Where can I obtain an application form? You can obtain an application form from any of Grassroots member sites, from our office or click here to download a form. Are there conditions attached to grants? Yes. Please see the last page of application forms for a detailed list of grant conditions. Can we be reimbursed for expenses? No. Grants must be approved prior to any purchase/event/trip etc being undertaken. Retrospective grants will not be considered. How will the grant be paid? Payment will be direct credited to the recipient organisation's bank account. Will our organisation be audited? Grassroots records will be inspected and audited by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). Grassroots is required to render details of all donations to DIA. Any grant application is made with the understanding that if any DIA officer so requests, the applicant organisation shall agree to and participate in any such inspection/audit. What will we have to do if we are successful? Grassroots requires an acknowledgement of grant form to be returned to the Trust along with verification of expenditure (receipts etc). These receipts must be from the same companies as the quotes supplied in the application and must be returned within six months of the grant being made. Failure to comply with the conditions will result in the Trust seeking a full refund of the grant. Do grants include GST? Grants are GST exclusive; no grant made by Grassroots has GST content. Who is eligible to apply for funding? Any Charitable Organisations that furthers or improves local and national educational services, furthers or improves local and national amateur sport, promotes the advancement of culture or religion or contributes toward welfare assistance or the relief of poverty. Sport, not social Social activities are not recognised as authorised purposes because they give a personal rather than community benefit. For example, a group of friends or acquaintances going on an annual ski trip cannot claim the trip is an authorised purpose just because there is an element of sport in an otherwise social activity. In contrast a genuine ski club that members of the public can join and that offers coaching and development programmes, would be more likely to be an authorised purpose. Amateur, not professional Professional sport cannot be an authorised purpose because of its commercial character. A bona fide sporting activity Sometimes an activity is presented as a sporting activity, but its real nature is entertainment, social, personal gain or commercial. DIA considers a bona fide sport to be one where the activity, club or organisation   Is affiliated or aligned to a national body   Is genuine and real (eg has standards and rule)   Is played regularly as part of significant competition   Has a President and Secretary   Has regular minuted meetings   Audited financial accounts An incorporated organisation will usually find it easier to meet these criteria than an unincorporated group. Grassroots is not permitted to fund either dress or training uniforms. Playing uniforms are allowable, and they must remain the property of the club. What will not be considered for funding? The application forms have an itemized list of purposes that are unauthorized for grant consideration. Please keep in mind this list is not exhaustive. Feel free to contact the grants department if you have any specific questions. The Trustees prefer to fund projects that will have a long-term benefit to the recipient organisation. How is the application assessed? The Grassroots Trustees meet monthly to consider all funding applications. Decisions are made taking into account the available funds, the merit of the application, the compliance of the application, and the overall community benefit. Applications submitted in any given month will be considered at the Trustees meeting of the following month. Incomplete applications will not be considered.