Gift Collective Newsletter - May 2026
Published on May 6, 2026 by Trish Given
Welcome to our May Newsletter!
Kia ora koutou,
We hope you’re all keeping well and warm as we head into the winter months💛
It’s been another busy month here at Gift Collective, and we’re excited to share a couple of huge milestones we’ve reached. We’ve now supported over $7 million in donations flowing back into communities, backing impactful, grassroots kaupapa across Aotearoa.
We’ve also welcomed our 160th Collective - 160 incredible groups out there doing the mahi every day. We see you, we value you, and we tautoko everything you contribute. A huge ngā mihi to all our Collectives, and to the funders who make this work possible, we couldn’t do it without you.
We have some other updates too with a new staff member, our next webinar and some important banking information for you to note.
So grab a cuppa and have a quick read.
Introducing our newest Gift Collective team member: Katie Forshaw!
Katie has joined the Gift Collective team this week as our Client Support and Finance Administrator, and she has already hit the ground running learning the ropes. We are super lucky to have her on board.
Katie will be supporting our finance admin and customer service mahi, including helping collectives with expense questions, walking people through processes, and helping with any hurdles that pop up along the way.
Katie brings a wonderful mix of experience from hospitality, community relationship-building, salon management, and administration in the non-profit sector. She has worked with two very different Wellington charities delivering programmes that reduce harm for people and te taiao, and she is excited to continue working alongside people and initiatives creating meaningful change.
Outside of mahi, Katie loves gardening, reading, knitting, and spending time with her tamaiti.
Welcome to the team, Katie - we’re so excited to have you with us. 💛 💛 💛
Upcoming Webinar - Unlock new funding opportunities with Fundsorter
In mid-2025, Fundsorter launched in Aotearoa and many of our Gift Collective whānau have already jumped on board. For lots of groups, it’s opened the door to funding opportunities they didn’t even know existed.
Fundsorter is an online platform that helps match your project or organisation with relevant funding opportunities, and draft your applications - saving you time and making it easier to find grants that align with your kaupapa.
Our next webinar is all about getting the most out of Fundsorter whether you’re already using it or just thinking about signing up.
🗓When - Wednesday 27 May
🕛Time - 12pm - 1pm (lunchtime session)
Register here - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/5y91ECXuSBiL3t_9nrVhNg
Join us for a relaxed group presentation and Q&A where we’ll kōrero through:
- What fundsorter is and how it started?
- Real Life Scenarios and Challenges
- Tips to help you get the best results from the platform
- Q&A session and onboarding support
*And did we mention? As part of Gift Collective, you get access to a significantly reduced monthly fee of $14.37 to give it a go. If you would like more information - email us at [email protected]
Bring your questions, your cuppa, and your curiosity - we’d love to see you there! 💛
A great resource we’ve come across!
We recently came across Community Think and wanted to share it with you all. It’s a fantastic website full of practical tools, ideas, and insights for community groups across Aotearoa.
One feature we especially love is “10 at 10” - a series of short, bite-sized videos released regularly, each sharing 10 quick tips, ideas, or prompts on topics relevant to the community sector. They’re easy to watch, super practical, and a great way to pick up new ideas in just a few minutes.
Definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for inspiration or simple ways to strengthen your mahi and impact.
Checking in with our Gift Collective whānau
Some of you may have received an email from us over the past few months, this is part of Trish’s mahi in her role as Community Outreach Coordinator, where she’s been connecting with our existing collectives.
These check-ins are a chance to:
• see how things are going for you
• understand if you’d like to continue with Gift Collective
• find out what support you might need
It also helps us make sure we’re providing the best possible support, and your feedback is always incredibly valuable to us.
If you haven’t had a chance to reply yet, we’d love to hear from you and if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help.
Housekeeping Reminders:
*Expenses
A quick reminder to please submit your expenses on Monday or Tuesday each week.
This helps ensure:
• Processing on Wednesday
• Payments made by Thursday
*Funding Applications
There are always funding rounds open across the motu. As applications are submitted under our name and charitable status, it’s important that we have a full understanding of what is being applied for.
Please ensure you share your application with us for review at least 1 week before submitting an application. As a small team, this allows us to carry out due diligence and ensure your application is strong and aligned.
We’re Here to Support You
Keep an eye out for funding opportunities in your area, and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need support or just want to kōrero - [email protected]
We’re here to make things easier so you can focus on your kaupapa 💛
Ngā mihi nui,
Your Gift Collective Team
Chloe, Katie & Trish