About Fundsorter

What is Fundsorter?

Fundsorter is an easy and friendly tool that helps charities find and apply for grant funding opportunities that match their needs. Community organisations upload information such as past grant applications, project planning documents, or links to their website, and Fundsorter automatically matches you with funding opportunities that fit your funding needs. If you want to apply, Fundsorter will instantly draft answers to the application questions, which you then review, edit, and submit. 

From our conversations, we estimate community organisations are spending between 10 and 20% of their time working on funding applications. We want to reduce that by 90%, so community organisations can spend more time doing good work, and less time resourcing it.

How does Fundsorter help community organisations?

The biggest benefit is saving time. Charities, often run by volunteers, spend hours and hours applying for funding—time they’d much rather spend with their communities. Fundsorter turns the previously time consuming task of searching for grants and writing applications into a few minutes of clicks. Additionally, some charities aren’t experts in navigating the funding landscape and drafting grants, but can’t afford to hire a professional grantwriter. Fundsorter lets them tell their story in their own way, and helps translate into the “grant speak” that funders expect.

When will you launch?

We are expecting to launch in March 2025. Sign up here to get notified when we do!

Do I have to be a registered charity to use Fundsorter?

Yes, for now. In the future we hope to also serve broader needs, but currently Fundsorter is aimed at registered charities seeking grant funding.

What types of funding opportunities can Fundsorter match us with?

Our database is focused on contestable grant funding in New Zealand only. It does not include loans, individual scholarships, RFP information, international funding opportunities or proactive/relational funding (though we intend to broaden our scope in the future). We are adding to our funding opportunities every week, and seeking to build a comprehensive up to date database.

How accurate is the funding opportunity matching process?

Fundsorter uses advanced algorithms to match fund seekers with relevant opportunities based on multiple factors, including strategic alignment, timing and eligibility criteria. We may also ask you supplementary questions or provide commentary about the strength of the fit. You can then choose which applications to progress with. 

Can Fundsorter do my whole funding application?

Our tool will draft answers to the questions in the selected funding applications, but you still need to review and submit your application. The tool provides a great start, but nobody knows your work better than you! Your unique insights and understanding are crucial for a compelling application. Many application processes also require extra information like bank account details, which you’ll need to provide (where possible, we’ll give you a helpful checklist of the further steps and requirements relevant to a given grant)

Are applications tailored to each specific funder?

Yes. Fundsorter analyses the requirements and preferences of each funder and adapts the application and language accordingly. It considers factors such as the funder's mission, past funded projects, and specific guidelines. If you don’t like the draft text provided, you can give feedback and we’ll redraft the material for you instantly. You review all material before submitting the application to funders.

Can I use Fundsorter for multiple funding applications?

Yes, Fundsorter is designed to handle multiple applications, concurrently or over time. You can work on different funding opportunities at the same time, and the system will keep each application separate and tailored to its specific funder. 

Can we have multiple logins?

Yes, you can have multiple users under one charity number to collaborate on applications or work on different ones in parallel. But you need a separate subscription for each charity you want to use Fundsorter with.

Data and AI

Does Fundsorter use AI?

Yes, we use AI for some aspects of our service. However, your information is not permanently uploaded to AI training databases. Fundsorter uses AI to help build a profile of your organisation and funding needs, to match that profile to funding opportunities, and to draft answers to application questions, but this data is deleted by the AI company after 30 days.

Is my data secure when using this AI tool?

Yes, we take data security very seriously. Access to your data is restricted to a limited number of staff who need access to build our systems. You can delete or correct the data we hold about you at any time. Please see our privacy policy for full information on how we manage your data.

Will my data be used to train AI?

No. Neither Fundsorter or our AI provider use your data to train AI.

How is our data shared with AI?

Some of your information will be shared with an AI tool during the matching and drafting process. We don't send whole documents - only the portions that are relevant to a particular query. At present we are using Open AI as our LLM. You can find OpenAI’s privacy policy here. OpenAI keeps data for 30 days to detect misuse but delete your information after that. 

Can we access, remove, check or change the information you hold about us?

Yes, currently this is done through customer support but over time we will build more features for you to access, edit, and delete your data directly.

Customer Support

What kind of customer support is provided?

Once we launch, we will have customer service staff available 10am - 4pm Monday to Friday. You can email help@fundsorter.com anytime if you have a query, and we will endeavour to get back to you within 48 hours. 

How does pricing work?

Fundsorter works on a monthly paid subscription, with the price depending on your charity tier level. Each subscription applies to a specific charity number. Subscription fees ensure we can provide great customer support, an up to date database and continued product improvements.

Can I cancel at any time?

Yes, you can cancel your subscription any time. When you do this, we delete your data as per our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.  Should you sign up again in the future, you will need to re-establish your user profile. 

Why should I keep my subscription active?

Keeping your subscription active means Fundsorter keeps your organisational profile and past Fundsorter searches and applications active, which over time help us learn more about you so we can provide increasingly accurate results. We also email active users when new grant opportunities open that are a good match for their needs. In the future, we hope to provide useful reminders of reporting deadlines, and maybe even semi-automate the drafting of reports for you too!

FAQs for Funders

Is there a cost to funders?

No, there is no cost to funders, but if you would like to cover the cost of accessing fundsorter for some of your partners, please get in touch. 

Is there a cost to charities?

Yes. Fundsorter will operate as a subscription service with rates based on charities tiers. This will allow us to continue to provide customer support, maintain the database and build new features, such as reporting tools, predictive funding prompts and accountability reminders.

How will updates be made to funding information?

We have a team working to keep the funding database up to date, but we’d also love to have pro-active relationships with funders. Let us know at hello@fundsorter.com if you’d like to keep in touch, or feel free to send through updates when your funding changes.