COGS Funding NZ 2026: Rules, Dates and Grant Data

Grantsights' own grant search covers United States funding only, and there's no COGS service here to sell you; every route on this page leads to DIA's Community Matters site. If you'd like to know when we cover New Zealand, add your name to our New Zealand list.

What COGS Is and Who Runs It

COGS paid out $11.7 million across 3,339 grants in its 2026 round, according to the 37 committees' published records. It's one of DIA's Crown funds, listed under "Crown Funds" on DIA's funding calendar (opens in a new tab), which means it isn't Lottery money. That matters in 2026: the Lottery Grants Board replaced its 19 committees with a single Lottery Fund on 1 July 2026, but COGS kept its own 37 local committees and its own yearly round. If you're weighing the two, our Lottery grants NZ guide covers the new Lottery Fund.

According to DIA's page Who decides who gets a COGS grant? (opens in a new tab), decisions are "devolved to local people" elected to local COGS committees by their community. DIA administers the scheme and supports a National COGS Committee, the elected voluntary governing body. DIA's Who administers the COGS scheme? (opens in a new tab) page names its 5 members on 29 October 2026: Lillian Ward (Tairāwhiti), Jamie Toko (Kirikiriroa/Hamilton), John Riddell (Waitakere City), Ken Sowden (Christchurch City/Banks Peninsula) and Carlos de Treend (West Coast).

The 37 committee areas. Every committee publishes its own record of grants: Aoraki, Auckland City, Canterbury Rural, Central Otago, Chatham Islands, Christchurch City/Banks Peninsula, Coastal Otago/Waitaki, Far North, Great Barrier, Hauraki, Hutt Valley, Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Kirikiriroa/Hamilton, Manawatu/Horowhenua, Manukau, Marlborough, Mātaatua, Nelson Bays, North Taranaki, Papakura/Franklin, Rodney/North Shore, Rotorua, South Taranaki, Southland, Tairāwhiti, Tamatea/Tāmaki-Nui-a-Rua, Tauranga Moana, Tongariro, Waikato South, Waikato West, Wairarapa, Waitakere, Wellington, West Coast, Whanganui/Waimarino/Rangitikei, Whangarei/Kaipara and Whitireia.

What it pays for. DIA's COGS page (opens in a new tab) describes grants as one-off contributions for 3 things:

• running or operational costs of organisations that provide community-based social services
• community development costs, such as hui, training, planning, evaluation and facilitator fees
• community projects or event costs that encourage participation, promote community leadership, or promote social, economic and cultural equity

Requests must show how the work contributes to at least one of 5 outcomes: participation in communities, community leadership, community capability, social, economic and cultural equity, or reducing downstream social and economic costs.

COGS Dates for 2026 and 2027

COGS has one round a year, and the 2026 round was open for only 4 weeks. DIA's funding calendar, read on 29 October 2026, lists these dates for the 2026/2027 year:

DIA calls these dates indicative and subject to change. Its COGS priorities page (opens in a new tab) adds that the closing date is the same for all 37 committees and asks applicants to submit "well before the closing date" because of demand.

What the gap means for you. If you miss mid-May, the next chance is roughly 11 months away. DIA's older COGS closing date notice (opens in a new tab) gave 15 May 2024 as the 2024 closing date for expressions of interest, so a mid-May close isn't new. Treat it as a pattern, not a promise, and check the calendar from March onward.

How long a decision takes. In 2026, the gap between closing (13 May) and the latest decision meeting (29 July) was 11 weeks. DIA says you're told by email shortly after your committee meets.

Who Can Apply, and the $2 Million Limit

The hard eligibility test is size: your organisation must have spent less than $2 million a year in operating costs in each of the past 2 years, according to DIA's COGS page. "Your organisation" includes your national or regional office and any branches under the same legal entity, so a local branch of a big national charity can be ruled out by its parent's spending.

Unregistered groups. DIA's pages differ here. The main COGS page says unregistered or informal groups (non-legal entities) "may be eligible to apply for grants under $10,000", and that a group without a bank account or governance structure can use a fundholder. The older priorities page (opens in a new tab) says only that "there may be a pathway" and asks those groups to email community.matters@dia.govt.nz. The main COGS page is the more specific, but email DIA before you rely on it.

Priority groups. Committees prioritise community-based organisations delivering services to Māori, women, Pacific communities, other ethnic communities, older people, rurally isolated people, people with disabilities, families, youth and children, unemployed people, and community organisations with limited access to other government funding.

Local priorities. Each committee sets its own outcomes, confirmed for 2026 to 2028 on DIA's committee priorities page (opens in a new tab). Some are blunt about who comes last. Coastal Otago/Waitaki gives lower priority to groups with a limited local footprint or a large national one, groups with access to significant other funding, and sports organisations unless they match its priorities closely. Far North says it supports local grassroots organisations with a clear Far North footprint. Read your committee's entry before you write a word.

