Grants management 102: Creating a Better Workflow

Grants Management 102

Creating a Better WorkflowHow to Drastically Simplify Your Administrative Workloads

Hannah CameronContent Marketing SpecialistFluidReview

Shannon McCluskeyMarketing SpecialistFluidReview

@getfluidreview#FluidProcess

● Common Administrative Pain Points

● 4 Key Elements to a Great Workflow

● Next Steps

● Q&A

Total Time: 30 mins and 10 mins for Q&A

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Today’s Agenda

Let’s hear from grants administrators and program managers...

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Administrative Survey 2016

The survey asked administrators and program managers what they thought of their current application processes and what their biggest pain points were.

Over 460 responses were collected.

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find it difficult to organize and coordinate incoming applications.48%

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receive too many incomplete applications.35%

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struggle with managing the review process.25%

Why?

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of organizations are still using paper based processes.

25%have a partially online, partially paper based, application process.

48%

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Paper is outdated.

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Hybrid solutions are better, but still problematic.

Is there a better way?

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Centralize your entire process online, on one system.

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Application intake and

tracking

One solution that can support...

Application review

Email and relationship

management

Payments and budgeting

Post-award tracking & reporting

Workflow automation

● Create a holistic and consistent experience for everyone involved

● Store all information in one place and ensure that it is easy to track

and retrieve

● Automate processes, save time and reduce costs

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A centralized solution will allow you to...

But, centralized and online does not necessarily mean streamlined.

!

Creating a better workflow

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1. Map out your entire process

Step back and take a fresh, high-level view.

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2. Focus on Simplicity

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2. Focus on Simplicity

● Are requirements “right-sized”?

● Is the process staged with escalating requirements?

● Are instructions and requirements clear and easily accessible?

● Is the flow logical and well-thought out?

● Do we use all of the information we collect to make decisions?

● Is it intuitive?

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3. Implement Automations

If you find yourself doing something over and over again… it should be automated.

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3. Implement Automations

“Must-have” automations “Nice-to-have” automations

● Validation

● Pre-screening

● Application sorting

● Notifications and follow-up

● Reviewer assignments

● Reference letters

● 501c3 verification

● Interview scheduling

● Scoring

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3. Implement Automations

● Let your process “run itself”

● Drastically reduce administrative

workloads

● Do more with less

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4. Focus on communication

Ensure regular, clear and straightforward communication

Notification Notification

Notification

Notification

Notification

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4. Focus on communication

Good communication is critical to a streamlined process and fosters a mutually respectful relationship between grantmakers and grantseekers.

● Notifications when:

○ Application/submission received

○ Status has changed

● Reminders for:

○ Upcoming deadlines

○ Missing materials

● FAQ resource

● Timely response to emails

● Communication logs

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4. Focus on communication

● Automated notifications/reminders

will ensure grantseekers stay on

track and on time

● Proactive approach can answer

questions before they arise

Key take-aways

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Summary

Map out your process1

Focus on simplicity2

Implement automations3

Focus on communication4

An improved workflow process =

Happier applicants, reviewers and administrators

More time, less burden!

So what’s next?

Book a free 15 minute consultation call with our experts to learn how to begin simplifying your grant

application process with FluidReview!ymonkey.com

Join us for Grants Management 103:

Streamlining your Review Process

August 2nd, 2016 @ 2 PM Eastern Time

Q&A

Submit your questions in the chat box, orreach out on Twitter with #FluidProcess