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Fluxx GuideTHE FOUNDATION’S GUIDE TOGRANTS MANAGEMENT SOFTWAREFLUXX.IO
FLUXX GUIDE The Foundation’s Guide To Grants Management SoftwareWHAT IS GRANTS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE?Grantmaking can be a complex and time-consuming venture, evenfor relatively small or mid-sized funders (not to mention the foundationspaying out grants in millions or even billions of dollars). Managing theentire process — including tracking scores of applications, reviewers,requirements, and payments simultaneously — takes serious planning,foresight, and a good grants management software solution.Grants management software solutions help grantmakers streamline theirgrant operation throughout the grant life cycle, from application to outcomeevaluation. Software can automate many of the administrative tasks associatedwith grantmaking, freeing staff to concentrate on strategy, relationships, andopportunities otherwise lost inside an unruly grantmaking process.At its simplest, a grants management software needs to do two things: Store basic information about grant proposals so you can easily retrieve it(for example, name, sponsor, contact, and purpose) Track the proposal’s status as it moves through your process.The smart use of data is now core to for forward-thinking funders and grantsmanagement software vendors. Modern grants management software allowsorganizations one-click access to their own grantmaking data (e.g., geographical,program area, funds awarded, and more), revealing insights that are revolutionizingthe way philanthropy thinks about grantmaking.In addition, integrating grants management systems with external data fromorganizations like Candid (GuideStar, Foundation Center) or the OFAC watchlistgives grantmakers access to critical information they can use to put resources inthe hands of grantees much more quickly.With intuitive and mobile friendly interfaces foundation staff has quicker access tothe data it needs — anytime, anywhere.Grants management systems range in complexity and price. According to Idealware,“Small packages can support straightforward online application, review, and progressreporting processes for under 3,000 a year, while a specialty solution for a verylarge grantmaking organization can cost upward of 200,000 per year.”FLUXX.IO
FLUXX GUIDE The Foundation’s Guide To Grants Management Software EMBRACING DATA TRANSPARENCYAND COLLABORATIONAs sending and receiving information becomes faster, foundations — and prettymuch everyone else — are learning that collaboration fosters excellence.Philanthropic collaboration comes in many forms, from pooled funding to strategicalignment and everywhere in between. And each kind of collaboration differs in avariety of ways, according to the Bridgespan Group, “whether it is the flow of funds,decision-making, expectations and roles of funding partners, or legal structure.”Collaboration is most successful when people embrace a transparent mindset.Now, foundations can tap into data, analyze it, and utilize it to make progresson the issues that they care about. And that progress can be exponential whenfoundations share this data with the world.Opening incoming and outgoing streams of programmatic, evaluation, and publiclyavailable data gives foundations the ability to better collaborate, create communitiesfocused on learning, and build trust and credibility.We’re used to having information readily available at any time and any place —and we expect nothing less. Workplaces, the market, and our social circles arealways becoming more collaborative and open. Why should philanthropy beany different?FLUXX.IO
FLUXX GUIDE The Foundation’s Guide To Grants Management SoftwareWhatever the form, funder collaboration is essential in realizing “the kind ofsocial impact that we all aspire to,” says Larry McGill, Senior Vice President forKnowledge Services at the Foundation Center. And easy access to good dataplays a critical role in effective collaboration.“If you have increasingly good data about the social issuesthat people are working on . the organizations that aretrying to intervene, the strategies they are employing,and the successes and failures they are experiencing .all this means that you can build on the work that othersare doing and find your place in the context of all that isbeing done. In practice, philanthropy should be able tocollaborate a lot more meaningfully.”LARRY MCGILL, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR KNOWLEDGE SERVICESAT THE FOUNDATION CENTERThe reliance on transparency and real-time connectedness that we see in thebusiness and consumer environments today is informing how philanthropy worksnow and into the future. Combine these values with the rapid pace of technologicaladvance — in grants management software and elsewhere — and it’s possible toimagine an era where philanthropic dollars make unprecedented impact in a nearfrictionless grantmaking ecosystem.FLUXX.IO
FLUXX GUIDE The Foundation’s Guide To Grants Management Software WHAT SHOULD GRANTS MANAGEMENTSOFTWARE PROVIDE?Grants management software should provide so much more than a simple CRM, trackingfeatures, or an online application. Grants management software has the ability to ushergrantmakers into the future of grantmaking and help create more meaningful impact.Modern systems should allow and even encourage funders to be transparent,accessible, and ultimately more connected to their grantees.Here are 16 critical items a grants management system should have:1. Relationship ManagementA robust CRM engine should allow you to connect all of your organization’sdata to the people and organizations that matter to you.2. Grantee Access and Online ApplicationsA grantee portal provides a one-stop shop for grantees to manage allinteractions with your foundation.3. Reviewer AccessReviewers should have easy access to the review process and be ableto see what action needs to be taken at a glance.4. Real-Time UpdatesAs new data streams in, your whole team should be updated withreal-time notifications. Alerts can prompt actions across multiple teamsand should be visible across all platforms — desktop, tablet, and mobile.Program officers, grants managers, and the rest of your grantmakingoperation can be confident that they’re informed andthat their actions are timely.FLUXX.IO
