IVY Celebration Activation Programme
Purpose
Volunteering New Zealand is looking to collaborate with volunteer involving organisations across New Zealand planning to run a local event or activity which recognises and thanks volunteers during International Volunteer Year 2026 (IVY26). Support can be financial or non-financial.
We invite organisations who will deliver events that strengthen community connections, celebrate diversity, encourage participation and enhance wellbeing to apply.
The initiatives we seek to support will need to demonstrate contribution to one of the following:
- Capability, capacity and self-reliance are enhanced,
- Cultural wellbeing is enriched through arts, culture, heritage and national identity,
- Collective health, safety and wellbeing are advanced, or
- Connection, collaboration and inclusion are supported.
Additionally, we have identified that initiatives will also need to demonstrate:
- Deliver immediate community benefit
- Strengthen the volunteering ecosystem
- Increase recognition, support and valuing of volunteers
- Improve sector capability and national visibility of volunteering
We encourage all of our member organisations to apply, as well as those who are member organisations of regional volunteer centres, but particularly want to hear from people who haven't engaged with us before.
Eligibility Criteria:
To be eligible, your organisation must:
- Be a Not-For-Profit organisation
- Be a volunteer-involving organisation
- Operate in New Zealand
- Be a registered charity or have an NZBN
- Have a bank account in the organisation's name
Eligible events - regional and community events celebrating International Volunteer Year 2026, and that celebrate volunteers and volunteering. This may be:
- Events that are free or low cost for the community to attend
- Events that profile, celebrate or recognise volunteers
- Volunteering events that benefit the local community
- Volunteer Centre significant milestone celebration events
Ineligible events - we are unable to provide any support towards:
- Profit-making or private events
- Political or religious proselytising events
- Events aleady fully funded by another source
- Events that pose safety or environmental risks
What sort of events can we cover
There are many ways to celebrate your volunteers, and we encourage you to be as creative as possible! We would love to see you do something for IVY26 that you might otherwise not do.
Popular events and activities include:
- Community/volunteer breakfast, morning tea or afternoon tea
- Barbecues and dinners
- Volunteer stories, campaigns or celebrations
- Volunteer recognition gifts such as lapel pins, cupcakes and memorabilia
What collaboration with us could support:
- Event venue hire
- Event related equipment, materials, supplies
- Event catering
- Event promotion and marketing
We are unable to support
- Alcohol
- Gifts or prizes
- Salaries
- Retrospective events or costs (events already held)
- Annual events (events that you hold every year)
Indicative collaboration support
Organisations are invited to submit one expression of interest for an IVY event or celebration.
Our support may contribute in whole or in part to a project.
Additional funding from other sources and in-kind contributions are encouraged.
We anticipate event support contribution being available for up to $1,500.
Where there is a greater need, multi-organisation collaboration or special circumstances we may be able to provide additional support at our discretion.
Key Details
Applications open: 4 May
Read the Guidelines and Terms and Conditions here.
Complete our online application form here.
Applications close: 15 June
Decisions announced: we will assess applications as they come in, however response times may vary. All applicants can expect to hear from us no later than two weeks after the application period closes.
Events must occur between 1 June - 31 December 2026
Post-event requirements are due within 30 days of event being held.