Funding available for a national day of reflection, 12 November 2025
In this newsletter you will find updates on:
- Funding to hold events or activities to mark the National Day of Reflection, 12 November 2025
- How to request official information about the Crown response
- The latest proactive release of a Government decision about additional funding for the Lake Alice redress torture scheme
This pānui/newsletter is from the Crown Response Office, a central government agency established to coordinate, monitor and report on the government’s response to the Royal Commission. The office is hosted by the Public Service Commission.
Please feel free to share this pānui newsletter. People can sign up to receive these updates: contact@abuseinquiryresponse.govt.nz with 'pānui newsletter' in the email subject line.
Alternate formats of the pānui newsletter can be found on the Crown Response Office website: Alternate formats: Newsletters | Crown response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry.
Funding for National Day of Reflection events on 12 November 2025
A $1 million contestable fund is available to survivor focused groups and organisations to hold local or regional events to mark a National Day of Reflection for survivors of abuse and neglect in care on 12 November 2025.
National Day of Reflection Community Fund » Community Matters(external link)
As announced by the Prime Minister last year during the national public apology, a National Day of Reflection is a way to acknowledge and remember survivors who suffered abuse, harm and neglect while in care, and to raise awareness of abuse and neglect in care.
Funding available
For local events, the Government will contribute a maximum of $10,000, plus up to $1,500 for reasonable accommodations for accessibility.
For regional events, the Government will contribute a maximum of $25,000 plus up to $5,000 for reasonable accommodations for accessibility.
Type of events
The fund is designed to allow a wide range of events and activities that are meaningful to communities. Types of events and activities that could be funded include:
- community gatherings or other activities to honour survivors
- story-telling
- art installations
- music or cultural performances.
Eligibility
The fund is open to applications from any organisation with a legal entity status that is either a survivor-specific organisation or can demonstrate that survivors are involved in the design and/or delivery of the event.
Organisations named in the Royal Commission of Inquiry’s final report 'Whanaketia – Through pain and trauma, from darkness to light Whakairihia ki te tihi o Maungārongo' are excluded from applying to the fund because they had historically failed to protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse in care. These institutions can self-fund events they choose to hold.
The organisations can be found in Chapter 12 of the Royal Commission’s Whanaketia report: Chapter 12: Key findings | Abuse in Care - Royal Commission of Inquiry(external link)
How to apply
The fund is administered by Community Operations Hāpai Hapori in partnership with the Crown Response Office (CRO).
All applications must be made through the online Grants Management System (GCMS):
Log in to the online grants management system(external link)
If you need help submitting your grant application
email: dayofreflection@dia.govt.nz, or
call: Internal Affairs on 0800 824 824 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm).
Funding timeline
- Applications close midnight 31 August 2025.
- Successful applicants will be informed by the end of September.
How to request Official Information about the Crown response
Before requesting official information from us, please check our proactively released information or past newsletters to see if the information you want is already available.
How to make a request
Make your request as clear and specific as you can. If you are posting your request please ensure you have included name, your postal address or preferred email address, and details of the information you want.
Email: OIA@abuseinquiryresponse.govt.nz
Post:
Crown Response Office
Public Service Commission
PO Box 329
Wellington 6140
Latest proactive release of decisions on the Crown response
Decisions about additional funding for the torture redress scheme have been proactively released:
Decisions from 9 June 2025 about additional funding for redress for torture at the Lake Alice Unit (external link)[PDF, 2.2 MB]
Crown Response Office