Funding Sources
Ann Sinclair
The Ann Sinclair Charitable Trust supports both farming and agricultural students and Christian camps. The fund is administered by Presbyterian Support Central.
Support for farming and agriculture students
The Ann Sinclair Charitable Trust provides funds to assist farming students, including those wishing to study any form of farming such as agriculture, horticulture, orcharding and animal husbandry.
Support may be provided for education, travel and accommodation expenses when studying at a tertiary educational institution.
Grants will only be given to students living in or studying in the Presbyterian Support Central area which includes Wellington, Wairarapa, Horowhenua, Manawatu, Whanganui and Taranaki.
Priority will be given to students who may need extra assistance due to health or financial concerns, or who would otherwise not readily have access to tertiary study for farming.
For more information download the Ann Sinclair Charitable Trust Guidelines here.
For Christian youth camp applicants
The Ann Sinclair Charitable Trust also provides funds for people and organisations who wish to establish and/or conduct Christian camps, and supports non-churched youth to attend Christian camps. This includes funding for camp organisers who intend to provide bible classes, youth groups, children’s homes or other holidays and/or retreats for any Christian denomination.
Grants are intended to be given to Christian youth camping events where participants live within the Presbyterian Support Central area which includes Wellington, Wairarapa, Horowhenua, Manawatu, Taranaki and Whanganui areas.
For more information download the Ann Sinclair Charitable Trust Guidelines here.
To apply
Applications for the Ann Sinclair Charitable Trust close 31 October each year.
Download the tertiary farming and agricultural study funding application form here.
Download the Christian camp funding application form here.
For more information, or to apply, contact:
Ann Sinclair Charitable Trust
C/O Presbyterian Support Central
PO Box 12706
Thorndon
Wellington 6144
More about Ann Sinclair
Ann Sinclair was born at Pirinoa, Wairarapa in the early 1860’s to Scottish settlers Katherine McCallum and Donald Sinclair. She was one of seven children to the couple. The family purchased hundreds of acres of farmland in the south Wairarapa and developed strong ties with local Maori.
Ann Sinclair never married and, despite being close to her sister, Mary, is said to have become somewhat of a recluse in her later years.
On 12 April 1957, Miss Ann Sinclair of Pirinoa, Wairarapa, signed a deed setting up her farm as a home for training boys in the practice of farming. Initially, boys were trained on the farm, but only a couple could be helped at one time.
In 1983, Hon Mr Justice O’Regan approved a variation to the Trust – the farm was sold and the funds invested. The fund is managed by Presbyterian Support Central with the aim of supporting young people in training for all types of farming.
Find details below of Youth Funding streams and grants that support youth ministry in New Zealand. You may also be interested in reading our top ten tips for applying for funding.
If you know of other youth funds in New Zealand please email matt@pym.org.nz so they can be added to this section.
Bill and Margaret Best Travel Fund
The Overseas Travel Fund was renamed the Bill and Margaret Best Travel Fund in 1990 in memory of former Assembly Executive Secretary Rev. W.A. Best and his wife Margaret. The purpose of the Fund is to assist church workers wanting to further develop their area of service to the Church. The Personnel Work Group administers the Fund.
Eligibility
Church workers must have been employed in an equivalent full-time role that is recognised by the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand for at least five of the previous 10 years. The term ‘church worker’ includes ministers, lay ministers and elders. Training and study courses should meet the minimum duration as set out in the table below:
Location of course/conference Minimum duration
Within New Zealand Seven (7) days
Australia/Pacific region Seven (7) days
North America/Asia Fourteen (14) days
Europe Twenty-one (21) days
Applicants must complete their course and return to New Zealand within 12 months of the course beginning. Grants are for travel costs only. For assistance with course fees and/or materials please contact your presbytery/UDC council. Where the course is in North America , Asia or Europe , the applicant needs to demonstrate that the equivalent course is not available in New Zealand or the Pacific region.
Applications
To request an application pack please contact Margaret at kate@presbyterian.org.nz or call (04) 801-6000. Or, you can download an application form. Presbytery/UDC approval is required for study courses. A form is provided for presbyteries/UDCs in the application pack, or downloaded the UDC approval. Applicants wanting to attend a conference as an official representative of the Presbyterian Church should provide the names of at least two referees. Applications for a grant to bring overseas visitors to New Zealand are the responsibility of the appropriate committee or work group. Applications close 31 October each year. Applicants are notified of the outcome of their application by early December. Applicants are encouraged to apply for their grant prior to travel. However, applications for travel undertaken in the past 12 months will be considered.
Previous Grants
Where an applicant has previously received a grant from the Fund, they must undergo a stand-down period before they are able to apply for a new grant. The stand-down period is as follows:
Location of previous travel Stand-down period
New Zealand, Australia or the Pacific Three (3) years
Asia Five (5) years
Europe or North America Eight (8) years
Study Leave Reports
At the completion of the course, applicants should forward their study leave report to: The Registrar, Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership, Knox College, Arden Street, Dunedin 9010. Phone: (03) 473 0783 E-mail: registrar@knoxcentre.ac.nz
Council for World Mission
CWM is a global partnership of churches committed to partnership in the work and witness of Christian mission. In this process CWM shares resources of money, people, skills and insights. The practice of holding resources for mission in common is therefore deeply embedded in the family and communal ethos of CWM.
