10 Tips to Optimize Your Grant Process

supported by {g}grants from Jungle Lasers

Strategic and efficient grantmaking is critical to the success of philanthropy. Optimal grantmaking allows grant and scholarship funds to best achieve the mission of both the grantmaker and grantee. Optimization simplifies the process, saving time and money, which in turn provides a true net benefit to the community.

1. Create a LOI process

Consider offering a LOI or screening process prior to asking your grantees to complete an entire grant application. A LOI or screening process will eliminate organizations that do not align with your core focus areas. This will save them time, energy, and resources to complete applications from foundations that can grant them funding.

2. Create customized reports

With online grants management software, you can filter your list of grants or proposals to see what was submitted or awarded making it easy to answer stakeholder questions. Moreover, the ability to customize reports for grantor and internal management is invaluable.

3. Don’t fear the cloud

People are often confused about what “the cloud” is. Cloud technology is used in many aspects of our personal lives like online shopping, online banking, and social media. It is also a tool that can support successful philanthropy. Utilizing a cloud platform, grantmakers will not need to allocate IT resources to maintain the database in servers or on individual computers.

4. Select a technology partner

A partner is not to be confused with a vendor. A good technology partner should serve as an extension of your organization to help you leverage technology to accomplish more, but with less effort. The technology that you implement should not require your organization to alter the manner in which you work, but rather it should adapt to your existing workflow. A partnership will provide best practice recommendations along with ongoing technology support.

5. Make all information accessible from one location

All your information should be accessible from any location in one place. Spreadsheets, emails, documents, and online platforms that generate email lists and contact information are great, but they can get lost in the mess of folders we all have on our devices. Consolidate all philanthropic initiatives into one secure platform, so everything can be tracked and managed more efficiently.

6. Utilize applicant and grantee profiles

Profiles for applicants and grantees will speed any application process by storing reusable data in one location. Nonprofit profiles managed by authorized officials ensure that grantors receive consistent institution information. Eligibility checks will allow only approved applicants, individuals, and organizations to apply.

7. Consistently communicate with your applicants, evaluators, and internal staff

Set automatic email reminders when application deadlines are approaching. Automatically remind recipients to complete their grant reports or evaluators to complete their reviews.

8. Pick up the phone!

Completing progress reports is a lengthy and time-consuming process. Why not ditch the reports and pick up the phone! By having a conversation with your funders, you build a relationship with the organization while reviewing their progress in a comfortable and relaxed environment.

9. Review expenses

Be sure to track your budget and spending. Review it quarterly to determine where you have room to spend more and where you need to decrease spending.

10. Confirm legitimacy of applicants

Money doesn’t grow on trees! Be sure to verify that you are granting your money to legitimate nonprofits that are qualified charitable organizations before awarding any funds.

 

With customizable cloud-based grant management software, optimizing your grant processes can be very simple. {g}grants from Jungle Lasers manages all aspects of grants and scholarships from application processes through progress reports on outcomes. This platform is used by community foundations, family foundations, as well as governments and municipalities to improve ease of use for the time consuming and complex tasks involved.

Key features of the software include:

  • Ability to transform our software into your software
  • Easily configurable by you, the end user
  • Program cycle management
  • New grant program management
  • Manage applicant portal questions
  • Reviewer scoring options

Click here to learn more about {g}grants, or give us a call toll-free at 866-502-1944 to discuss your software needs!

 

 

 

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