Love Queenstown Charitable Funding Information

Doing Good in Queenstown

About Love Queenstown

The Love Queenstown Community Fund provides an opportunity our visitors, and our visitor industry, to support our communities’ efforts to protect and preserve our natural environment (te taiao), the treasures (taonga) it holds, and the people who call it home (our whanau).

What funding is available?

Love Queenstown raises funds to support local environmental action. Funds are available on an annual, contestable basis to local charities who work in the climate, conservation, and biodiversity spaces and who deliver tangible benefits for the local environment - both now and into the future.

How will funding be allocated?

Our independent distribution committee oversees the allocation of charitable funds, assessing all funding applications and making recommendations to the Wakatipu Community Foundation (our charitable partner) to allocate those funds on behalf of Love Queenstown. The Wakatipu Community Foundation provides oversight and input into all funding decisions to ensure charitable intent is upheld across the entirety of the grant process. Neither Destination Queenstown nor Lake Wānaka Tourism are able to dictate or influence how or where funds are allocated.

What type of funding can we apply for?

Organisations can apply for funding to support one or more of the following:

  • Programme costs
    A component of the broader work provided by an organisation, generally with a specific, targeted impact. 
  • Project costs
    Time-bound, one-off activities that have a clear budget and deliverables
  • Operational costs
    The core costs associated with the ongoing operations of an organisation, programme, or initiative
  • Social enterprise models
    A commercial venture, established by a charitable organisation, to support its mission and move the organisation toward financial sustainability. Funds can be used for the associated operational costs but are not to be taken for private benefit.

Eligibility Checklist

To be eligible for funding, organisations must meet the below criteria:

Eligibility Criteria

Description

Criteria Met? Y/N

Localised Benefit

Funds are allocated per their area of origin. The geographic boundaries are in keeping with the Regional Tourism Organisation’s operating boundaries. Love Queenstown exclusively serves the Queenstown region, including the Cardrona Saddle to the North, Kingston to the South, as well as Frankton, Arrowtown, Glenorchy and Gibbston. Funded projects or organizations must create benefit within this geographical area.

Charitable Registration

To be eligible for funding, your organisation and / or initiative must be a registered charitable entity and demonstrate both charitable intent and public benefit. Funding cannot be used to further the private financial interest of individuals or other non-charitable organisations.

Environmental Impact

To be eligible for funding, your organisation and / or initiative must demonstrate how it will benefit localised climate, conservation, or biodiversity action. This includes, but is not limited to: native revegetation efforts, biodiversity enhancement projects, pest and exotics control, waterway health and protection initiatives, waste minimisation efforts, and more.

To be successful, your organisation, project or initiative will provide:

  1. long-term benefit
  2. opportunities for locals and visitors to engage in, connect over, or contribute to
  3. opportunities for locals and visitors to see and understand the benefit (of the funded project)
  4. opportunities for collaboration and / or complimentary benefit to other projects, initiatives or organisations in the region

Timeline / Process

Applications for the inaugural Love Queenstown funding round are now closed.
The next funding round is expected to open in July - August 2025. In the meantime, please reach out to grants@queenstown-wanaka.nz with any questions, ideas, or initiatives you have in mind.