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L to R: 2017 winner Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre, 2025 winner Climate Action Campus Ōtautahi
Auckland, NEW ZEALAND – 29 April 2026: Canon Oceania has opened applications for its 2026 Grants program, marking 20 years of the program’s investment in community organisations in New Zealand.
The program will award $20,000 in prizes to Grant recipients across four categories: Education, Community, Environment, and Cultural. Winners will each receive $5,000 of cash and Canon products to help tell their stories, reach wider audiences, and deliver lasting results. To celebrate the program’s 20th anniversary, one New Zealand Grant recipient will also receive a Content Creation Package up to the value of $2,000 as an additional award.
Since the first Grant was won in New Zealand in 2007, the program has supported 45 Kiwi organisations with $245,000 in technology and funding. Through this long-term, consistent investment, the Grants program has become one of Canon's longest-running programs in New Zealand.
“Twenty years ago, we began providing small, targeted support to help community organisations make a bigger impact. Guided by our Kyosei philosophy of living and working together for the common good, we've now seen that support reach 45 organisations across New Zealand. To celebrate the twentieth year of the program, we’re searching for four more organisations with bold ideas about how imaging technology can help them reach more people and create change that lasts.” said Kotaro Fukushima, Managing Director & CEO - Canon Oceania.
In 2017, the Canon Oceania Grants program supported the Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre’s work to protect Aotearoa’s native raptors, including the Kārearea (New Zealand falcon) and Ruru (morepork). Since receiving its Grant, the team has been able to monitor bird populations more effectively, capture critical breeding and behavioural data, and document rare moments in the wild. This has contributed to deeper scientific understanding and strengthened conservation outcomes for native raptor populations in New Zealand.
“As a charitable trust, we have limited resources, so being able to have Canon’s XC15 video camera and 10x30 binoculars as part of our fieldwork has helped us vastly improve our understanding of these raptor species. We have also been able to capture intimate moments, such as chicks hatching and parents feeding their young, which are often lost without the right equipment.” says Shannon Campion, Communications Manager for Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre.
More recently, Climate Action Campus Ōtautahi used its 2025 Grant to strengthen its climate education and restoration programs. The two Canon cameras enabled the team to capture high quality photography and videography content across tree-planting days, environmental restoration projects, as well as tamariki taking part in hands-on climate action learning.
“Winning the Canon Education Grant has strengthened our ability to document and share our work beyond its current participants. The cameras have improved our storytelling, helped us better communicate our impact to schools, funders, and the wider community through social media, reporting, and promotional materials.” Rachel Cummins, Learning Advisor at Climate Action Campus Ōtautahi, says.
The 2026 Grants categories
The 2026 Grants will be awarded under four categories. Four organisations in New Zealand will be awarded Grants each worth $5,000 NZD ($2,500 cash and $2,500 in Canon product) in the following categories:
• Community Grant – Awarded to a project that encompasses cultural and societal causes and has a positive impact on communities.
• Education Grant – Awarded to a project run by an educational institution, whether primary, secondary or tertiary.
• Environment Grant – Awarded to a project that supports the awareness, protection and/or biodiversity of the environment or promotes sustainable practices.
• Cultural Grant – Awarded to a project run by a school, community group or organisation, that supports the indigenous culture of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Grant recipients will receive their choice of the latest Canon imaging and printing technology, including cameras, printers, lenses and consumables, alongside cash funding to support their project. One New Zealand Grant recipient will also receive a professional Content Creation Package valued up to $2,000 NZD. By helping these organisations reach and inspire wider audiences, the program helps boost their impact and rebuild community trust and unity, one powerful story at a time.
Submissions are open now via https://www.canon.com.au/about-canon/community/grants in Australia and https://www.canon.co.nz/about-canon/community/grants in New Zealand. Applications close 11:59pm AEST/NZT Sunday 14 June 2026. The wider community will vote on finalists in July, and winners will be announced in August
For more information about Canon Oceania’s Grants Program 2026, please visit: https://www.canon.co.nz/about-canon/community/grants
