We are the New Zealand branch of the international Clan Matheson Society. We aim to:
- foster interest in Matheson family heritage,
- forge links between people in New Zealand with Matheson heritage, and between them and kinsfolk in other countries, and
- help people with Matheson heritage find out more about their family history and family stories.
As a branch we have established a small grant scheme to help people implement worthwhile projects that align well with those aims. The purpose of the grant is to foster, in recipients and/or the wider community:
- interest in and awareness of Matheson heritage,
- links between those with Matheson connections in New Zealand, and between those in New Zealand and others worldwide,
- the ability of people with Matheson heritage to find out more about their family history,
- knowledge of and interest in New Zealand’s Scottish heritage, and
- knowledge or skills related to Scottish culture, customs, traditions and history.
Activities or projects specifically related to Clan Matheson will receive preference for a grant, provided they have sufficient merit to be funded.
Grants are intended to partly support feasible activities and projects, and not fully fund them.
Activities for which funding is sought must:
- have an educational, cultural, charitable, philanthropic, recreational or other non-commercial purpose, and
- start after the decision and payment dates, and within 12 months of funding being allocated.
Whether a grant or grants are made in a year, and the maximum amount for the grant(s), will be determined by the branch committee. The committee will:
- promote awareness of the grant,
- call for applications,
- assess applications against the purposes of the grant, and
- select the recipient(s) and the amount of the grant(s).
Applications
Applications should be submitted by 15 October 2022 to secretary@clanmatheson.org.nz. Applications for the grant must include:
- a statement of how the proposal aligns with at least one of the purposes of the grant scheme,
- outcomes that will be achieved relating to the purpose(s),
- description of the activity or activities to achieve the outcomes,
- funding sought and co-funding committed,
- timeframe for the activities, and
- ideas for reporting.
Assessment of applications
Each application will be assessed on:
- how well the proposal aligns with at least one of the purposes of the grant scheme,
- clarity of outcomes being sought,
- feasibility of the activity or activities to achieve those outcomes,
- degree of innovation in the proposed activity or activities,
- value for money and certainty of co-funding,
- confidence in carrying out activities in the planned timeframe, and
- effectiveness of reporting to support the purposes of the grant.
A selection panel including at least three members of the branch committee will assess applications and decide on any grants to be made, and notify applicants by 30 November 2021. Any member of the committee with a conflict of interest in relation to an application will not take part in considering that application.
Recipients
Recipients of a grant must agree to give the committee an account of how the funding is used. They must also agree to report to the wider membership on the activity or activities being funded by the grant, in a manner agreed by the committee. This could include news being published in the branch newsletter or website, or the Clan Matheson New Zealand Facebook group. It might also include a presentation at a branch event.
Branch committee
The committee will give a full report of its activities in relation to grants for the previous year to each annual meeting of the branch, and more widely to membership through means such as the newsletter and website.