SmartSimple Blog

Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) was challenged not only with the high volume of incoming grant applications but effectively managing the diverse needs and requirements associated with each application. Their data was scattered across different software and platforms, which caused delays in their administrative and application review processes. SmartSimple delivered them a cohesive system that integrated all functionality they needed into one, centralized platform to simplify their workflows. This enabled OCE to efficiently manage their processes on a large scale.

A sluggish paper-based system hampered the Washington Traffic Safety Commission's nuanced and complex government-funded granting process. With all the detail work required to manage federally funded grants, they wanted to move to an electronic-based system. SmartSimple helped them centralize their process into one platform enabling them to invoice, manage projects, and track program impact in an all-in-one platform.

With over 200 different funds to grant from and hundreds of new proposals submitted each year through different granting calls, Vancouver Foundation had difficulty being efficient and effective through its collection of segregated in-house processes and systems.

In the first of our ongoing interview series discussing current and future trends of philanthropy, we sit down one-on-one with thought leaders to learn and share their relevant experiences from the field. We recently talked to Zia Maumenee, grants manager for Headwaters Foundation about fiscal sponsorship and its impact in the philanthropic world to gain her insight and expertise.

The way we work today, no one uses one tool, one system, or one application anymore. Life isn’t that simple. In the course of your every day team’s work, you need to verify charity statuses, research potential grantees’ backgrounds, send out documents for signatures, plus a host of other things that require you to access other systems or applications.