About
Rural Women New Zealand is a membership-based organization that has been supporting and connecting rural women in New Zealand for 100 years. The organization focuses on advocacy for rural communities, provides funds and grants including an Adverse Events Relief Fund for those affected by droughts, fires, floods, or earthquakes, hosts business awards celebrating rural women entrepreneurs, and operates policy advisory groups to influence decision makers on issues affecting rural communities.
Funding Opportunities
Miss Harris Tertiary Nursing Bursary
The Miss Harris Tertiary Nursing Bursary is offered by Rural Women New Zealand to provide financial support for nursing education. The fund aims to offer people the opportunity to extend their education, specifically in nursing related courses of study at approved tertiary institutions in New Zealand. Preference is given to applicants from smaller towns and rural areas who demonstrate a commitment to study and hold future career prospects in rural health, as well as having an interest in rural communities. This is a biennial grant awarded on even years, providing $1,000 in support for one year of study. Applicants must be New Zealand citizens enrolled in nursing-related courses at approved universities, polytechnics, or colleges.
Audrey Reid Grant
The Audrey Reid Grant aims to give assistance to applicants aged 25 years and over who seek to extend their education or training in areas of study that will be of benefit to rural communities. This includes subjects such as midwifery, agriculture and horticulture. The grant is designed to support individuals pursuing both long-term and short-term courses at approved tertiary institutions. Applicants must be New Zealand citizens and demonstrate how their chosen course of study will benefit rural communities. A character reference from a responsible non-family member citizen who knows the applicant is required as part of the application process.
Ruby Stokes Grant
The Ruby Stokes Grant is a biennial funding opportunity that aims to give people the opportunity to extend their education or training in order to improve their level of skills. The grant is open to New Zealand citizens aged 25 years or older who wish to undertake short or long term courses with a recognised education provider. The grant specifically targets residents of smaller towns and rural areas on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Applicants must demonstrate the benefit of their study to the wider community as well as to their own personal development. This requirement emphasizes the grant's focus on supporting individuals whose education will have a positive impact beyond their personal advancement, contributing to the development of rural communities in the West Coast region. The grant is administered by Rural Women New Zealand as part of their funds and grants program. It is run biennially on odd years, with the next application cycle opening in 2027. The value of this bursary is $500 NZD.
Year 12 and 13 Boarding Bursary
The Year 12 and 13 Boarding Bursary is offered by Rural Women New Zealand to assist secondary school students living away from home in a boarding situation with financial assistance. The bursary provides $900 per year for one year to help Year 12 or 13 students who are New Zealand citizens and living in boarding arrangements. Applicants must demonstrate financial need through a letter from a parent or caregiver, and provide supporting documentation including a letter from their principal or current teacher, academic records, and a character reference from a responsible non-family member. This bursary aims to support rural students who need to board away from home to access secondary education.
Nellie Schroder Boarding Bursary
The Nellie Schroder Boarding Bursary is a financial assistance program offered by Rural Women New Zealand to support Year 12 or 13 students who are living away from home in a boarding situation. The fund aims to assist students with the costs associated with boarding during their secondary education. This bursary is awarded biennially in odd years and provides $900 to selected recipients. Applicants must be New Zealand citizens currently enrolled in Year 12 or 13 and demonstrate financial need through a written application process that includes supporting documentation from parents, school officials, and community references.
Florence Polson Boarding Bursary
The Florence Polson Boarding Bursary assists Year 12 or 13 students living away from home in a boarding situation with financial assistance. The fund provides $1,000 annually to support students who require financial help with boarding costs. Applicants must be New Zealand citizens entering Year 12 or Year 13 in the year the bursary is awarded and must be living away from home in a boarding situation. The bursary is administered by Rural Women New Zealand and is designed to help families with the costs of secondary school boarding education. The duration of this bursary is one year, and it is awarded annually when the application cycle is open.
Secondary School Boarding Bursaries
The Secondary School Boarding Bursaries fund provides financial assistance to Year 9 or 10 students who are living away from home in a boarding situation. This bursary aims to support families who need financial help to enable their children to attend secondary school while boarding. The program is offered by Rural Women New Zealand, an organization dedicated to supporting rural communities and families across New Zealand. The bursary provides $900 per year and can be held for up to a maximum of 4 years, helping students throughout their early secondary school years. Applicants must be New Zealand citizens in Year 9 or 10 during the year the bursary is awarded, and must be living away from home in a boarding environment. The application process requires documentation that demonstrates both the financial need and the student's character and academic standing. This includes letters from parents/caregivers explaining the need for assistance, supporting letters from school staff, academic records, and a character reference from a responsible non-family member who knows the applicant.