What COGS won't fund. DIA's list rules out:

• individuals, and fundraisers whose purpose is to pass money to others
• capital items such as land, buildings, renovations, machinery, vehicles or furniture (office equipment under $1,000 a unit doesn't count as capital)
• debt repayment, reimbursement of past spending, or work finished before the closing date
• social functions, unless a cultural event brings people together for wider community outcomes
• alcohol and similar substances, including kava
• political, religious or commercial activity, including advocacy, employment or business initiatives
• projects intended to make a profit (profit for the project's own sustainability is allowed)
• services that duplicate existing ones without a good reason, technical publishing outside government guidelines, and services delivered overseas
• requests with an undisclosed or unmanaged conflict of interest

Businesses aren't eligible, so if that's you, start with our small business grants NZ guide instead.

What 3,339 COGS Grants in 2026 Show

Grantsights analysis of the 37 committees' 2026 records of grants counts 3,339 grants worth $11,743,627 to 2,068 differently named organisations. The median grant was $2,500 and the middle half ran from about $1,800 to $4,000. DIA's own description, an average of "about $3,000", fits.

Source: Grantsights analysis of the 37 COGS committees' 2026 records of grants on DIA's Community Matters site, read 29 October 2026. Multi-year grants are included at the amount published.

Round numbers dominate: 631 grants were exactly $2,000, 411 were $3,000 and 409 were $1,000. Two-thirds (67%) were $3,000 or less.

Single-year and multi-year grants. The 2,816 single-year grants had a median of $2,000 and added up to $7.35 million. The 523 multi-year grants (118 for 2 years, 405 for 3 years) had a median of $7,500 and added up to $4.40 million. Because a 3-year grant's median is close to 3 times a single-year one, the published figure seems to cover the whole term, but DIA doesn't say so.

2026 compared with 2025. The 2025 records list 3,333 grants worth $14.75 million with a median of $3,000. The count barely moved, but 2025 had 761 multi-year grants worth $7.40 million against 523 worth $4.40 million in 2026, and the single-year median fell from $2,500 to $2,000. Single-year spending was almost identical: $7.35 million in both years. About half the 2026 recipients (1,059 of 2,068 names) also appear in the 2025 records.

COGS by Committee: Where the Money Goes

Where your group is based changes what a COGS grant looks like. Here are the 6 largest committees by 2026 total, then the committees with the highest and lowest medians.

Source: Grantsights analysis of the 2026 COGS records of grants, 37 committees, read 29 October 2026.

Two patterns stand out. Rural and small-population committees make fewer, larger grants: Aoraki gave 30 grants with a median of $5,500, while Kirikiriroa/Hamilton gave 156 with a median of $1,500. And committees seem to work to a fixed budget. Three committees' totals matched to the dollar across 2025 and 2026: Chatham Islands ($34,003), Great Barrier ($28,101) and Tairāwhiti ($266,324), even though the number of grants changed. Wellington went from 89 grants with a $2,500 median in 2025 to 156 grants with a $2,000 median in 2026, so more groups shared a similar pot.

Seven committees (Chatham Islands, Far North, Great Barrier, Mātaatua, Tairāwhiti, Wellington and West Coast) made no multi-year grants in 2026, according to the notes on their records.

Who got funded. The largest 2026 grant was $44,000 to Mīharo Murihiku Trust from the Southland committee, a 3-year grant. Aoraki made seven 3-year grants of $30,000, including to Age Concern Ashburton Inc., Alzheimer's Society South Canterbury Incorporated and Ashburton Youth Health Trust. A case in point at the typical end: Acorn Autism Charitable Trust received $2,500 from Manukau, Art For Life Trust received $3,000 from Christchurch City/Banks Peninsula, Awatere Marae received $2,500 from Tairāwhiti, Chatham Islands Youth Rugby received $3,000, and Millerton Hall Board and Domain Committee received $5,600 from the West Coast committee.

What kinds of groups. Counting by organisation name only (a rough guide), 151 grants worth $593,404 went to groups whose names include marae, hapū, iwi, whānau, kōhanga or rūnanga, 185 went to groups with "sport" or "club" in their names, 52 to churches and other religious bodies (COGS funds their community services, not religious activity), and 23 to Citizens Advice Bureaux.

National charities apply everywhere. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust New Zealand received grants from 27 of the 37 committees in 2026, Parent to Parent New Zealand from 24 and Insight Endometriosis Charitable Trust from 23. A national organisation can apply to each committee where it delivers local services, as long as the whole entity is under the $2 million limit.

What DIA's Community Matters Site Doesn't Tell You

Grantsights compared DIA's COGS pages with 6,672 published grant records from 2025 and 2026, and 6 things are worth knowing before you apply.

You'll likely get less than you ask for, if you get anything. DIA doesn't publish how many requests are declined, so nobody outside DIA can give you a success rate. What the records do show is that the typical grant is $2,000 to $3,000. If your plan only works at $15,000, COGS isn't the right fund for most of it.

