Starting and then running a non-profit organization is never easy. So if you have done it, then congratulations. However, the thing is that there is a lot to do in managing a non-profit organization and a little help goes a long way. In this matter, grant management software for foundations can truly help. How”? This article explains everything about such software and how it can help the grant process.
What is Grant Management Software?
Such software is an amalgamation of several things a non-profit organization needs. For such an organization, managing grants is super-important. That is exactly what this software does. It is a one-stop shop for all grant requests and applications and it makes things easy for the management.
What Does a Grant Management Software Do?
There are several things such software is capable of doing. Some of the most important ones are mentioned below:
- Grantee Portal
Grants are crucial for the running of any non-profit. Applying for grants and then getting them is one of the crucial things such an organization does. That is why the management of grants is important. With a grantee portal built into the software itself, accessing all the information and data to do with grants is easy and effective.
All the grants that the organization has applied to can be viewed easily and any changes to them can be made through the software itself. All previous grants that have been granted are also seen with ease here. Without the need for a separate grantee portal, you are also saved from having more than one location for grantee data.
- Calculations Done with Ease
Grants management software for non-profits also enables you to do your calculations with ease. When you have the responsibility of managing such functions, you will find yourself calculating the amount the organization receives in grants on a particular year often. This involves looking up data and numbers usually but you don’t have to do any of that if you have access to such software.
It makes calculations easy because it immediately brings up numbers you can use. It also makes comparisons and contrasts of grants that the organizations got in different years from different organizations. All this makes the whole process easy for you and your staff. Studying the charts and finding out ways you can do better is also far more effective. You can find different ways to do better in the coming year.
- Easy Graph Generation
Such software also makes effective graph generation easy. Graphs are crucial to understanding when it comes to granting management. While doing them by hand is time-consuming, you don’t have to because the software will do it for you. There are several graph generation tools available that make life easy for you.
- Automation
Such software also makes a lot of manual tasks automated. This means more time for you, your staff, and your volunteers. You can invest this time in doing other things. Tasks such as applying for grants which your non-profit is eligible for can be done automatically. This way, you can keep ahead of many tasks and get all work done in as little time as possible.
- Studying Data Trends
With non-profit grant management software, studying data trends becomes easier. Choose software that has proprietary tools that allow them to study trends and do an analysis. This ensures that you know how well the organization is doing grant-wise and the areas where you can polish it up.
The Importance of Grants for a Non-Profit
- Money-Making
Every non-profit organization has come to the fore to meet its mission goals. To do this, money is needed. But since they are a non-profit, they can’t make money in obvious ways. Grants are one of the best ways for such a non-profit to make money. This money is not just utilized to pay staff, but also to make its mission goals a reality.
Lots of organizations, corporate companies, and philanthropists give grants to non-profits that have the kind of mission goals they want to support. But getting such grants is not easy and may involve a long process. That is why non-profits try their best to apply for as many grants as possible because it is a way for them to keep up the financial flow.
- Achieve Goals
Every non-profit has a set of mission goals it wants to achieve in the short and long run. Grants make it possible for them to do this by financially enabling them. However, grant management software for organizations can help you get your grants so you can achieve your goals faster and more effectively. With enough financial support, an organization such as this will be able to look at its more long-term goals sooner.
People who have worked at such non-profits say that the while grant-writing process helps bring refinement to the goals themselves and even develop a sharper focus on projects that are required for success. Grant writing is also said to help managers of non-profits be more perseverant. The whole writing and then waiting for the grant to be released is a long one and can take months to be fruitful, if at all. Yes, a lot of these tasks have to be done manually, but may be automated with software.
- Tell a Story
A non-profit is as successful as the people it can touch. With grant writing and the subsequent sending of applications, it is possible to tell a story that will touch the hearts of people. The grant process not just helps a non-profit financially by giving it a solid sum of money to meet its objectives, but it also helps it tell its story. In fact, applying for a grant is an important way for an organization can tell its story so that people can see how crucial it is. Through this, people outside the organization can be a part of how to make the non-profit’s dream a reality.
All this increases the chances of the organization’s success.
Choosing the Right Grants Management Software for Non-Profits
Selecting a good software for the grants management process for your non-profit takes some time and research. There are no doubt many available, but the right one is what makes your life easy. For this, you need software that will act as a one-stop shop for all your grant needs. This means that not only should the grant-writing process be more polished when you use it, but sending them also is easier.
Choose software that has tools that make grant writing more effective. Find out trends and data that will help you to write better grant applications. All this means that the chances of getting grants to go exponentially higher. The software should also allow you to showcase the impact of your work which may lead to more grants.
Email marketing is another thing that your software must have. It has an impact on grant applications when donors have good knowledge about what your organization does. Choose software that allows you to create materials for sending emails easily and effectively to donors and companies that give out grants. Knowing grant trends through data analysis is also something you can do by accessing the big data that software can be fed with.
The non-profit grant management software should make communication sharper and in focus. This way you can spend less time communicating with grantees and more time actually making things happen. Whether it is fundraising activities or donor engagement routines, there is a lot to be done in every non-profit. You need time to make it happen. Software that allows you to do many things with ease and confidence is the best.
Streamlining the whole grant process can be a great idea for your non-profit organization. If you haven’t already, it is time to get the software you require.
