BORING FUND
AOTEAROA
Money for the boring stuff that keeps communities running.
The Boring Fund Aotearoa is a community-led microgrant fund started by three people who have spent years in the not-for-profit sector. It is collectively funded by everyday people. $500 grants for small non-profits. Only for the boring stuff. A random draw. No reporting.
Adapted with aroha from The Boring Fund, created in the UK by Christina Poulton.
Nobody funds the boring bits. We do.
Essential, unglamorous, and the hardest thing to get funded.
The boring bits are things like: Insurance · Web hosting · Accountancy · Admin time · And other boring operational costs
$500. No strings. No reporting. No catch.
This is also a kōrerorero about funding
It’s partly a funding experiment, partly making a point about the state of the stupid funding system.
The everyday costs of running an organisation are the hardest to get funded.
Grant application and reporting processes take up precious time.
Community organisations know their mahi best and need boring funding to just get on with it.
We promise no long forms, no reporting. And we'll share anonymised insights on the need that comes our way after the round.
How it works
Five minutes, from your phone.
Koha (people chip in): Supporters give koha into the fund.
Apply (you apply): A short form. Tell us the boring thing you need pūtea for.
Picked (names drawn): Eligible applications go into a random draw.
Paid (money out): Grant paid. No reports. Done.
Who can apply
This fund is only open to Aotearoa-based for purpose organisations with annual operating payments under $140,000. We're open across the motu to community-led mahi, grounded in te Tiriti.
You can apply if you are
A registered charity
An incorporated society
A charitable trust
A constituted community or voluntary group
Not-for-profit, based and working in Aotearoa
Holding an NZ bank account in your org's name
This is not the fund for
Individuals or sole traders
For-profit businesses paying out profits
Schools or PTAs
Large, well-resourced organisations
Anyone with confirmed multi-year core funding
Our values
Manaaki first. Trust by default.
We stand with takatāpui and rainbow communities, tangata whaikaha and disabled people, and everyone the system was not built for. NEED MORE HERE!!!!
Boring is beautiful.
The timeline
July 2026 we be open for donations. Our goal is to raise $15,000 so we can give 30 microgrants. The more raised the more we can give.
1 October 2026 we'll open for applications.
31 October 2026 applications close.
Early November we'll draw the recipients, let them know and pay the money. We'll also release some insights about the need in our communities we identify from this
The Boring People
The people behind this fund are:
Rochelle Stewart-Allen, the NGO Coach
Helen Anderson, General Manager of Volunteer Wellington, ex-Philanthropy Nerd and Dabbler
Jackson Lacy, Co-Chair of Youth in Philanthropy and Gift Trust Ops Specialist
Huge thanks to Hilary Cook for website copy and comms support.