Your committee's budget is fixed, and the money is spread thin. Identical totals across 2 years in 3 committees suggest each committee distributes a set allocation. When more groups apply, grants get smaller, as Wellington's did in 2026. Your best bet is a specific, costed piece of your running costs, not a general contribution.

Running costs are the point. Most funders shy away from rent, power, phone and coordinator wages. COGS explicitly funds "running or operational costs" for community-based social services. That's its best use. Pair it with a gaming trust or community trust for equipment, since COGS won't buy furniture, vehicles or anything counted as capital.

A common mistake is an out-of-date organisation profile. DIA checks completeness before any committee member sees your request: a completed form, a budget that shows the dates it covers, and an up-to-date organisation profile with bank details, GST information, legal status and financial statements no older than 18 months. A request that fails that check never reaches a local assessor.

The national charity problem. If your group is a branch of a larger organisation, the $2 million test applies to the whole legal entity. That rules out branches of large national charities, even when the local branch is tiny.

Scams use the word "grant". DIA won't text you to say you've been "selected" for COGS money, and committees don't approach individuals, because COGS doesn't fund individuals. A message offering a government or Lotto grant in exchange for a fee or your card details is a red flag. DIA's online scams page (opens in a new tab) says to report scam emails and texts to scam@reportspam.co.nz.

How to Apply for COGS, Step by Step

DIA's how to apply page (opens in a new tab) says first-time applicants should allow up to a week just to get set up, so start in March, not in May.

1. Talk to a Community Advisor. DIA recommends this for every first-time applicant: 0800 824 824 or community.matters@dia.govt.nz.
2. Create a RealMe login and turn on 2-factor authentication. You don't need a verified RealMe identity. DIA says the RealMe confirmation email can take up to 3 days.
3. Register in DIA's grants management system. DIA emails confirmation within 3 days.
4. Link yourself to your organisation's profile. Email DIA written confirmation from your organisation that you're authorised to access its information.
5. Update the organisation profile. Upload financial statements no older than 18 months by the closing date. Under DIA's financial requirements (opens in a new tab), statements must be approved by your board if your total spending was under $550,000, reviewed or audited if it was over $550,000, and audited if it was over $1.1 million. A group under 18 months old can supply its latest statement of financial performance, no more than 3 months old at closing.
6. Write the request. DIA publishes the 2026 COGS request form questions (opens in a new tab) so you can draft offline. Every request needs a budget showing income and expenditure if you're asking for project costs. Name a local contact person: a committee member may phone them.
7. Submit before the closing date. Don't start the activity before then. COGS doesn't fund work delivered before the closing date.

After a grant. DIA's results reports page (opens in a new tab) says you'll usually report within 12 months of the decision, showing how you spent the grant and the outcomes you achieved, with a financial statement, and you must return unspent money. Multi-year grants need a results report and a new 12-month budget before each year's payment is released.

Multi-year funding. DIA's multi-year COGS page (opens in a new tab) requires your organisation to have existed for at least 2 years, have a good grant management history, have good governance and management systems, have run a similar service before, and be a legal entity if you ask for more than $10,000 in any one year.

Other New Zealand Funders to Pair With COGS

A COGS grant usually covers a slice of your year, so most groups stack it with other funders:

• Lottery Fund: the Lottery Grants Board guide explains the new 4-round Lottery Fund, which pays larger grants for community projects and facilities.
• Gaming trusts: NZCT grants, Pub Charity, The Lion Foundation and the Four Winds Foundation fund equipment and capital items COGS won't touch.
• Community trusts: Foundation North (Auckland and Northland), Trust Waikato and the Rātā Foundation (Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough and the Chatham Islands) fund in the same areas as several COGS committees.

Check whether your organisation is a registered charity on the Charities Register (opens in a new tab), since many trusts and gaming funders ask for it even though COGS doesn't require registration.

Sources Checked

All read on 29 October 2026 in a web browser (DIA's Community Matters site blocks automated requests):

• Department of Internal Affairs, Community Matters: Community Organisation Grants Scheme (COGS) (opens in a new tab), funding calendar (opens in a new tab), COGS Local Distribution Committee priorities (opens in a new tab), Who decides who gets a COGS grant? (opens in a new tab), Who administers the COGS scheme? (opens in a new tab), Are there any priorities for COGS grants? (opens in a new tab), Can I apply for multi-year COGS funding? (opens in a new tab), COGS closing date (2024) (opens in a new tab), How to apply (opens in a new tab), Financial requirements (opens in a new tab), Results reports (opens in a new tab)
• The 37 COGS committees' records of grants for 2026 (opens in a new tab) and 2025 (opens in a new tab)
• Department of Internal Affairs, Online scams (opens in a new tab) (read live by automated request)
• Charities Services, Charities Register (opens in a new tab)