:
- Enhance food security and access to basic household needs.
- Support improved basic household financial skills, including budgeting and debt reduction.
- Reduce the impacts of poverty for members of the local community.
- Promote initiatives for youth aged 14 -24 that help unlock the potential of rangatahi and/or enhance their safety and wellbeing.
- Wellness:
- Provide access to counselling or mental health support.
- Support organisations who work with people with disabilities and/or their carers.
- Reduce the impacts of substance abuse.
- Fund other health-based organisations with local staff members that support vulnerable sectors of our community and/or provide respite services (please note, Acorn is not a general health funder.)
- Limited funding also available for donor-directed interest in the following areas:
- Organisations supporting people with medical treatment or conditions
- Organisations supporting children with specific health or education needs
- Organisations benefiting the deaf
- Organisations providing animal welfare and/or training of assistance dogs
- Safety:
- Reduce the impact of violence and harm in the home and community
- Support the victims of sexual harm
- Support the victims of child abuse
- Kaupapa Māori initiatives supporting:
- Māori-led activities, programmes or organisations that strengthen Māori cultural identity, including Te Reo, tikanga, and mātauranga Māori.
- Fund initiatives that uphold the aspirations of tangata whenua, ensuring sustainability and growth of Māori communities.
- Marae programmes or services fitting within Acorn’s priority areas.
- Building stronger communities:
- Enhance resilience, promote inclusion and provide connections for everyone in the region, including our diverse, marginalised and immigrant communities.
- Promote activities or programmes that help build knowledge of local history to develop positive collective futures.
- Support, empower and help build the capacity of local charitable organisations.
- Caring for the environment to nurture sustainability practices that enhance the well-being of the Western Bay of Plenty for future generations.
- Event funding:
Community connectedness is important to Acorn, which is why we are a joint funder of the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund, alongside Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, TECT and BayTrust. This fund has been established to provide a streamlined application process for event organisers across the Western Bay of Plenty. More information can be found here.
We have one funding round per annum, with a four-week submission period.
Follow us on Facebook to ensure that you are notified when the next funding round opens.
The first step is to check your organisation fits within our funding priorities.
Then ensure your organisation is registered on our online portal.
Complete your online funding application (only accessible when grant round is open).
If you have not received Acorn funding in the past, and you ar unsure whether your organiation fits within our priority areas, you should contact us in the first instance.
Completed applications, including financials, are due within a set deadline and are reviewed by Acorn staff and Distributions Committee members. We may schedule a meeting with you to discuss your organiation further.
Our Distributions Committee meets in August to determine the successful applicants, and once the grants are ratified by the Acorn Foundation Trustees, the decisions are announced in August.
There is currently an upper limit of $10,000 per application for both Acorn and Tindall funding.
You will need to apply via our new granting system – successful applications to Acorn will be considered for both funding streams. Tindall Foundation funding is distributed in September at the same time as Acorn Foundation funding.
More information will be provided in early April on how to apply.
The Acorn Foundation distributes funds on behalf of The Tindall Foundation, supporting Family/Whānau. To learn more, click on the link below.
The Tindall Foundation doesn’t fund the following categories:
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Core or public health service
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Core education
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Research
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Sport, leisure and recreation
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The arts
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Overseas
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Buildings or land
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Animal charities
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The purchase of capital assets or equipment where the cost exceeds $3,000
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Core Education/Scholarships
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Individuals
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Loans and Endowment funds
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Religious or Political advocacy
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Retrospective claims
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Sponsorships
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Venture Capital initiatives.
Generosity NZ (www.generosity.org.nz) provides extensive details on other funding options available in New Zealand.
Grants Expertise Management System (GEMS): GEMS generates fully customised 12-month grants calendars, listing just the grants relevant to your organisation. It is a subscription-based service. If you are a smaller community organisation with a revenue under $1.5m, you may be able to access GEM Local free of charge via Tauranga City Council who are able to provide a limited number of subscriptions. www.gemlocal.co.nz. Contact emma@strategicgrants.co.nz for more information.
Become a
tagged recipient
You can skip the annual application process and receive annual
distributions forever if a donor specifies your charity to receive
distributions from their endowment fund. This is a great option to offer your donors as an alternative fundraising strategy.