Grants and funding for your football club

We explore everything small football clubs across New Zealand need to know about access to grants and funding.

The importance of funding for women’s football

Earlier this year, Xero announced a global partnership with FIFA Women’s Football.

With the growing participation of women in the game and its rise in popularity in recent years, Xero is excited to contribute to a positive change in women’s football, small businesses, and communities worldwide.

We talk about ‘better numbers off the field, better numbers on the field’, because we believe that, for women to thrive in football, support off the field is just as important as on it. Many small football clubs are non-profit organisations that want to enable women and young girls to play football in their local communities. Accessing funding and grants can make all the difference to their financial viability and provide a platform for launching successful community-based women’s football programs.

Xero’s partnership with FIFA Women’s Football (Xero website)

Financial support available for football clubs

Football clubs rely on club income, including sponsorship, summer programmes, and hiring out their facilities. Yet, many small football clubs often encounter financial difficulties. According to FIFA, 70% of women’s football clubs operate at a loss.

FIFA survey finds 70% of women’s football clubs operate at a loss

The good news is that there are now a growing number of grants, loans, and other types of funding available to football clubs. In recent years, the world has seen sporting organisations pledge to increase funding for women’s football. An example from the UK is the announcement that the Premier League will increase its funding for FA Women’s National League clubs to £4.5 million. To grow women’s football clubs, the Premier League has also pledged £1.75 million to the FA’s new network of Girls’ Emerging Talent Centres.

Premier league announces increased funding for the women’s game

£1.75 million pledged for Girls’ Emerging Talent Centres

Finding the right funding for your club

There are many resources out there that can help clubs find the best funding or grant. Sport New Zealand (Sports NZ) provides investment to boost access to opportunities for specific groups, and to organisations where we don’t already have a partnership investment model in place. Have a look and see if your club qualifies for one of the Sports NZ funds. They also have a directory of play, active recreation and sport awards, grants and scholarships. You can search the directory to see the many funds offered. Alternatively, there are other options for funding available to football clubs.

Sports NZ funds

Search the Sports NZ directory

New Zealand Football Foundation

The New Zealand Football Foundation (NZFF) believes in the power of ‘football for good’, and funds projects and initiatives that support local communities. The foundation also has put in place initiatives, working with partner organisations to ensure the benefits of football are accessible to every group in Aotearoa. Their impact extends far beyond the field: the projects they lead themselves, and those that they support financially, generate access not only to the game itself, but to the wide range of opportunities outside football.

To date, the NZFF has donated over $1,830,000 to assist with the growth of football throughout New Zealand. It issues grants once a year to initiatives which serve one of their four key pillars: women and girls, youth, social impact, and innovation. The foundation is committed to finding, funding, and supporting local communities who believe in the power of sport to change lives for the better every bit as much as they do.

The New Zealand Football Foundation grant application process is closed for 2022. Applications will be open in August and September 2023.

New Zealand Football Foundation

New Zealand Community Trust

The main focus of the New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) is to provide funds for amateur sport; around 75% of their grants are distributed to support amateur sport. The balance is distributed among a range of charitable causes in the areas of health, rescue services, education, arts, culture, heritage and the environment.

NZCT website

FAQs about grants

About applying for an NZCT grant

Apply for a grant

Alternative sources of funding

Gaming machine societies

Funding and grants from larger sports organisations are not the only funding options for your club. Many local authorities and communities also offer help to champion sport in the community. Gaming machine societies such as the Grassroots Trust are also an excellent resource for funding and often work with individuals or groups on their needs. Speak to your local gaming society and for details of funding opportunities they offer.

Granted: New Zealand government website about pokie grants

Gaming machine societies in New Zealand

Grassroots Trust / Applying for a Grassroots Trust grant

FundingNZ

Applying for funding can be tricky, as funders take many factors into consideration. If your club would like help with your proposal writing or the construction of the actual funding process FundingNZ can help.They have extensive experience in funding applications to most New Zealand charitable trusts and have the necessary expertise to make applications on the behalf of sports clubs. Contact them directly for a free confidential consultation.

Contact FundingNZ for a consultation

How Xero is supporting small football clubs

Xero believes that financial viability is important to the success of women’s football clubs. Our partnership with Football New Zealand and with FIFA are aimed at championing the growth of women, on and off the pitch. With this in mind, we’re working to provide educational resources to help football clubs with their financial and business management.

Resources for football clubs (Xero website)

How to apply for a business loan (help article)

How to use Xero to help manage your club (section 2 of this playbook)