Community Advocacy Officer
As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect moment to recognise the people who give their time, energy and heart to keep your group going. Thoughtful appreciation doesn’t have to be expensive — it just needs to be genuine, timely and visible. Do a few small, well-planned things now and you’ll retain volunteers, boost morale, and set a positive tone for next year. For example:
• Send personalised thank-you messages (handwritten notes or short personalised emails).
• A low-cost morning tea, BBQ or after-hours drinks can be a powerful way to bring people together.
• Small, useful tokens — vouchers for a coffee, or a certificate recognising service hours — can be very well received.
• Offer a short skills session — first aid refresher, social media basics, or leadership tips — or pay for volunteers to attend a relevant workshop next year.
• Cover volunteer expenses promptly (travel, uniform laundering, childcare while volunteering, or parking). Reimbursements prevent financial barriers to volunteering and are often tax- and compliance-friendly when handled correctly (see below).
Expenses repaid to volunteers (for example, travel or materials) are generally not taxed, but payments for services (honoraria, wages) need to be treated correctly under PAYE or IRD rules. Check IRD guidance to make sure reimbursements and any payments are administered correctly.
Funding sources that can help with volunteer expenses
Always check each funder’s current guidelines and regional eligibility before applying.
• Community Organisation Grants Scheme (COGS) — government-funded grants that support not-for-profit community organisations delivering local social services can fund operating and project costs in many cases. Good for volunteer support that’s part of community services.
• Trust Waikato — funds community development and wellbeing initiatives across the Waikato region (including Hauraki). Trust Waikato supports programmes that increase participation and resilience; check their criteria and round dates.
• NZCT (New Zealand Community Trust) — large national gaming trust that funds community groups; NZCT has region-based grant rounds and funds sport, community and welfare-type costs (review their criteria for volunteer-related expenses).
• Grassroots Trust — regional gaming trust with online applications; you can select Hauraki District as the beneficiary region when applying. They run monthly committees and are a typical funder for volunteer costs and local project expenses.
• Lion Foundation / One Foundation / Akarana Community Trust / Other gaming trusts — these trusts award grants regionally and can support volunteer-related costs (training, small honoraria, equipment, travel). Check each funder’s eligibility, typical grant size and application closing dates.
Quick application tips to include volunteer expenses successfully:
1. Be explicit — include a clear line item in your budget titled “Volunteer expenses: travel / childcare / training / meal tokens” and explain why each is essential to participation.
2. Show impact — describe how funding volunteers keeps services running, increases participation, or removes barriers for under-represented groups.
3. Attach quotes/estimates — one-line quotes for travel reimbursements, childcare rates, or catering for a thank-you event strengthen your case.
4. Timing — many gaming trusts meet monthly; larger trusts often have fixed rounds — check closing dates and apply early.
5. Local relationships — mention any partnerships (school, marae, etc) and offer to provide short reports/photos after the funded activity.