Fundsorter & Gift Collective - Webinar Recording + Resources |
Published on May 28, 2026 by Trish Given
Kia ora koutou,
A huge thank you to everyone who joined our recent webinar with Gift Collective and Fundsorter on Wednesday. It was wonderful to see people tuning in from across the country and sharing the incredible mahi happening in communities around the motu.
For those who couldn’t make it live, or if you’d like to revisit the session, you can watch the webinar here - Fundsorter Webinar Recording
The webinar covered:
• Our partnership with Fundsorter
• A walkthrough of the Fundsorter platform - Bonnie
• Practical tips for preparing stronger funding applications
• Common mistakes to avoid when using AI-generated funding content
• Q&A and discussion around funding challenges facing grassroots groups
A few practical reminders from the session:
• Always carefully review any AI-generated application content - Check names, dates, dollar amounts, and project details carefully.
• Make sure applications still sound like your group and reflect your authentic voice and kaupapa.
• Tailor each application to the specific funder and read their criteria thoroughly before applying.
• Double check budgets and written content match.
• Keep your applications concise, clear, and easy to read.
• If possible, have another person review the application before submitting.
• Don’t leave submissions until the last minute
• Save copies of all submitted documents for reporting and future applications.
• If using Gift Collective as your fundholder, please check in with us before submitting if you are unsure about documentation requirements
• Make sure applications still sound like your group and reflect your authentic voice and kaupapa.
• Tailor each application to the specific funder and read their criteria thoroughly before applying.
• Double check budgets and written content match.
• Keep your applications concise, clear, and easy to read.
• If possible, have another person review the application before submitting.
• Don’t leave submissions until the last minute
• Save copies of all submitted documents for reporting and future applications.
• If using Gift Collective as your fundholder, please check in with us before submitting if you are unsure about documentation requirements
Narrative Reporting:
While Gift Collective supports financial reporting, collectives still need to track and tell the story of their impact, outcomes, and community benefit. Your narrative reporting is just as important as the application itself - Gift Collective does not do this for you.
While Gift Collective supports financial reporting, collectives still need to track and tell the story of their impact, outcomes, and community benefit. Your narrative reporting is just as important as the application itself - Gift Collective does not do this for you.
**IMPORTANT REMINDERS FOR ALL GIFT COLLECTIVES:
- Gift Collective is a small part-time team supporting more than 160 Collectives across Aotearoa. To ensure we can properly review and support your funding applications, we require applications to be sent to us at least ONE WEEK before the funding deadline.
This gives us time to:
• Review your application carefully
• Check budgets, eligibility, and supporting documentation
• Make suggestions or improvements where needed
• And if needed gives us time to submit the application on a funder's portal on your behalf
• Review your application carefully
• Check budgets, eligibility, and supporting documentation
• Make suggestions or improvements where needed
• And if needed gives us time to submit the application on a funder's portal on your behalf
- Please also make sure that there is $14.37 in your Gift Collective account each month to cover the cost of Fundsorter
- Please check with your funder that they will work with a fundholder/umbrella group and if they need to the application to come from you or from us (Gift Collective)
Applications submitted at the last minute may not be able to be reviewed, supported or submitted on time.
Please remember that when applying through Gift Collective, you are applying under The Gift Trust’s charitable status and under our name as your fundholder. We take this responsibility seriously, as our reputation and relationships with funders are something we are fronting on your behalf.
We genuinely want to help set your applications up for success - giving us enough lead-in time makes a huge difference for everyone involved.
Useful links:
• Fundsorter: Fundsorter | Grant Funding, Sorted
• Gift Collective Help Docs: Identifying grants | Gift Collective
Thank you again to Bonnie from Fundsorter for sharing her time and expertise with us, and thank you all for the amazing work you continue to do in your communities.
If you have any follow-up questions please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
Our working hours are as follows:
- Chloe - Tues - Thurs - 9am - 2pm
- Trish - Mon - Thurs - 8.30am - 3pm
- Katie - Tues - Fri - 9am - 4pm
Ngā mihi nui,
Gift Collective Team
Gift Collective Team