Pathways to support

There is no doubt that the impact of COVID-19 is being deeply felt in our communities of Auckland and Northland. Under the Alert Level 4 conditions of lockdown, we are seeing the amazing resilience and strength of communities up and down the region, as they coordinate to secure and distribute resources to those who need them. We acknowledge the huge pressure that this places on community initiatives and organisations – and we want to be able to respond effectively and quickly without adding to those burdens.

Foundation North will:

• recommit
• be flexible
• fund to strategy

Does Foundation North still have money to provide grants?
Foundation North remains financially sound and is in a position to continue granting.  Our systems and processes, as well as our staff and trustees, are continuing to operate to make support available.

How is Foundation North responding to COVID-19?
In these unprecedented times, we are here for communities – we are here to listen, to respond and to act, especially where needs are greatest.

Organisations can be assured that our Quick Response Grants and Community Grants are already pathways they can use to get support for the services their communities need, including those related to COVID-19.

Our Strategic Plan sharpens our funding focus into four key areas – Increased Equity, Social Inclusion, Regenerative Environment and Community Support. By funding to this strategy, in these areas, we will see positive impacts happening where they are needed most - both through this current crisis and beyond.

Foundation North has released an allocation of funds to ensure we can respond to organisations that are supporting people, whānau and communities impacted by COVID-19. We are proactively reaching out via our networks across the region to make sure that organisations working to respond to COVID-19 are supported to meet the immediate and emergent needs of our communities.

What about my current Foundation North grant? Or if I have a request under assessment?
We acknowledge and understand that for many community organisations in our region, ‘business as usual’ has changed as a result of the COVID-19 situation.

Many face an immediate or longer-term scenario where, because of COVID-19, it is simply not possible to use their grant for the purpose or in the timeframe that it was intended for. Offering flexibility is our approach here – just let us know. We have options that may be able to help:

• If your organisation has a grant request under assessment and you would like to let us know of pending changes due to COVID-19 – please contact a Grants Advisor on 0800 272 878.
  
  
• If your organisation has a current ‘live’ grant from the Foundation and COVID-19 is affecting how you are using that grant, then please let a Grants Advisor know on 0800 272 878.