FLUXX GUIDE The Foundation’s Guide To Grants Management Software11. Budget and Finance5. Automated WorkflowsBudgeting tools allow your organizationto track funds from the allocation ofresources to the actual payment ofthe funds. Because everything canbe displayed in real time, you cansee what’s in the pipeline and what’savailable to spend.Automated workflows can streamlinethe entire grant life cycle, from initialrequest through grant approval andreporting. Your grants managementsystem should help you createworkflows that feel simple, linear, andfast, allowing you to focus on grantgiving — not paper-pushing.12. Universal Search6. Connected Data010010Universal search enables users tosearch records across the database,retrieve content, and previewdocuments.For many grantmakers, data isfunneled to multiple spreadsheetsand databases. Data streams shouldbe united into one system, enablingdata visibility and new insights intoyour grantmaking.13. MobilityiPad, iPhone, and Android usersshould have access to their grantsmanagement systems at all times.Photo and text notes could be addeddirectly to records, making the iPadapp perfect for site visits.7. Outcome evaluationThe ability to track and report on theimpact created by a grant is essentialto a foundation’s mission. An outcomeevaluation feature should allow you todefine standard and ad hoc outcomesand track progress against the goalsyou set with your grantees.14. Document GenerationDocuments can be generated at willor triggered to appear at a certainworkflow step. Letters can be used forinternal or external documentation andcan be written to fill a variety of needscustom to your organization. Look forsoftware offering an integration withproducts you already use and love tomanage your documents like DocuSign.8. ReportingPowerful reporting features simplify thecreation of complex data analysis witheffective visualizations, live reports, andad hoc queries. Users can generatevisual charts, graphs, maps, and “mashup” data with external feeds.9. Functional User InterfacesAn intuitive user interface allowseveryone in the organization to interacteasily with all the data they need, givingeach team member the perspective,understanding, and tools to leveragethe power of data.10. IntegrationsYou’ll want the ability to pull in datafeeds from third-party applications.For example, you might want tointegrate with your financial systems,your CRM, or GuideStar data for 501(c)(3) status checks or check- ins fromthe Office of Foreign Assets Control.FLUXX.IO15. Audit Trails It’s critical that you have the abilityto see changes made to the profile,request, or grant since its inception,ensuring you never lose therevision history.16. Grantee and StaffCommunicationTo ensure you never miss animportant update, you’ll want to beable to preconfigure your systemto send email alerts triggered bythe status of a specific record or bycertain dates or deadlines.
FLUXX GUIDE The Foundation’s Guide To Grants Management SoftwareDO YOU NEED A GRANTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?If you’re still tracking grants using Excel spreadsheets, you need a dedicated grantsmanagement system. If you’re using a home-grown solution or a legacy system thathasn’t been updated in a few years, it’s time to look at modern solutions.Grants management is complicated. Even relatively small grantmakers will finda system useful. Often, grants require multiple reviewers, multiple payouts, andfollow-up progress reporting.Grantmakers want to be able to access reports that show how well (or not) theirgrantmaking investments are performing. It’s clear that the management and activityneeded to successfully administer even a single grant — and ultimately createimpact — is no small job.When you decide to implement a new system, remember: Technology doesn’tsolve all your problems, but it can make your job a heck of a lot easier, and you’llultimately make a greater impact by implementing smart technology.Choose the grants management system that’s right for you based on yourrequirements not someone else’s. Test-drive it. Get a feel for it. It should look nice andbe easy to use. Talk to foundations using the software to learn how it has helped themand what the setup process is like. And, of course, we’re always here to help.Fluxx is the cloud platform that powers giving and impact in philanthropy by connectinggivers and doers to create capacity, increase visibility, and improve collaboration. Wehave designed Grantmaker exclusively for philanthropic funders with the ambition tohelp them streamline grant operations from LOI to payment and reporting.FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOWFLUXX GRANTMAKER CAN HELP YOURORGANIZATION, VISITFLUXX.IOFLUXX.IO
ABOUT FLUXXFluxx is the cloud platform that powersimpact in philanthropy. Fluxx connectsgivers and doers, creating capacity,increasing visibility, and improvingcollaboration for organizationsthroughout the philanthropy ecosystem.Hundreds of the world’s largestfoundations and tens of thousands ofnonprofits rely on Fluxx to streamlinetheir funding processes, get data-driveninsights, and drive more impact.LEARN MORE AT FLUXX.IOSan Francisco CA 94108 1.855.358.9946 FLUXX.IOCopyright 2020 Fluxx
Grants management systems range in complexity and price. According to Idealware, “Small packages can support straightforward online application, review, and progress reporting processes for u
