MfE and Philanthropy New Zealand join forces for the environment
We've joined with Philanthropy New Zealand and other sponsors to develop and deliver a new online platform called Match – your funding place.
'Match' will help those seeking funding and those distributing philanthropic funding in New Zealand to find each other more easily. The online platform will be developed through a co-design process and is due to go live during the first half of 2022.
MfE Deputy Secretary Anne Haira says "It’s exciting to work on a platform with the potential to direct more philanthropic funding towards improving future environmental outcomes, and to support environmental innovators including Māori and those coming out of accelerators like Creative HQ’s Climate Response Accelerator which we also support".
We will be a member of the project’s advisory board and help co-design a set of environmentally themed filters/tags to better connect environmentally focused investors with projects.
Philanthropy New Zealand Chief Executive Sue McCabe says the service looks to reduce the amount of resource community groups need to put into connecting with interested funders. It will also make it simpler for funders to find causes they are interested in supporting.
JB Were’s NZ Support Report estimates NZ’s philanthropic spend is $3.8 billion a year with around $25 million reaching environmental and conservation projects/initiatives via grants and donations. However distribution of philanthropic funds is not evenly spread across those seeking funds.
“The NZ Support Report found 91 per cent of philanthropic and grant funding goes to 9 per cent of charities. We know that smaller groups doing great work often don’t have the resource to identify funding sources and make applications", says McCabe.
Community groups will be able to post one proposal, and get the eyes of multiple funders who have expressed an interest in that geographical area, demographic, or topic. Funders can choose to be alerted to new proposals or can search on requests at a time that suits them, says McCabe.
More information on Match – your funding place is available on the Philanthropy New Zealand website.