Ep 4: Lani Evans (Thankyou Payroll & Fundsorter)

In this episode of The Funding Files,  Anna and Matt interview Lani Evans, the first CEO of Thankyou Payroll, a New Zealand-based payroll intermediary with a social enterprise model. 

Lani shares her journey helping scale the company, raise early-stage funding, and later support an equity crowdfunding campaign. The conversation highlights the lack of funding when you're just getting started, values-driven business model, challenges of raising capital for social enterprises, and the innovative approach they took to philanthropy through the Thankyou Charitable Trust (now Generous Ventures). They also explore how equity crowdfunding empowered their community of supporters and aligned with their ethical principles. 

The episode reflects on lessons learned, creative marketing, and the eventual success of returning dividends to shareholders — a crowdfunding world first according to Forbes.

Lani also gives insights into her new venture, Fundsorter, which uses AI to support not-for-profits to find and apply for funding here in Aotearoa - which just launched to the public this month! 

Learn more about Thankyou Payroll: https://www.thankyoupayroll.co.nz/

Check out Fundsorter: https://www.fundsorter.com/

--

Kia ora and welcome everyone to THE FUNDING FILES, where we explore the highs, lows and cashflows of funding a business in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Huge thanks to the founders for sharing their stories, to our board for inspiring us to make this pod, and to Rory Harnden for making our design and intro string.