About IOLA
The New York State Interest on Lawyer Account Fund (“IOLA”) is a government agency with a mission to support qualified non-profit organizations providing civil legal representation to eligible clients and improving the administration of justice in New York State. Established in 1983, IOLA is governed by a fifteen-member Board of Trustees and operated by a staff of nine full-time employees in New York City.
Challenges faced before choosing SmartSimple Cloud
Before implementing SmartSimple Cloud, IOLA faced substantial challenges. Its duty to administer grants to New York State civil legal aid providers demanded meticulous tracking, data collection, analysis, and communication. However, it lacked a streamlined system. Operations relied on a disjointed web of Excel trackers, Google Sheets, hard copy folders, and email reports, necessitating external consultants to validate, approve, process, aggregate, and analyze data. IOLA envisioned a centralized online system for its grant-related business intelligence, encompassing application data, grant budgets, grantee contact information, communications, payment details, site visit notes, and quantitative data. Accessibility and configurability were paramount.
Selecting SmartSimple Cloud
NYS IOLA Fund management describes the implementation process as a transformative journey. “The SmartSimple team exhibited unwavering commitment, dedicating time and energy to understanding IOLA’s unique business processes and needs. The ‘Discovery’ process, in particular, was enlightening, allowing IOLA to critically assess its requirements. The team’s proposals and solutions were invaluable, resulting in a professionally managed project that was launched on time to great success.”
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We are now able to do all data reporting and analysis in-house. This not only saves us thousands of dollars a year, but it allows IOLA to quickly and efficiently respond to data inquiries, which is essential as a government agency.
NYS IOLA Fund Management
Benefits of choosing SmartSimple Cloud
Efficiency gains and features: By opting for SmartSimple Cloud, IOLA reaped a number of efficiency benefits, notably in data reporting and analysis. The capability to manage these tasks in-house has led to substantial annual cost savings, amounting to thousands of dollars. The grantee reporting functionality has revolutionized quarterly reporting, making it significantly less burdensome. Additionally, the centralized system has seamlessly streamlined the tracking of grantee payments.
Feedback from staff and grantees: The advantages of SmartSimple Cloud have not gone unnoticed by grantees. They particularly value the ease of accessing contract documents, historic submissions, and accessing payment information through the platform.
Mitigating challenges with ease: During the challenges posed by the pandemic, IOLA seamlessly adapted its grant review process to a remote-friendly model, all thanks to SmartSimple
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We’ve recommended SmartSimple to other New York State agencies, as well as IOLTA programs throughout the US. The software is fantastic! We are glad to have empowered IOLA to revolutionize its grant management processes, resulting in efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced user experience.
NYS IOLA Fund Management
Working with SmartSimple
NYS IOLA Fund management has expressed that its experience working with SmartSimple has been exceptional. “SmartSimple personnel’s deep understanding of IOLA’s business and pain points facilitated the implementation of a system that addresses diverse application requirements. The system’s flexibility, coupled with ongoing access to knowledgeable and helpful SmartSimple personnel, made the implementation process seamless.”
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