Innovating for Impact: Connecting with Auckland Council & Singapore Civil Service Leaders

What happens when Auckland Council's community investment expertise converges with AI-driven funding technology? Last week, we had the privilege of finding out.

We were invited by Auckland Council to co-present Fundsorter alongside council leaders to a visiting Singapore Civil Service Leaders Delegation. The day showcased Auckland's innovative approaches to community challenges, and gave us the opportunity to explore a critical question with an international audience: How can funders leverage technology and AI to improve services and outcomes for communities?

How Tech Can Empower Funders

Co-presenting with Auckland Council's Manager of Community Partnerships and Investment, we focused on this question from the funder's perspective. 

While we often discuss how Fundsorter benefits community organisations, this session highlighted three advantages for funders:

• Reducing Administrative Burden
  By using data from past outcomes to refine recommendations, Fundsorter helps organisations apply only for grants with strong alignment to their work. The result? Funders receive fewer misaligned applications and more high-quality proposals that are easier to assess and report on, so funding teams can focus their expertise on relationship building and supporting partners.

• Advancing Equity and Inclusion
  Technology can reveal patterns that humans might miss, including which communities and organisations find it harder to access funding. Fundsorter enables more equitable access, helping grassroots and culturally diverse organisations craft stronger applications. When the playing field is more level, funders can genuinely support the breadth of their communities.

• Enabling Evidence-Based Strategy
  Aggregated, anonymised data reveals gaps between where organisations seek funding and where funders currently invest. This intelligence supports strategic planning, helping funders identify underserved sectors or regions and adjust their priorities accordingly. We want funders to make decisions with clear data about unmet community needs. More on this data here.

What Singapore's Interest Tells Us

The delegation asked thoughtful, probing questions - exploring practical applications, scalability, and what lessons might apply to their own funding ecosystems. Their enthusiasm suggested that the challenge of connecting funding resources with community needs efficiently and equitably resonates far beyond New Zealand.

This international interest reinforces our belief that Fundsorter addresses an urgent, widespread need in the community funding sector.

Looking Forward

We're grateful to Auckland Council for the invitation to participate in this exchange. Days like this remind us why we built Fundsorter: to create a funding ecosystem that works better for everyone - both funders who want their resources to create maximum impact, and organisations doing vital work in their communities.

For funders: Curious about funding trends and gaps we're seeing? We'd love to share insights and discuss how Fundsorter could help the organisations you’re supporting. Connect with us here.

For community organisations: Find funding faster. Apply for funding quicker. Free yourself from endless admin so you can focus on what you do best; making a difference in your community. Sign up for a free Fundsorter trial here.