Norma Evans Education Award (Region 5 Rimanui)
The Norma Evans Education Award is a regional bursary offered by Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) Region Five (Rimanui) to encourage women seeking advancement in the workforce to obtain qualifications to improve their career opportunities, independence and career development. The award was created by fellow RWNZ members to honor an outstanding woman who has spent her life working to create healthy, sustainable rural communities. The award provides up to $2000 for one year of tertiary study to a woman who wishes to complete a tertiary study programme to assist her to return to or enter the workforce, thereby enabling her to better develop her career. Consideration may be given for a second year's grant of up to $2000 depending on the tertiary study undertaken and the grades achieved. Applicants must be New Zealand citizens aged 25 years or older, and must live and/or intend to work in the Coromandel, Thames, or Bay of Plenty regions. The award supports short or long term courses with a recognised education provider.
North Taranaki Provincial Holiday Cottage Investment Fund
The North Taranaki Provincial Holiday Cottage Investment Fund is a regional grant program offered by Rural Women New Zealand to assist women and families in the North Taranaki region. The fund aims to support the education, health, and welfare needs of eligible applicants. Priority is given to members of Rural Women New Zealand and their families who are located in North Taranaki. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year, and grants are awarded on a case-by-case basis depending on the applicant's financial situation and degree of need for funding assistance. Applicants must be New Zealand citizens and provide detailed information about their financial circumstances to demonstrate need.
Scotlands Te Kiteroa Charitable Grant
The Scotlands Te Kiteroa Charitable Grant is a funding opportunity provided by Rural Women New Zealand that supports projects and activities focused on children, the elderly, community, conservation, counselling, or education. The grant provides up to $1,500 for one-year duration projects within New Zealand. Applicants must demonstrate clear project benefits, cost breakdowns, available funding, and include references from responsible citizens. The fund excludes support for housing, buildings, religion, employment, justice, conferences/meetings, personal expenses and salaries, and education outside New Zealand. Applications are accepted during a specific annual window, with the 2026 application period running from March 16 to April 30, 2026.
Cynthia Collier Grant
The Cynthia Collier Grant is intended to support projects and activities focused on children, the elderly, community, conservation, counselling or education. This grant is made possible thanks to the generosity of the family of Cynthia Collier, who grew up in rural New Zealand and lived for over 50 years on Wakarua Station near Taihape. Cynthia was a passionate supporter of her community and the work of Rural Women New Zealand. The grant aims to continue her legacy by supporting meaningful projects that benefit rural communities in these key areas of focus.
Community Fund
The Community Fund is an ongoing charitable grant program offered by Rural Women New Zealand to assist individuals or groups facing natural disasters or particularly difficult circumstances where assistance is needed. The fund provides financial support to families experiencing natural disasters such as fire or flood, as well as assistance to the elderly, young, or any family or person with a particular need. Applications must be made by or on behalf of RWNZ members, with detailed reasons for seeking financial assistance. The fund provides a one-time grant of $1,000 for a duration of one year, with no closing date for applications.
Adverse Events Relief Fund
The Rural Women New Zealand Adverse Events Relief Fund provides financial assistance to rural individuals, families or groups with a particular emphasis on supporting women and children. Grants are available to rural individuals, families and households where there is an identified urgent need due to personal hardship, health or wellbeing as the result of a recently declared adverse event or a state of emergency. Community groups may apply for funding to assist communities in recovery from a declared adverse event or state of emergency. Priority is given to well-focused applications that directly benefit rural children, women and/or families in affected communities. Grants are limited to up to $1000 per application, with only one grant made per household. Grants are not available for operational requirements for farming or business, such as feed or seed.
Hawke's Bay Primary Industries Tertiary Bursary
The Hawke's Bay Primary Industries Tertiary Bursary is administered by the Korokipo Branch of Rural Women New Zealand and aims to encourage residents of the Hawke's Bay Region to undertake further education or training in primary industry studies. The bursary provides up to $2,000 for one year to support full-time tertiary students studying in the primary industry field. The fund seeks to ensure that bursary recipients will ideally seek employment in the Hawke's Bay area so that the benefits of their learning can be passed on to the Hawke's Bay community and its industries. Eligible applicants must be New Zealand citizens and residents of Wairoa, Napier, Hastings, or Central Hawkes Bay local authority areas. The grant can be used for textbooks, course fees, online resources, and equipment. Applicants are required to attend an interview, either in person or online, as part of the selection process.
At a Glance
- Total Funding Opportunities
- 19
- Active Now
- 14
- Source Domain
- ruralwomennz.nz
Catalog Data
This funder profile was automatically extracted from grant listings. Information may be incomplete.
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