Deadline: 03-Jun-2026
The Sector Leadership funding stream under New Zealand’s Community and Volunteering Capability Fund supports national organisations that strengthen leadership, capability, and collaboration across the community and voluntary sector. It focuses on sector-wide coordination, volunteering support, social enterprise development, and community-led initiatives that improve overall sector performance.
Overview of the Programme
The Sector Leadership funding stream is designed to enhance the effectiveness of New Zealand’s community and voluntary sector by supporting national-level organisations that provide leadership and capability-building functions.
It aims to improve coordination, strengthen relationships across organisations, and support long-term sector development.
Key Objectives
The funding focuses on strengthening the structure and effectiveness of the community and voluntary sector.
Key objectives include:
- Strengthening sector leadership and governance
- Building capability across the community and voluntary sector
- Improving collaboration and cross-sector connections
- Supporting volunteering development initiatives
- Encouraging social enterprise growth
- Promoting community-led development approaches
- Expanding sector services and impact
- Enhancing national coordination and strategic alignment
Focus Areas
The programme supports initiatives that contribute to sector-wide improvement.
Key focus areas include:
- Leadership development within the sector
- Capability-building programmes and systems
- Collaboration between organisations and networks
- Volunteer support and development
- Social enterprise ecosystem strengthening
- Community-led development initiatives
- National coordination and strategic sector planning
- Expansion of sector services and impact pathways
Purpose of the Funding
This funding stream exists to ensure stronger leadership and coordination across the sector.
It aims to:
- Improve how organisations work together
- Strengthen national-level leadership functions
- Enhance sector-wide capability and knowledge sharing
- Support long-term sustainability of community organisations
- Build stronger systems for volunteering and social impact
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility is restricted to organisations with a specific national leadership role.
Eligible organisations must:
- Be national in scope
- Have leadership and capability-building as a core purpose
- Work across the community and voluntary sector or a major sector segment
- Demonstrate impact on sector-wide collaboration and development
Ineligible Organisations
Certain types of organisations are generally not eligible.
Not eligible:
- Organisations without a national remit
- Organisations focused primarily on service delivery
- Organisations focused mainly on advocacy or membership services
- Organisations with a narrow or highly specialised focus
- Organisations not engaged in sector-wide capability building
Expected Outcomes
The programme aims to create long-term improvements across the sector.
Expected outcomes include:
- Stronger national leadership in the voluntary sector
- Improved collaboration between organisations
- Enhanced sector capability and resilience
- Growth in social enterprise activity
- Better coordination of volunteering initiatives
- Stronger community-led development systems
- More effective and connected sector networks
Importance of the Programme
This funding stream is important because it:
- Strengthens national leadership capacity in the sector
- Improves coordination and reduces fragmentation
- Builds long-term capability and sustainability
- Supports innovation in social enterprise and volunteering
- Enhances collaboration across diverse organisations
- Strengthens the overall impact of community and voluntary work
Conclusion
The Sector Leadership funding under New Zealand’s Community and Volunteering Capability Fund supports national organisations that play a central role in strengthening leadership, capability, and collaboration across the community and voluntary sector. By focusing on system-wide impact rather than individual services, it enhances coordination, builds capacity, and supports long-term sector development.
For more information, visit Hapai Hapori Community Matters.