When your grantmaking organization first started, you didn’t need a lot of functionality to manage your single program and a handful of grantees. But as your grantmaking has gotten more complex, you need a system that can evolve with you.
With the several mergers happening in the grantmaking space, understanding the GMS landscape is trickier than ever. To help you navigate this transition, here are some key questions to consider, making sure your new vendor meets the needs of your grantmaking organization.
1. What is the vendor’s roadmap?
Before choosing a new vendor, review its product roadmap. Look for resources or webinars that lay out future developments and enhancements. This will give you insight into the vendor’s priorities and commitment to continuous improvement. Ensure the vendor plans for continual product enhancements and major functionality upgrades that align with your long-term needs.
If you can’t find a publicly facing roadmap, that should be cause for concern.
2. What vendor support and training opportunities are available?
Evaluate the level of support and training the vendor provides. Will they offer comprehensive onboarding and ongoing support? What does their GMS implementation look like? Check if they have a robust knowledge base, user communities, and accessible customer service—through multiple channels, like email, phone, and chat. These resources are critical for a smooth transition and making sure you are getting what you need from the system.
3. Do you have the right people in place?
Make sure you have the right people in the right roles to manage the switch. This includes a grants manager to handle day-to-day implementation tasks, as well as consistent leadership to support the change. If you don’t have the right people in place, you may consider postponing the move to a new grants management system.
4. Do you know what needs to change—and what needs to stay the same?
Conduct a thorough needs assessment to identify the features and functionalities essential for your organization. Dive into your current grantmaking processes and determine what is working well and what isn’t. This should include input from all stakeholders, including database managers, program staff, and IT personnel. Prioritize these needs to guide your selection process.
Know the key tasks that have to be done and how they might change with the new software. For example, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy is required to check organizations against the Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC). What used to be a manual process is now automated with the right grant management software. “It’s one click and done—a huge timesaver for our staff. We really appreciate the recordkeeping because now we can actually show proof that we ran a check and it came back clear.”
5. Is your data ready to move?
Use the time before you move to clean up your data as much as possible. Identify duplicative data or information that should be archived or deleted. Clean, well-organized data and strong data management practices will make the migration process smoother and more efficient.
Consider if the vendor offers any services to help with data migration. Will you have the use of custom fields and templates so you can personalize forms? How will you take advantage of that? Will you need to move data currently stored outside your system to populate those fields?
6. How can you focus on the applicant experience?
Take a close look at your applications to identify places to simplify and possibly eliminate questions. Understand the tools available in your new system to see if there are ways to streamline your application process, such as through conditional logic, which can make the application process more efficient for your grantees.
7. What integrations are available?
Determine how well the new GMS integrates with your existing systems, such as accounting software, fundraising platform, and other essential tools. Seamless integration will save time and reduce the risk of errors. Ask vendors about their API capabilities and support for third-party integrations.
The Headwaters Foundation for Justice streamlines their payment process between grant program managers and finance staff members by auto populating expense request data and attaching grant agreements to expense requests, simplifying the audit process.
8. How will you need the system to scale?
Choose a system that can grow with your organization. Ensure that the GMS can handle an increase in the number of grants, applications, and users without performance issues. Scalability is crucial for long-term sustainability and can prevent the need for future migrations.
9. Does the vendor have a focus on security and privacy?
Ensure the new GMS complies with all relevant regulations and industry standards. This information should be publicly available on their website. Security features such as data encryption, user access controls, and regular security audits are essential. Your grantees’ data must be protected, and compliance with regulations will mitigate legal risks.
10. Have you talked with people who use that system?
Before fully committing, read case studies and talk with organizations that use the system you are evaluating. Make sure you understand the system’s performance in a real-world scenario that looks like how you would use it.
Find a System that Will Evolve with You
In 2014, the Endowment for Health began shifting their grantmaking philosophy to a field-building approach. This included building new partnerships to advocate for children’s mental health in the state’s 10-year plan, an introduction of Rapid Response mobile mental health crisis units, and the creation of a center of excellence to promote quality services and evidence-based practices.
“I never imagined our grantmaking system and processes would look so different today than they did 20 plus years ago,” said Sue Fulton, Chief Financial Officer for the Endowment for Health. “In partnership with Blackbaud, we have been able to take advantage of innovative technologies to implement streamlined processes and be as efficient as possible.”
Are you ready for a grant management system that has a clear plan for innovation and provides the flexibility to meet you where you are in your grantmaking? Check out Blackbaud Grantmaking in action with our on-demand product tour.
