In 2010/11 the Lottery Grants Board commissioned research to better understand the beneficial outcomes that occur for communities that receive grants for capital projects. The projects supported by Lottery grants typically involve the construction, restoration or development of marae or community facilities.
The research found that initial outcomes build over time to create turning points for further growth and development in the recipient organisation and the wider community. The outcomes achieved through capital projects are mainly social, cultural and economic, with less of a focus on environmental outcomes (apart from removal of environmental hazards). The outcomes affect individual clients, staff and their families as well as the recipient community organisations and marae. As these outcomes build they also affect whole communities including, especially for marae, those distant from the facility.
The people that gave us the money to fix the roof, everyone has got a job to do, but they have a decision whether or not they do that for us. There’s lots of other people out there, but they chose us. It’s about how we all connect and how we all fit together, whether it’s a government agency, [or] whether it’s a community agency. Tell them it was money well spent … and tell them they’re most welcome to come and have a cup of tea. - Client and Staff