Good in the Hood applications are open for 2025
June 11, 2025
With applications now open for Good in the Hood 2025, Z Energy (Z) wants to make it as easy as possible for charities and community groups across Aotearoa New Zealand to get involved.
While receiving funding is critical to the survival of so many community groups and non-profit organisations, applying for it can be complex and time consuming. That’s why Z is keeping it simple.
“The feedback we often hear is that not only are these very challenging times for funding, but it’s exhausting just going through application processes,” says Abbie Bull, Z’s Head of Community and Sustainability. “Particularly for those smaller, truly grassroots groups – often they just don’t have the brand visibility or the resources to do it.”
On top of that, many funding programmes require detailed information about exactly how the money will be spent. With Good in the Hood, the funds are untagged, meaning the groups themselves get to decide where it goes.
To be considered, groups simply apply online, explain who they are and what they do in the community of the local Z station they’re applying to. “These are amazing organisations who are delivering services to our most vulnerable communities,” says Abbie. “It’s really important that they’re able to do that, rather than being tied up with burdensome processes.”
This year, Z will once again give away $1 million across Aotearoa, and the focus, as always, is on local. “Z is committed to the communities it operates in,” explains Abbie. Therefore, each participating Z service station across the country will select four groups that operate in the area around them. They will then give away $5,000, shared proportionally between these four groups, based on the number of votes they each receive from customers.
Z hopes to see a broad range of organisations apply, particularly those led by and supporting Māori aspirations. Being a registered charity is not a requirement, and community groups can apply to more than one Z site in your neighbourhood, as long as it’s local to your group’s mahi.
In addition to the funding, being part of Good in the Hood also means getting to spread the word about what you do. The token booths within the Z stores share information about the groups involved, and the groups themselves can come on-site to celebrate their work with staff and customers.
As in previous years, David Letele, founder of Buttabean Motivation (BBM), will be serving as Good in the Hood’s ambassador, helping to increase national awareness around the campaign and promoting the funding opportunity with Māori groups and communities.
“Dave is incredibly social media savvy,” says Abbie, “He’s offering tips and guidance to these groups on how to use social media effectively, so that brings another layer of capability building to the programme.”
Despite having been around for well over a decade, Abbie says Good in the Hood is still something Z is deeply committed to. “The overwhelming response is that customers still really enjoy it, and it has a really positive feel-good factor. For us, it’s a reinforcement of our commitment that Z is for Aotearoa New Zealand. We know that so many of these groups are purpose-led and fuelled by the passion and the commitment of the individuals involved. From my own experience with charities, I know first-hand the lift in energy that comes from both the funding campaign but also the celebration of the amazing work being done.”
Applications for Good in the Hood are open from 3-29 June 2025 and you can apply here.