Community fund

And the recipients are... 

Cooking and saving; gardening and budgeting; wine, cheese and life drawing; coffee catch-ups and hot meat sandwiches... This August, as an antidote to tough times, the message that financial capability is for all is being served with a side of fun and local flavour at events funded with support from Sorted's Money Month community fund.

Money Month offers New Zealanders a great excuse to make time to ‘Pause. Get sorted’. The annual campaign – run alongside financial services and community organisations to increase engagement on money matters – encourages people to connect with Sorted’s free online resources and community events designed to help people make the most of their money.

Applications have recently closed for the Money Month community fund, which provides grants of up to $1000 for community groups wishing to run related programmes and events during August. A total of $10,000 was made available, $5000 of which was dedicated to projects intended to improve the financial wellbeing of women, thanks to a grant made by Women in Super, a national not-for-profit that merged with the Financial Services Council (FSC) earlier this year, precipitating the launch of Empower Women. 

Individuals, groups, organisations and entities nationwide whose proposed projects directly benefit the wider community were invited to apply for the Money Month fund by mid-June. The successful applicants are:

• Ola le Ola Aotea Trust, who’ll host catered education and information workshops in Tāmaki Makuarau Auckland’s Ōtara and Pukekohe, targeted at young Pasifika women and single mothers.
• Kainga Aroha Community House, Te Awamutu, who are planning to run weekly morning events at a local café for women who might not usually engage with their services to drop in for a hot drink and a snack to talk about financial wellbeing and find further support.
• Hamilton City Libraries, who are organising an interactive financial-health day with guest speakers, advice and activities to help create community connections and build supportive networks.
• Te Aroha Family Budgeting Services, who plan to hold a catered speaker event to ensure as many women as possible are aware of their free services and have a safe space to go to discuss their finances.
• MoneyMata$, Matamata, who’ll prepare a community dinner to introduce their staff and the services they offer, facilitate a crash course on budgeting and give away a gardening hamper.
• Waihi Budget Service, who intend to hand out hot meat sandwiches once a week during Money Month as a reminder they’re there to help, and giveaways for women to convey their availability for ongoing support.
• Bay Financial Mentors: Tau Awhi Noa in Tauranga, who’ll hold a social sausage sizzle focused on empowerment and celebrating the joy of taking control over your money, and give away invitations throughout the month for women to attend a free wine and cheese evening that will combine financial pop quizzes with other activities, including life drawing.
• South Waikato YMCA, Tokoroa, who aim to deliver financial literacy for Pasifika and Māori rangatahi, especially young women, via a full-day wananga featuring financial celebrity Te Kahukura Boynton, aka the Māori Millionaire.
• Mangatu Māori Womens’ Welfare League in Whatatutu, Gisborne, who are planning to hold a wananga for Māori women in the communities affected by Cyclone Gabriel to share stories of financial resilience and deliver sessions on various financial topics.
• Birthright Hawke’s Bay Child & Family Care Trust, who’ll host a presentation from a local nursery on how to grow your own vegetables to maximise your money, with punnets of seedlings to take home and financial mentors on site for general guidance or help enrolling in the trust’s financial mentoring programmes.
• Lewis Financial Solutions, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, who are planning two workshops with the aim of empowering mothers and those considering motherhood to make wealth choices that will enrich their sense of purpose and control.
• Epic Westport (Kawatiri Women in Business), who are running lunchtime and after-work sessions to help women compare financial products and encourage long-term thinking around resilience and retirement, as well as a session with Year 13 students.
• Kingdom Resources, Ōtautahi Christchurch, who are organising a four-week Putea & Kai money-management programme, Cook & Save sessions, and weekly community education throughout the month in collaboration with other budget services.

As the Money Month community fund recipients get ready to roll out their initiatives, they're joined by a wide network of National Strategy for Financial Capability partners that are also getting involved locally and online. To have your event listed on the Sorted Money Month calendar, click here. For further ideas on how you can get involved in this year’s campaign, check out our partner toolkit and resources.