We Can Help With That

A community fund supporting causes that are close to home and close to your heart.

Through our We Can Help With That program we offer a range of grants to eligible community organisations, schools, charities, causes and individuals.

Our program

Formerly established in 2019 We Can Help With That is a community fund to provide assistance to a broad cross-section of worthy charitable entities, community groups, causes and individuals throughout the Whangarei District.

Since 1998, our team have continually strived to provide Whangarei a real estate experience like no other. Throughout this time we have also participated in, and actively supported the community, beyond the traditional role of a real estate agency – fostering a spirit of community involvement. We are dedicated to facilitating opportunities for positive change in our communities. It is from this passion, and following on from the creation of our own Charitable Trust, that the concept of the We Can Help With That program emerged.

We are dedicated to seeing our local communities develop by investing in people, places and participation. Through our We Can Help With That program we are committed to supporting increased access to opportunities for the Whangarei community, a thriving environment, cohesive communities and thriving families across generations.

Our vision

Our vision is to create a community of active people, resilient communities and sustainable environments through supporting projects that focus on:

Participation – Initiatives that grow community engagement through education and participation in artistic, cultural, recreational and sporting activities.
People – Initiatives that develop our people and their communities, particularly our most vulnerable. Including the advancement of and employment skills development, with particular emphasis on children.
Places – Initiatives that protect, preserve and enhance our natural and physical environments.

Our values

Diversity – supporting and celebrating the diversity of all the communities and cultures across our region.
Creativity and Innovation – encouraging and embracing new ideas.
Collaboration and Respect – working with others fairly and openly whilst respecting their values and aspirations.
Accountability – for the stewardship and sustainability of We Can Help With That funds and the effectiveness of the grants.

Where our funding comes from

We Can Help With That is a major independent funder in the Whangarei District distributing grants for charitable, cultural, philanthropic and recreational purposes. Funding comes from donations made by the Ray White Whangarei and Ray White Tutukaka teams who set aside a percentage of funds from every property sale and lease.

Our story

The We Can Help With That program was established in 2019 to support our local community with a vision to create a community of Active People, Resilient Communities and Sustainable Environments through supporting projects that focus on People, Participation and Places.

The development of the the We Can Help With That program comes off the back of the Ray White Allens Education Foundation Charitable Trust established by the team in 2006. This charitable trust supported Northland youth who demonstrated a passion for excellence and were looking to achieve their career goals through further education and training through the creation of a annual scholarships. – While this initiative was a great success, providing over $124,000 worth of scholarships which helped 92 Northlanders get closer to achieving their career goals, we wanted to see our funding used on projects that would benefit even more Northlanders.

Who can apply?

Individuals or groups (representing non-profit community groups, charities, cultural, welfare agencies, educational organisations and amateur sporting organisations) throughout the Whangarei District can apply for We Can Help With That funding.

Individuals must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Similarly groups need to be established within the area and demonstrate how funding will benefit the local community.

Read about previous funding recipients on the page below. Further information about recipients can be found on our Facebook page.
> We Can Help With That Recipients

Criteria for all applicants

To apply for a grant, you must meet the following criteria.

Applicants must have charitable, cultural, philanthropic, recreational, and other purposes being beneficial to the community.
Provide a completed application form with all supporting documentation.

For events:

Your activities take place within the Whangarei district, or directly benefit Whangarei District residents/community.
You are not asking us to fund your project retrospectively.
The project must be completed within 12 months of funding being approved.

For groups:

The main entity or governing body of an organisation must be the applicant.
If you have already received funding from We Can Help With That for a project, you must complete a report on that project before making another application, unless the project is still in progress.
Groups must have been established within Whangarei for at least the last 18 months.

For individuals:

Individuals must have lived in Whangarei for the last two consecutive years.

Our exclusions

The We Can Help With That does not support:

Salaries, wages or fees
Office or administration expenses
Purchase of prizes for raffles, auctions, etc (including gift cards/vouchers)
Individual scholarships
Universities & Private Education Facilities
Central or local government ventures
Commercial ventures
Contribution to a capital fund or debt reduction
Promotion of a religious or political message
Overseas travel
Research
Building construction, purchases or leases
Capital building projects
Debt reduction requests
Operating costs and travel expenses for sports clubs
Council maintained sports fields
Costs associated with attending AIMS Games (effective 1 January 2025)
Requests from foreign countries

How much can I apply for?

There is no limit to how much you can apply for, but most We Can Help With That grants tend to be under $1,000.
Note: it’s unusual for us to meet the full cost of your project.

How to apply

For further information and detailed steps on the application process, and to download an application form, please visit the page below.
> How to apply for We Can Help With That funding

When can you apply

We open several funding rounds throughout the year. Any application submitted after the closing date will not be considered until the next round of funding is open.

The next two scheduled funding rounds are as follows:

Funding Round 23: Opens 1 December 2024 – 28 February 2025
Funding Round 24: Opens 1 March 2025 – 31 May 2025

How often can I apply, and how are decisions made?

We will run up to four funding rounds per year. You can apply in any round, but can only receive funding once in any financial year.

If your application for funding is successful, please note that you will not be eligible to apply for funding for the same event in the following year (if it is an annual event). This policy ensures that we can support a diverse range of community initiatives over time.

Decisions will be made by a We Can Help With That Assessment Committee based on the information provided in your application.

For further information on the application and selection process, please visit the page below.
> How to apply for We Can Help With That funding

Further information

We share your passion and enthusiasm for people, places and participation and we’re here to help.

If you’re unsure about whether you can apply, give us a call to discuss your project. And even if we can’t fund it, there may be other ways we can help.

Each quarter we publish an online update of our activities. We also hold a bi-annual public meeting to promote the fund and celebrate the work and the achievements of the individuals and groups we support. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for information on these events and for further announcements.
> Ray White Whangarei & Tutukaka Facebook Page