Lani has been involved in many fascinating projects which push boundaries of thinking about the intersection of business, philanthropy and charity.
In this conversation we talk about her childhood and early influences and trace a life filled with innovating and trying new things before diving deeper into the most recent venture which is Fundsorter. https://www.fundsorter.com/
If you enjoy this then check out some of the other 470+ conversations with other inspiring people and more about seeds project is at www.theseeds.nz
Other projects and links mentioned in the conversation:
Steward ownership book https://steward-ownership.com/steward-ownership-101
Generous Ventures https://www.generousventures.org/
Share Collective https://www.sharecollective.nz/
Thankyou Payroll https://www.thankyoupayroll.co.nz/
You can download the audio episode here or watch below:
Lani’s path to this point is pretty remarkable:
- At 14, she organised high school walkouts against nuclear testing.
- Studied film to create documentaries that could shift people’s behaviour.
- Moved to New Zealand to make a rock climbing documentary.
- Helped establish Thank You Payroll, which pioneered “steward ownership” (where profits flow to the community instead of shareholders).
- Built Fundsorter during parental leave when she was swamped with requests from charities needing help. Fundsorter now has over 2,600 funding opportunities in its database and serves more than 800 organisations.
The system reads an organisation’s profile, matches it with suitable funders, and even drafts applications – turning a 20-hour process into just 30 minutes. What really stood out to me is Lani’s observation that 42% of charities are volunteer-led with income under $40,000 annually.
These small organisations hold our communities together, yet they often lack the resources to pursue complex funding strategies. This is exactly why tools that reduce administrative burden matter. They create space for organisations to focus on their mission rather than drowning in paperwork.
https://www.fundsorter.com/
