Grantmaker Features

The Common Grant Application is a full featured and complete grant management system. The following services and features are available to grantmakers:

Manage LOIs, grant applications, grants and grant reports

Manage your LOIs, applications, grants and grant reports from one place. Receive and process online and paper-based LOIs and applications.

Specify whether or not an LOI will be required before an application. If an LOI is required then manage the LOI evaluation process to reach a decision of whether to approve or reject the LOI. If an LOI is approved, the grantseeker will be allowed to submit a corresponding application. If it is rejected, the grantseeker will not be allowed to submit a corresponding application.

Manage when, from who and what types of applications you receive. One or more users may be given permission to evaluate applications. Easily manage the application evaluation process to reach a decision of whether to approve, reject or defer an application. After approval of an application, manage the grant reporting process. Information and changes in status are available to the grantmaker and grantseeker in real-time. Control the privacy and sharing of your information. Export information to other systems as needed.

Manage LOI and application questions

If a LOI is required, LOI guidelines can be specified and whether a response is required can be configured as either required, optional or not required.

The standard application questions are fixed and cannot be changed, although blocks of questions can be configured as required or optional. Supplemental application questions can be specified and configured as either required, optional or not required.

Receive and review Web or paper-based LOIs and applications

LOIs and applications are normally received directly from the Web. Grantmakers that continue to receive paper-based LOIs or applications can enter those paper-based LOIs and applications and upload their supporting documents directly into the system, and make them part of the same database and workflow processes as the LOIs and applications received from the Web. Grantmakers, at their discretion, can edit and update all fields of a submitted LOI or application. A LOI or application and its supporting documents are viewable online by Web browser.

Assign, score, rate and rank LOIs and applications

One or more account users associated with the grantmaker may score, rate or rank (i.e. evaluate) LOIs and/or applications. Account users may be assigned individually or as part of evaluator groups, to evaluate LOIs and/or applications. Account users may be part of more than one evaluator group. Account users evaluate an LOI or application by logging into the account, selecting and reviewing the LOI or application and its supporting documentation and then rating or ranking the LOI or application. There are different mechanisms available to evaluate the LOI or application, and in all cases it is also possible to enter notes and comments about the LOI or application. There are standard rating and ranking mechanisms, as well as a customizable rating matrix, available for use. The account owner can review, summarize and report the results of the evaluation and then approve or reject the LOI or application.

Approve and reject LOIs and applications

The grantmaker can change and manage the status of an LOI or application by accepting and rejecting the LOI or application. Applications may also be moved to future or past grant cycles. Additional status information related to non-profit status check, OFAC check and grant reports can also be managed.

Schedule payments

After approving an application the grantmaker can enter more detailed information about the funding decision and indicate the amount approved, payment schedule and whether a grant report is required or not.

Receive and review grant reports

At the time a grantmaker approves an application they can specify whether or not a grant report is required at the completion of the grant. The grantseeker may upload one or more grant reports (e.g. interim, end of year, final) for each application. The grantmaker is informed as these reports are received. The grant reports are viewable online by Web browser.

Manage documents

The grantmaker can create and organize a directory system that can be used to upload and save the grantmaker's organizational and other documents. Documents are viewable online by Web browser by the grantmaker's users (subject to how permissions are set).

Generate and export or print various reports

An integrated and extensive set of real-time viewable general and detailed reports and summaries are available. These reports and summaries are viewable online by Web browser and may also be exported. There are standard as well as customizable reports. All applications and their supporting documents are also viewable online by Web browser and exportable. Information may be exported in the Excel format for use by other commercial and custom software applications or business information systems.

Provide real-time status updates

Monitor and review detailed real-time status information about the account, applications, grants and grant reports. The system generates a number of automatic emails, depending on settings configured by the grantmaker, to alert the grantmaker to any changes in status. Changes made to the status of an application are also automatically reported to the grantseeker.

Easy and Safe to Use

• There is no hardware or software to install, support or maintain.
• All you need is a Web browser.
• Your information is secure and private.
• All of your information is backed up on a daily basis.
• You may export your applications, grant reports and other reports.
• The service is reliable and always available.

LOI Questions

You may choose to require a LOI before a grant application can be submitted.

The LOI consists of a simple set of questions that include individual and organization contact information and summary program information.

You may also provide a set of LOI questions and guidelines that the grantseeker can then respond to in a free-form text format or by uploading supporting documents.

Application Questions

The application consists of standard and supplemental questions.

Save time. Don't spend time laying out and setting up your application. Get started quickly with the standard questions that cover most everything you'll need to ask and then add supplemental questions to cover your unique questions and information needs.

The standard questions are fixed and cannot be changed. The supplemental questions are configurable and can be specified by the grantmaker. Grantseekers can also upload documents about their organization and programs.

Managing Applications

You can manage when, from who and what types of applications you receive.

Save time. Don't spend time looking at applications that aren't aligned with your funding interests and activities.

• Configure your grant cycle dates. The dates control when applications may or may not be submitted.
• Configure whether you accept solicited and/or unsolicited applications. Solicited applications can only be submitted with a corresponding invitation issued by the grantmaker. If the grantseeker doesn't have an invitation, the application can't be submitted. Unsolicited applications can be submitted without an invitation.
• Describe and configure your organizations background and funding interests. Grantseekers can review, sort and filter this information to focus on submitting applications to those grantmakers that might be interested in funding their programs.
• Configure your funding interests. The funding interests are used as a filter and control which applications may or may not be submitted.
• Grantseekers normally pay a per application fee. The fee ensures that grantseekers won't flood grantmakers with applications. If you don't want them to pay the fee, you can issue a waiver.