Update on Match | Te Puna Taurite

The Match | Te Puna Taurite (MTPT) service will be shut down from 31 August 2023.  

Launched in August 2022, this service was an ambitious project to change the funding system to make it more equitable, accessible and collaborative.  

However, this service has not gained the support needed to deliver practical benefits to funders and fundseekers, and after discussion with key users we have determined that it is unlikely to achieve the required level of activity.  The service also needed additional funding to continue, which we assessed we were unlikely to get and may not be able to use wisely given the insufficient activity for the service.  

Philanthropy New Zealand | Tōpūtanga Tuku Aroha o Aotearoa (PNZ) would like to thank those that supported us to develop the concept of Match | Te Puna Taurite to create a more equitable, accessible and collaborative funding system. These include the philanthropic and grantmaking funders who provided seed funding and input; and the community and voluntary sector representatives who contributed their time and advice. 

We’d like to thank the early adopters of this service, the 884 fundseekers and the 35 funders who registered with it. We know that at least nine charities received funding over the past 11 months and many others have a raised profile with funders, as a result of MTPT. We’d like to acknowledge the trust that people placed in us and the action that users took to support this initiative which aimed to make positive change in the philanthropic and grantmaking system.  

We are offering to refund any unspent portion of users annual subscription if applicable. We have run monthly online sessions about MTPT through its life, and we will run some more for users who wish to talk with us about our decision and ask questions. Please email hello@match.org.nz for details. 

PNZ and many in the philanthropic and grantmaking space remain committed to making accessing funding a fairer and more efficient process for community organisations, so that they can spend less of their voluntary or paid resource on fundseeking and more on delivering their mission. Many funders are already doing this through continually reviewing their own funding practices; or collaborating with others for the benefit of fundseekers.  

PNZ will continue to work with its membership, and community and voluntary sector peak bodies, to identify how to support these efforts with change at the system level. We are currently assessing how we evaluate the many learnings from MTPT, and make them publicly available as a resource to others acting for a more accessible, equitable and collaborative funding system.  

We have already gathered a significant amount of feedback about MTPT and the funding system since embarking on this project, through user testing; surveys; and everyday engagement with charities and funders.  If you wish to provide feedback, you are welcome to email us at hello@match.org.nz. All of this will feed into the evaluation and support next steps. 

We are confident that MTPT’s development and subsequent learnings will turn out to be an important milestone and catalyst for continued progress. It was very early days in the life of what was a complex start-up, and we believe that the evaluation will support further action, that will be effective in achieving funder and fundseeker engagement to effect positive change for communities. 

Thank you again to all who have contributed to this service,

Sue McCabe, Chief Executive PNZ