2025 recipients
Every year, the NZSL Board supports community initiatives to maintain and promote NZSL through a grant process. The NZSL Board considered whether the applications match the application criteria and the Board’s priorities.
Eleven projects have been approved for grants in 2025, totalling just under $250,000.
Successful projects
Sharing NZSL skills in the Deaf community: Presentations and Stories (Auckland University of Technology) - $42,282.59
Provide resources and workshops for the Deaf community to learn from Deaf experts, learning NZSL Skills, storytelling, and how to present to an audience.
Mentoring Training Project (Connect Interpreting) – $19,600.00
Create and run a training package for NZSL interpreter mentors and mentees, so that experienced interpreters can pass on knowledge and skills systematically. The training explains what mentoring is and includes practical training.
Deaf Business Expo (Deaf Award Committee) – $7,500.00
Launch a Deaf Community Expo for Deaf businesses to showcase their work alongside their hearing counterparts, creating a Deaf space to raise awareness of NZSL and Deaf businesses.
DeafPure (DeafPure) – $19,600.00
Create a 12-episode video podcast in NZSL with Deaf people and CODA to raise awareness of NZSL, Deaf culture, Deaf experiences, and the Deaf community. Including voiceovers and subtitles to raise awareness amongst the hearing community.
Interactive Online Course for Deaf Community (Deaf Way NZ) – $20,000.00
Create one online course providing NZSL access to a topic there is little information in NZSL about self advocacy and knowing your rights. The course will be interactive, including pre-recorded content, and will be publicly available online.
NZSL Directory Website (Deaf Way NZ) – $50,000.00
Set up an NZSL directory website for all information that is translated into NZSL on other websites, contact details for businesses in the Deaf eco-system, and Deaf club news, to make this content easier to find in one central location.
Strengthening NZSL Clubs (Merge NZ) – $15,000.00
Establish NZSL Clubs in three new locations (Hamilton/Cambridge, Dunedin, and Alexandra). Host Zooms for club facilitators to learn from each other, and share stories and suggestions about how to run the clubs well.
Community Development (Tauranga Deaf Society) – $20,000.00
Organise community events to bring Deaf and Hard of Hearing people together and celebrate Deaf culture. Include a Matariki event, led by Turi Māori (Māori Deaf), bringing together Māori and Pākehā Deaf people to learn about Matariki and Māori culture.
70th Waikato Deaf Society Celebration (Waikato Deaf Society) – $8,000.00
Run an event to celebrate 70 years of Waikato Deaf Society – honouring Deaf members who supported and maintained NZSL and Deaf culture in the past and encouraging youth and membership to grow. Take photos and videos of the event to document the history and use of NZSL.
NZSL classes for families of Deaf children and Deaf teenagers (Wellington Deaf Society) – $24,662.00
Set up face-to-face NZSL beginner classes, one for families of local Deaf children, and one for mainstreamed Deaf teenagers and their friends. Ko Taku Reo will promote the classes and a qualified NZSL tutor will teach with Deaf youth as assistants.
Ethics Review Project: Sign Language Interpreters Association New Zealand – $19,968.00
Renew the Code of Ethics for NZSL interpreters through tikanga Māori lens. Host wānanga about the Code of Ethics with a Māori facilitator for the Deaf community and interpreters. Include and highlight Turi Māori (Māori Deaf) and the experiences of the Turi Māori community.