Since its inception in 1977 the organisation has subscribed to the view that “to share in international mission every church is both a receiver of help and a giver of its talents” and upheld the principle whereby each member church may receive in accordance with its need and give in accordance with its means.
This guide holds to these fundamental principles, and provides a more comprehensive reference and guideline to the churches as to the protocol and procedures within CWM for accessing common resources to initiate, promote or enhance their mission and ministry activities.
All applications should be sent to the CWM general secretary so that work can be coordinated, responses sent out and applications processed in accordance with the published dates and procedures. This work is facilitated by a Programme Management Group, which is based at Ipalo House and is made up of staff. This group meets regularly to consider all applications for resources, and to prepare the applications for presentation to the CWM Trustee Body
meetings.
More info at https://www.cwmission.org/
James Gibb Fund
The James Gibb Fund provides Presbyterian parishes with funding to support parish-based social services for local communities.
Established in 1989, the James Gibb Fund provides funding for projects that improve the life and living conditions of those in need, and for projects that deliver educational programmes that support people to live rich and fulfilling lives. The fund is administered by Presbyterian Support Central.
Eligible projects
The fund supports projects which make a contribution to social or community service by:
improving the life and living conditions of people who have been deprived of opportunity, especially children and older people who face challenges such as poverty or disability
delivering educational programmes that support people to live rich and full lives.
Applications where parishes link in with Presbyterian Support Central will have an advantage, as will new programmes rather than maintaining existing programmes.
To apply
For guidelines, information on evaluations, and to apply.
More about James Gibb
James Gibb was born in Scotland in 1857. He emigrated to Australia in 1881, before arriving in New Zealand a few years later with his wife, Jane Gibb also known as Jean Gibb.
In January 1886 he was inducted as the minister of First Church of Otago, and in July he was elected moderator of the Presbytery of Dunedin. In 1901, James Gibb was elected the first moderator of the newly united Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, and in August 1903 he became the minister of St John’s Church in Wellington.
It was in 1909 Reverend Dr. James Gibb, initiated a project to care for orphaned and destitute children and so began Presbyterian Support Central. This was a time when there was no welfare system in New Zealand.
Please note the boundaries
Knox Centre Theology Study Grant
Each year the Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership offers a limited number of scholarships to Presbyterians doing part-time or full-time theological studies through Otago University, Auckland University, Laidlaw College, Carey Baptist College and the Ecumenical Institute of Distance Theological Studies.
If you know of anyone who might benefit from such a grant, please encourage them to apply. They should send a letter of application detailing their course (and costs) of study, and what church they’re involved in. They should also include a brief letter of support from someone in their church (preferably their minister, so we can discuss their church involvement and the course of study). The deadline for applications is 31 March. Letters should be sent to the Principal at Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership, Knox College, Arden Street, Opoho, Dunedin 9010 or emailed to principal@knoxcentre.ac.nz
Lotto
This is a sensitive issue. All applications for a lottery grant need Presbytery approval. If the application is greater than $5,000 it also needs the approval of the Presbyterian Church Property Trustees. All approvals must be in place before applying to the Lottery.
Conditions to be met before making an application for a Lottery Board Grant
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, meeting in July 1998 determined that parishes could make applications for Lottery Board Grants subject to certain criteria –
The beneficiaries of the grant must be wider than the congregation applying for the grant, for example community projects.
The grant cannot be used for the regular functioning of the congregation such as for the provision of worship, ministry, a church officer, parish secretary, choirmaster, organist or other subordinate officials.
Application for grants for property development including building alterations will only be considered when most of the use of the property will be for groups or organisations which are not part of the congregation.
The congregation will be able to sustain the project financially during its future life.
The congregation has sufficient realisable assets, either financial or in property, to cover the restitution of any grant which the Church Property Trustees are required to make in terms of the agreement with the Lottery Grants Board.
The congregation has specifically agreed that should restitution be required it will be funded from these specified assets.
The Presbytery has undertaken to ensure that the conditions of the grant are met and has processes in place to fulfil this.
Applications to be approved by –
the Board of Managers or Deacons Court or Parish Council of the applicant parish
a meeting of the congregation
the Presbytery
the Church Property Trustee
Applications for approval by both the Presbytery and the Trustees should be made by completing and submitting the Lottery Grants Form. After approval by the Presbytery the application should be forwarded to the Trustees Secretary for the formal approval of the Trustees. The Church Property Trustees have been delegated the ultimate responsibity to ensure that the criteria as determiined by the General Assembly are met and require that –
Before any expenditure is made from any Lottery Board grant that may be made, or any contract made which would require disbursement from the grant, that the Parish Council must first obtain the approval of the Presbytery’s Property and Finance Committee, and
Should a grant be made by the Lottery Board, the parish is to set up a special account with four trustees (2 members of the Parish Council and 2 members of the Presbytery’s Property and Finance Committee) into which the grant must be paid, any disbursement from the special account to require the signature of two trustees, one of which must be one of the two Parish Council Trustees together with one of the two of the Presbytery’s Trustees.
