Donorbees launches to simplify payroll giving for New Zealanders

A new payroll giving platform called Donorbees has launched in New Zealand, aiming to streamline the process of charitable donations through employers and make giving easier for individuals, companies, and charities.

Platform features

Donorbees has been established by a group of experienced finance and technology founders who want to address the challenges associated with payroll giving in New Zealand. The platform enables employees to contribute through a digital Giving Wallet, which they can manage using the Donorbees app. Currently, the app supports 32 registered charities, with the number continuing to grow.

Co-founder Pip Youngman said the founders see giving as an important part of a functioning society and seek to break down existing barriers to regular donations. "We want people to feel the buzz that giving creates - the helper's high," Youngman said, adding that, "A healthy giving community is an essential part of a well-functioning society and our mission is to super-charge the process of giving, removing barriers and providing a safe, secure and simple way for people to support the causes they care about."

Donorbees offers a unified marketplace where all participating New Zealand charities are visible to donors. This design is intended to make the giving process more engaging and give people greater choice over where their funds go. Youngman explained, "Our vision was to create a single platform where every charity in New Zealand could be found and supported. Instead of donors having to search across dozens of different sites or be overwhelmed by endless appeals, Donorbees brings all the causes together in one trusted marketplace. It's about giving people choice, convenience and confidence that their dollars are making an impact."

How it works

Employers can activate payroll giving within their existing payroll systems. Employees are then able to allocate regular or one-off deductions from their wages to the Giving Wallet via the Donorbees app. From the wallet, they can decide when and how to direct their funds to any available charity. Unlike some existing offerings, Donorbees lets users choose multiple charities and vary their donation amounts at any time.

Charities, meanwhile, can establish a profile page within Donorbees at no cost, connecting directly with potential donors who have funds to distribute. Donorbees is preparing a Newsfeed feature to allow charities to communicate updates to their supporters within the app, aiming to reduce the reliance on broad fundraising campaigns, email lists, and external marketing.

Donations remain anonymous, and the platform instantly applies the applicable tax credit, so donors receive immediate relief in their payslip. For example, a NZD $10 donation results in only a NZD $6.70 net deduction from pay, streamlining the donation and tax claim process and removing the need to manage annual receipts.

"We've seen time and again how under-utilised technology is in the charity sector. Donorbees levels the playing field. We collect the resources, just like bees collect pollen, and then dish the goodness back out to donors passionate causes," says Pip. "Also by separating out the donor decision of how much' and 'to whom' we are reducing the decision-friction."

Sector challenges

Payroll giving in New Zealand is recognised as highly tax-efficient, with employees immediately receiving 33 cents back for every NZD $1 donated through their pay. Despite this efficiency, uptake in the sector has been slow, attributed to compliance hurdles and the lack of user-friendly digital options.

Youngman said both charities and donors currently face a crowded environment that can make giving more complex. "Charities face donor fatigue while their needs grow, and donors themselves are often overwhelmed by the sheer number of causes asking for support," she said. "Decisions about where to give and how to give are harder than ever. Donorbees is about connecting givers with causes in a way that works for everyone. We also want to create a culture of giving, a regular payment to your Giving Wallet every payday at a level that doesn't cause any financial friction means it just becomes a habit".

Corporate involvement

Donorbees offers employers the option to pay administration fees or match employee donations, positioning it as a tool to demonstrate corporate social responsibility. Participating businesses can access reporting and benchmarking data (in aggregated form) to better understand the philanthropic preferences of their staff and align their CSR actions accordingly.

Future development

Looking ahead, Donorbees plans to extend its platform with more giving options and digital wallet features. Youngman said the company's broader ambition is to embed giving into everyday life in New Zealand. "This is just the beginning," she said. "Our first product is payroll giving, but additional giving options and digital wallet features are coming soon. We believe New Zealand can become a nation where giving is easy, efficient and energising - for donors, for employers and for the charities who rely on us all - and we're proud to be playing a part in making that a reality."