Why Online Applications Don’t Solve All Of Your Problems

Daren Nordhagen, President, Foundant Technologies

GMN National Conference

March 17, 2010

Copyright Foundant Technologies, Inc. 2009

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Introduction

• Who is Foundant Technologies?– Foundant Technologies is an industry leading

provider in Online Grant Management solutions

– We have been helping grantmakers’ move their

operations to a web platform since 2007.

– We provide a completely web based, hosted solution

– We have doubled our client base each year for the

last 3 years

– In 2009, over 20,000 applications were submitted

using our online solution

– In January 2010 alone, our clients accepted over

4,000 applications through our solution

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Foundant Client Map

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Grant Manager Daily Difficulties?

• Paper, paper everywhere

• Receive, open and organize mail

• Phone calls– “Did you get it?”

– “What’s going on…?”

– “Did we receive…?”

– “But I sent it to you…”

• Collate, copy and distribute grant

packets

• Keep things moving forward

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Are Online Applications the Grant

Manager’s Life Preserver?

• Reduce or eliminate data entry

• Facilitates complete and more

consistent applications

• Sending and receiving mail is no longer

so arduous

• Saves time!

• Online applications represent the logical

first step to move grantmaking activities

online

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But…They Can Be Done Poorly

• Actual text from a foundation website:Please be aware that partially completed applications cannot be saved. Please ensure

that you have all of the necessary information readily available before continuing to

complete the application form.

The following information will be required to complete the Foundation grant request

application:

•Your organization’s mission statement and purpose

•The purpose for which this grant is being requested

•The specific outcomes your organization hopes to achieve with this grant and how you will

measure the outcomes

•Who will be served by this grant

•How many individuals will be served by your project

•Other businesses/organizations that are providing support for the project

•Names of your current board of directors

•The specific needs your organization or this proposal will address

Additionally, you will need to have a copy organization’s IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter and

previous year’s financial statement for your organization, preferably in electronic

format. If you are unable to produce an electronic version of this information, you may

send or fax the information to:

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Online Application Shortcomings

• Online applications are the beginning of

the journey, not the final destination

• Online applications by themselves only

help the grantmaker– They provide no tools for applicants, evaluators or

outside stakeholders

• The data is not readily accessible

• When implemented poorly they cause

more harm than good

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Quick Poll

• How many people do not have a cell

phone?

• How many people have Blackberries,

I-phones or other type of smart phone?

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An Analogy:Consider how communication has evolved

Traditional Corded Phones

Cell Phones

Provides convenience and mobility

Smart Phones

Provides access to data from anywhere

Provides true efficiency gains

Considers both personal and business use

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Grant Management’s Evolution

Paper Based ApplicationsPaper, paper, paper

Data entry of apps

Manual grant management process

Online ApplicationsWeb based applications but with restricted data access

No data entry of applications

Electronic file system limited to what is entered

Manual collating of info for review process

Manual management process for grant reports and follow up activities

Online Grant ManagementEntire grant lifecycle is web based

No data entry of applications

Evaluators have the ability to access information and evaluate applications online (no board books!)

Applicants receive reminders for grant reports due using the same portal for applications and access to their entire grant history

System provides a complete history of the application / grant which is naturally captured and is easily accessible to all users using a web interface

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Benefits of Online Grant

Management

• Online Grant Management systems

allow access to data and tools for

everyone involved in the grant program

• Data is collected naturally without

manual data entry making it easy to

create grant and organization histories

for future use– Online applications, evaluations, coding fields,

decision comments and grant reports are all

collected in a single location for each grant

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Applicant Benefits of Online Grant

Management

• Applicant benefits and tools– A single place to interact with your foundation

– Applicants have access to their historical grants and

grant reports through a web browser

– Applicants can change their own information (i.e.

address, phone or last name) without needing to

contact the foundation to do it for them

– Can fill out the application from anywhere with a

computer and an Internet connection

– Several surveys completed by Foundant

Technologies’ clients resulted in a 85% to 95%

positive approval score regarding the applicant’s

experience

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Applicant Examples

• Product Demonstration

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Evaluator Benefits of Online Grant

Management

• Evaluator benefits and tools– Evaluators may evaluate applications online, at any

time, from anywhere with a computer and an Internet

connection

– You may assign evaluations as they are submitted

meaning evaluators are not required to review all

evaluations at one time

– Evaluators have access to far more information than

paper packets are able to provide

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Evaluator Examples

• Product Demonstration

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Administrator Benefits of Online

Grant Management

• Administrator benefits and tools– Administrators have the ability to modify a grant

program without additional IT resources

– Administrators have visibility regarding who is

working on what and when

– Answers to specific, detailed historical questions are

only a few clicks away

– Collaboration is significantly increased through quick

and easy tools providing a view to help each user

through the grantmaking process

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Administrator Examples

• Product Demonstration

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Online Grant Management Requires

Web Platform Development

• What is a Web Platform?– A Web Platform is also commonly called or

associated with Cloud Computing, Web 2.0 and

Mash Up Sites

• Why is it important?– It uses existing and readily available technology and

infrastructure to rapidly develop robust, feature rich

technology

• What does it mean to foundations?– Providers that develop on a web platform can create

products faster and at a fraction of the cost than

traditional technology providers

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Benefits of a Web Platform

• The #1 Benefit is Access to Data– Using a web platform allows all users access to their

data at anytime from anywhere with web access

• Applicants are able to collaborate easier

• Evaluators may be chosen based on expertise

not on ability to receive information or travel to

meetings

• Administrators no longer are tied to their

databases. The information follows them

wherever they go

– Smartphone access to system

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Benefits of a Web Platform

• Computer and operating system

independence– PC or Mac… Who cares?

– Windows 7, Vista or XP… It doesn’t matter

• Automatic IT outsourcing– Data backups, system security and maintenance is

provided and should be much less expensive

– We maintain the servers, the upgrades and maintain

compatibility with newly released technology

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Benefits of a Web Platform

• Save Money– Web platforms should be less expensive

• Leveraging existing technologies reduces costs

for both the foundation and the provider

• Shared resources across many customers saves

costs for all customers

• We control the technological environment which

saves us time and costs while increasing quality

• Providing technical support is much easier since

we have access to diagnostic tools and the

people to run them

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Why This Should Get You Excited!

• Web platforms allow the sharing of

information in a way that is impossible

any other way

• Examples:– Foundant / GuideStar integration

– Foundant / Foundation Center relationship

– Foundant / RightNow

– Foundant / FaxToFile

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Some Examples

• Integration to other Web Platforms– Technical Support

– FaxToFile

– GuideStar

– FoundationCenter

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Why Web Platform Makes Sense?

• We are excited about the changes

coming to the grantmaking process due

to the migration to web platforms– Project Streamline

– Cultural data repository

– Non-profits outcomes tracking

– Integration into collaboration tools

– Using FaceBook, Twitter, Linked In and other social

media

• Web platforms will allow these changes

to happen faster, easier, with less cost

and with less user disruption