8 Ways Your Grant Management System Helps Build Strong Relationships

Showing your grantees that you value the work they do can take many forms: site visits born of curiosity instead of box-checking, condensed applications that only require information you need, or additional resources that show you see the whole organization—not just the programs you fund. Your flexible grant management system (GMS) with purpose-built reporting can help with that.

Your grant management system creates the foundation for building great relationships with your grantees and stakeholders, enabling your organization to make decisions quickly, identify important trends, and maintain those relationships through staff transitions.

1. You can make quicker, more informed decisions.

With all your grantee data in one place, you have accurate information so you can make decisions faster. Create approval workflows so everyone knows the status of an application, and you can quickly see where a process has stalled.

2. Relationship information stays updated and current.

You only need to update a contact record in one place to make sure it’s pushed to your entire system. You can easily see all the contact points for each grantee organization without sifting through your sent emails.

3. Multiple applications simplify the process for your grantees.

Instead of funneling all grantees through a single application—and requesting information that you might not need for all grants—create different applications for each grant program. Your grantees will appreciate the time savings, and with it integrated directly into your GMS, that information will be available the next time they apply for a grant.

4. Integrations can pre-fill data for you and your grantees.

With your application tied directly to your GMS, you don’t need to ask the same questions from repeat applicants because information such as their address and mission likely didn’t change from year to year. Integrations with organizations like Candid can pre-fill some data from the grantee’s profile, saving additional time.

5. Your system enables prompt and clear communication.

With dashboards, you can quickly see where an application is in the process and what still needs to be done. This helps your staff communicate quickly with applicants and grantees, and make sure decisions are made promptly. There is no greater sign of partnership than clear lines of communication around decisions, payments, and requirements.

6. Scheduled reports keep stakeholders informed.

Stay in front of questions from your board and leadership team by scheduling reports within your GMS. Make sure they have the information they care about on a regular cadence, such as current grants by impact area or dollars committed for next quarter, so they can stay informed—and out of your inbox.

7. One software system breaks down silos.

Get information out of your team’s heads and into a single grant management system so everyone has access to the data they need to do their jobs well. This also helps keep projects and processes moving if people are out unexpectedly or if a key employee leaves the organization.

8. You can identify trends to stay on top of your community’s needs.

Through clear and up-to-date reporting, you can see historical trends in your grantmaking, such as increases in applications or changes in the types of organizations interested in your grant programs. These insights help you stay responsive to your community.