If these conditions are satisfied the Church Property Trustees may authorise a grant application on the basis that any restitution will be limited to the property specified above and the acceptance of the grant does not place any liability on any other property or fund.
Applications for Trustees approval should be sent to:
Presbyterian Church Property Trustees, P O Box 9049, Marion Square, Wellington 6141.
Enquiries to Kos van Lier, Executive Officer, Church Property Trustees (phone 04 381 8296 or email kos@presbyterian.org.nz)
Presbyterian Foundation
Established by the 1996 General Assembly, the Presbyterian Foundation is a trust fund, to which bequests and donations may be added, and from which interest is distributed for purposes as defined by the 1998 General Assembly.
Grants from this fund are made to projects that promote the ongoing regional and other mission of the Church, as well facilitating the development of innovative mission opportunities conceived at a local and regional level. Grants from this fund can be applied for under the small grant criteria, and are for a maximum of $10,000.
In 2016 by a decision of General Assembly, oversight of the Presbyterian Foundation funds moved to PressGo
Small grant
Small grants are for made for a maximum of $10,000.
Small grants are funded by the Presbyterian Foundation. Established by the 1996 General Assembly, The Presbyterian Foundation is a trust fund, to which bequests and donations may be added, and from which interest is distributed for purposes as defined by the 1998 General Assembly.
At General Assembly 2016, the work of the Presbyterian Foundation was rolled into the work of the PressGo board, who will consider all small grant applications.
Eligible Projects
Projects must be consistent with goals, priorities and policies of Presbyterian Church, as stated by the Council of Assembly. Priority will be given to:
Ministry of people to people
New creative ventures of mission, outside usual patterns and beyond current church membership
Collaborative ventures
Pilot programmes related to the above (Give it a Go)
Leadership development
Exclusions
It is not possible to support every initiative, even though there are so many worthwhile applications. Please carefully read the exclusions before applying for a grant.
Projects over $20,000 (maximum grant is $10,000)
Projects where the congregation has not contributed at least 50 percent of the project cost
Regular operational costs, including salaries and stipend
Applications from Trusts that are not part of the church
Vehicles
Technical equipment
Building renovations
Furniture or fittings
Ministers’ Study Leave (under leadership development criteria).
Who can apply?
All presbyteries, and Presbyterian and Uniting congregations in Aotearoa New Zealand are entitled to make small grant applications.
How to apply
Applications for funding generally close a month before each PressGo Board meeting. Read more about application closing dates
Download the small grant application form to apply for an development grant.
Read the notes for applicants for useful information to assist with your grant application.
Contact the PressGo catalyst, Lisa Wells for advice, on making an application.
Press Go
Press Go is the Church’s mechanism for collectively funding promising growth ideas. The Board was established by General Assembly in 2008 to support church growth by facilitating a process that provides resources for new and innovative mission and outreach. Press Go was established with a vision that every church or presbytery committed to a missional growth project receives the resources they need. Press Go is about the Church together sharing in God’s mission, impacting the nation with the Good News.
Press Go helps by providing professional leadership to help build capacity and skills within a congregation so that they can both deal with their property challenges and pursue missional growth. We do this in three ways:
Inspiring Mission – events, activities and resources that share “best practice” and inspiring stories of ordinary people who are achieving extraordinary things for God’s Kingdom. We offer regular “Learning Parties” to equip missional leaders and help the wider Church membership to develop a missional imagination and openness to the leading of God’s Spirit.
Building Capacity – the Press Go Catalyst and members of the Press Go Board are available to meet with church councils, sessions and presbyteries to facilitate a strategic planning process that considers the missional context of the church or presbytery, their mission objectives, financial position, challenges and imperatives, options and choices. Based on this, we may be able to provide access to other specific skills such as legal, resource consent, fundraising, financial management, as required and agreed. The intention is that the church or presbytery is empowered and more effective in making decisions which enable it to purse a development strategy.
Seed Funding – Limited seed funding is available for exceptional projects. The Press Go team will also help churches and presbyteries identify and seek external funding, partnerships and explore other revenue-generating ideas. In the first instance there is an expectation that members of the congregation are substantial supporters of the proposed initiative or development. Guidance on stewardship, operational giving and capital fundraising is available to support this.
The first point of contact is the Press Go Catalyst. Click here to email Lisa Wells, or telephone 027 4455 723, or write to P O Box 13103, Dunedin 9052.
PSDS
Grants for mission
Presbyterian Savings & Development Society exists solely for the purpose of serving the Presbyterian and associated churches, the core purpose being to provide finance at less than market rates to churches for capital projects. It also gives grants to individual churches and national projects where funds are available.
Some of the projects that PSDS has given grants towards have been the purchase of mission related church equipment, ministers study leave, youth ministry, Studentsoul, church archives centre, Bridgebuilders Trust (APW), rural ministry and churches hosting interns from the Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership. PSDS has also been a core funder of Kids Friendly.