Find answers to frequently asked questions about the Community Education Fund.
1. What kinds of organisations can apply to this fund?
Your organisation must be a legal entity to apply to the Community Education Fund. It must have a governance structure, financial information, and an organisation bank account.
- The fund will accept applications from iwi, hapū, marae, registered charities, charitable trusts, incorporated societies, or churches
- The fund cannot accept applications from schools, libraries, for-profit businesses, or local or regional councils.
- If your organisation is not a legal entity, please get in touch to discuss further at cef@elections.govt.nz
2. Can I apply for this fund on my own?
No, this fund is open to community organisations only.
3. Who can apply for the Māori Electoral Option part of the fund?
Any organisation who works in and with Māori communities may apply to the Māori Electoral Option part of the Community Education Fund.
4. Can my organisation apply to both parts of the Community Education Fund?
Yes, you may apply to both the Māori Electoral Option and General Election parts of the fund. Note that each part has a different project focus, application deadlines, and delivery timeframes.
Each application is assessed on alignment to criteria; the result of a Māori Electoral Option application has no bearing on the result of a General Election application.
5. How many times can I apply to the Community Education Fund?
Your organisation may apply once to the Māori Electoral Option part of the fund and once to the General Election part of the fund.
6. My organisation operates nationally, with several offices around the country. How should we apply?
Your organisation may apply either at the national or at the local level but not both; please get in touch at cef@elections.govt.nz if you would like to discuss further.
1. What is the difference between the Māori Electoral Option part of the fund and the General Election part of the fund?
The main difference between the two parts of the fund is the focus of your project.
For the Māori Electoral Option, your project must provide education about the Māori Electoral Option and the choice this offers to all eligible Māori voters.
For the General Election, your project must focus on educating communities with low participation in voting about enrolment to vote.
2. I want to put in a joint application with another local organisation; how can I do that?
Please email us at cef@elections.govt.nz to discuss joint applications.
3. I don’t speak English well; can I get some support to apply?
Please contact us at cef@elections.govt.nz to discuss how we can support you to apply.
4. Does the grant amount include GST?
No, the grant amounts do not include GST. Successful recipients who are registered for GST will receive their grant amount plus GST.
5. Will the Community Education Fund grant the entire amount I apply for?
Because the Community Education Fund has a limited amount of money to distribute, it is possible that your project may only be part funded.
6. What kind of information will you ask for in the application?
- We will ask for some basic organisational information.
- We will also ask you to confirm that your organisation is eligible to apply for this fund by filling out an eligibility questionnaire.
- If you are eligible, you can then complete an application.
- The application questions focus on the communities you serve and your relationships with them.
- The application questions also ask for details about how you will deliver your project. You will need to demonstrate to the Electoral Commission how you will maintain political neutrality and protect personal information, and how you will manage conflicts of interest.
7. What kind of additional documents do I need to provide alongside my application?
- We will ask for a project plan, budget, and a risk register for your project. We will provide templates for you to fill out, with examples.
- We will also ask for some financial reporting from your organisation; this helps us understand that you can deliver your project.
- We will ask you to provide your organisation’s bank details with your application.
8. How do I submit my application?
All Community Education Fund applications should be submitted by downloading the application documents, filling them out, and submitting them at cef@elections.govt.nz.
The application documents will be available on this website on 7 April. The deadline for the Māori Electoral Option part of the Community Education fund is midnight on 11 May 2026
Please make sure to include:
- your organisational information
- your eligibility questions
- your application questions
- your project plan and risk register, and
- your financial information, quotes for expenses over $100, and bank account details.
The Community Education Fund is unable to accept late applications so please make sure to send your application by midnight on 11 May 2026.
9. What happens after I submit my application?
An assessment panel at the Electoral Commission will assess each application against the Community Education Fund’s criteria. Other factors it will consider include geographical and community spread across the country, the management of any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest, the potential of duplication of services with other Electoral Commission work, and available budget.
10. When will you let me know if my application has been successful?
For the Māori Electoral Option part of the fund the Electoral Commission will let you know the outcome of your application via email during the week of 5 June 2026.
11. Who should I talk to if I have further questions about applying to the Community Education Fund?
Please email cef@elections.govt.nz with your questions.
1. How much can I apply for?
You may apply for up to $25,000 for the Māori Electoral Option part of the fund and up to $25,000 for the General Election part of the fund.
2. What are your funding criteria?
The funding criteria are located here:
3. Will you fund my organisation’s BAU?
No. The Community Education Fund will only fund specific projects that promote the Electoral Commission’s messages.
4. Will you fund my organisation’s basic operating costs such as salaries for existing staff and our office rent?
No.
5. Will you fund salary for staff to work on this particular project?
Yes, the Community Education Fund will fund salaries for staff that are brought on specifically for this project.
6. Will you fund petrol vouchers for volunteers for this project?
Yes, the Community Education Fund will fund project-specific operational costs such as petrol vouchers, travel expenses, and equipment that will help you deliver the project.
7. Can I create my own election brochures for this project?
No, you may only use election brochures and other print and online materials provided by the Electoral Commission.
8. Can I create my own election messages for this project?
No, you may only use official Electoral Commission messages for this project. The official Electoral Commission messages for the Māori Electoral Option part of the Community Education Fund are set out below.
- The Māori Electoral Option - Te Kōwhiringa Pōti Māori - is a unique choice for Māori in Aotearoa. It lets you choose which electoral roll you’re on: Māori roll or general roll.
- Your roll choice decides which electorate you vote in, and the candidates you choose from.
- If you are Māori, you choose which electoral roll you want to be on when you first enrol to vote.
- If you’re already enrolled, you can change your roll type at any time, except:
- in the 3 months before a general election
- in the 3 months before the local elections which are held every 3 years
- before a parliamentary by-election if the change would move you into the electorate where the by-election is being held.
- If you would like to change the roll you are on before this year’s election, you need to do it by midnight, Thursday 6 August 2026.
- If you are not enrolled, you are encouraged to enrol to vote by 4 October 2026.
9. Can I provide an enrolment education project in my language to my community?
Yes. Please see the list of languages the Electoral Commission can support with official election brochures here:
Enrolment information in multiple languages
10. Can my project tell people in my community who to vote for?
No.
11. Can my project support a specific candidate, policy, or political party?
No.
12. Can my project encourage people to choose the Māori roll or the General Roll as part of the Māori Electoral Option?
No.
13. Can my project provide prizes or gifts to community members who enrol to vote?
No.
14. Can I collect paper enrolment forms as part of my project?
Yes. You must ensure they are properly collected, stored, and transferred to the Electoral Commission according to the Privacy Act 2020. Please see the requirements around personal data.