SmartSimple Blog

When reflecting on the events of 2020, the word that leaps to many of our minds is “unprecedented.” From the crippling COVID-19 pandemic to the calls for justice and equity heard across the United States, companies have had to absorb a number of unprecedented shocks to the way they do business, and the way they carry out their mandate of corporate citizenship. Many organizations have shifted their missions to respond to the ongoing crises—for example, by directing funds toward addressing employee hardship, improving digital education, or advancing advocacy work.

Since the advent of COVID-19, the research grant community has begun to depend more on collaborative, cloud-based technology than ever before. Reviewers from around the world were already assessing work virtually, but now research grantmaking organizations need better remote collaboration even among their staff in the same city. They increasingly find that the old way of tracking everything in various spreadsheets is not working, and there is emerging a dire need for simple yet configurable software to manage the research grant review process from end to end. 

In our November Upgrade,  we are releasing 45 new features and enhancements. While we think all of the things we’ve added help to make Platform3 even better, we’ve highlighted a couple of enhancements and new features in this blog that we’re particularly excited about.  You can find a full upgrade summary of all features and enhancements on our Wiki or by attending our Upgrade Webinars.

Consider this: non-profit organizations everywhere are under pressure to maximize their resources, provide for community needs, all while managing their relationships with foundations and partners. Meanwhile, funders and their staff are under duress to balance program development, stakeholder engagement, and fiduciary responsibility. At the end of the day, the grant application, for both grantseekers and grantmakers, is one part of the process that both have to interact with to move forward.

In 2018, we went to Nashville, Tennessee. In 2019, we went to San Diego, California. In 2020, we’re going to our living rooms. ELEVATE is going fully virtual this year. Over the last six months, we’ve all had to learn how to adapt to new ways of working. This year’s theme for ELEVATE – The Future of Work – is about looking beyond the boundaries of this sea change and focusing on how to not just adapt, but flourish.