Tauranga City Council commissioners will now wait until July 26 to adopt the community funding policy. Photo / George Novak
Tauranga City Council commissioners will now wait until July 26 to adopt the community funding policy. Photo / George Novak
A new $1.81 million community funding pool is most of the way towards being approved by Tauranga City Council commissioners.
However, a key aspect affecting applicants with projects under $10,000 was singled out in a bid to even the playing field at today's council meeting.
In the agenda for themeeting, commissioners were asked to consider three ways applicants could access the fund. This included a potential match fund of up to $10,000.
But concerns were raised by commissioner Stephen Selwood who said applications under the $10,000 would be at a "relative disadvantage".
"That means that small applicants have to come up with 50 per cent match funding… which places them in a relative disadvantage to those in the $10,000 plus category who may not have to come up with match funding," he said.
"There seems to be a bit of an equity imbalance… between the two processes."
Selwood said it may be better not to have a match-funding pot and to just have the community grant available.
He said there could be criteria made available for those unable to provide match funding "[to] get some sort of preference or consideration with their application… rather than trying to manage two pots".
Tauranga City Council commissioner Stephen Selwood. Photo / George Novak
Manager of community partnerships Anne Blakeway said the match fund could "be just in terms of volunteer hours, it doesn't have to be a specific dollar amount".
This fund required the applicant to match funds provided by the council with an equal value of funds, volunteer contributions, or in-kind contributions.
Blakeway said the project could then transition into the community grant fund or, over time, into a partnership agreement.
"The match fund is those kinds of brand new innovative projects that people are trying to get off the ground... they really believe in what they're trying to do."
At the meeting, commissioner chairwoman Anne Tolley said the policy was needed because "there's people lining up waiting to apply".
Commissioner Chair Anne Tolley. Photo / George Novak
Multicultural Tauranga president Premila D'Mello said organisations like theirs, which had been working in Tauranga for the past 25 years, "would definitely benefit from the multi-year funding agreements".
"The draft community funding policy is a positive step in terms of long-term funding in that it seems consistent and is designed to meet the well-being and aspirations of the community," she said.
"The grant-funding policy will have a positive impact on the communities and community organisations in Tauranga."
D'Mello said it was key to ensure adequate transparency in the process and ensure equitable outcomes for organisations based on their merits and contribution to the community, since it would be a small group of people administering the funds.
Chairwoman of the Tauranga Housing Advocacy Trust Carol Heena submitted in support of the draft policy.
In her submission, she said it was "absolutely necessary" the policy was approved.
"The Tauranga community is [a] lively place with many people helping, often voluntary, to help people who are less well off with the many issues that arise for those who are in a vulnerable position in our city.
"The beauty of this proposal is that it will allow organisations, agencies, and individuals to have access to funding to create new initiatives... to continue to do its good work for the community.
The community funding policy was expected to be adopted today, but will now be done on July 26 when the Long-term Plan is adopted.
Funds included in the draft community funding policy:
Match fund: Small grants under $10,000 for specific projects where the applicant would match the funds provided by council with funds, volunteer contribution or in-kind contribution of at least equal value to the funds provided by council.
Community grant fund: This fund would provide large grants between $10,001 to $50,000 that were project-specific.
Partnership agreements: This could be any amount of money, but were with select community organisations where the council wanted to build and maintain a positive relationship and would provide operational multi-year funding.
