7 Tools & Technologies That Support Corporate Grantmaking

Many companies looking to start their own CSR (corporate social responsibility) programs assume that employee volunteering and old-fashioned charitable giving are the gold standards. Those two initiatives are fantastic in their own right, but corporate grantmaking can be yet another feather in your company’s charitable cap.

Grants are unique in CSR for many reasons. While you and your CSR team do have to announce and market the opportunity, there’s an advantage in having applicants come to you. Word can spread about your company and its CSR programs among nonprofits, which can form the bedrock of a positive reputation. Another benefit is that grantmakers also have greater control over funds relative to charitable contributions.

If you’re looking to launch a corporate grantmaking program at your company, we’ve gathered a few popular platforms and digital tools to help you get started. Stay tuned for our recommendation on the best platform for mid-sized companies!

Table of Contents:

• A Quick Word on the Grants Lifecycle
• What Should You Look for in Corporate Grantmaking Software?
• Basic, Free Grantmaking Tools & Platforms
• Legacy Grantmaking Software Platforms
• Groundswell Combines Affordability, Accessibility, and Capability

A Quick Word on the Grants Lifecycle

Before we dive into specific platforms for managing CSR grants, it might help to briefly cover the process, or lifecycle, of corporate grants. The following is a general roadmap for effective and impactful grantmaking:

• Step 1: Conceptualize your company’s grantmaking program and identify what, exactly, you want to accomplish with the initiative. Determine the avatar of the grant recipient and tailor the application accordingly.
• Step 2: Solicit applications among interested parties and implement a system for tracking the progress of those applications. 
• Step 3: Determine the winner and notify all applicants of your decision.
• Step 4: Negotiate a robust and mutually beneficial contract with the recipient.
• Step 5: Monitor the grant’s impact and pull financial reporting to inform future grantmaking programs and other CSR endeavors.

What Should You Look for in Corporate Grantmaking Software?

Your exact needs for grantmaking software depend on your company’s goals and capabilities, along with the level of involvement from outside entities. Will your grants be employee-led or funneled entirely through the C-suite? Do you intend to have ongoing relationships with grantees? Those are just two questions among many that need answering.

Generally, though, as you search for effective corporate grantmaking software, look for the following capabilities:

• Automated workflows that trigger next steps and ultimately save your team valuable time and mental bandwidth.
• Scalable features that can easily grow as your company expands.
• An intuitive, user-friendly interface that doesn’t have a steep learning curve.
• Advanced reporting features that provide timely data and allow your team to comprehensively assess grants’ impacts.

Basic, Free Grantmaking Tools & Platforms

Smaller (and even mid-sized) companies looking to start their own CSR programs often seek low-cost or no-cost platforms. The proliferation of open-source software has helped democratize grantmaking, but the capabilities of these platforms are often limited. 

If your company wants to dip its toes in the water, the following applications might give you what you need:

GRANTSEEKER

The basic version of GRANTSEEKER, a popular grantmaking platform, is free and offers a few capabilities for disbursing funds and gathering key data. Users may find it difficult to track applications and monitor the progress of awarded grants.

Airtable

Many Airtable users laud the platform for its features related to collaboration and workflows, yet some feel the data reporting isn’t enough to support larger-scale grant programs.

DonationXchange

This free platform, primarily known for its use with scholarships, can also work well in the grantmaking space. DonationXchange makes it easy to keep track of finances throughout the grant lifecycle, but it’s not geared for CSR teams with multiple users who need collaboration tools.

Legacy Grantmaking Software Platforms

If the free CSR options don’t provide your company with the tools it needs, it may be time to look at paid options. Legacy platforms such as  Deed, YourCause, CyberGrants, and Submittable have been in the CSR world for a good bit of time, but you may find that they cater to large companies—even Fortune 500 outfits—that have seemingly unlimited funds.

These platforms almost always have:

• Extra fees for grant distributions (as much as five percent and rarely less than two percent)
• Long distribution timelines (grants sometimes take weeks to reach awardees)
• Add-ons and separate software requirements for companies to take full advantage of multiple CSR initiatives

Groundswell Combines Affordability, Accessibility, and Capability

Groundswell believes that CSR programs shouldn’t be out of reach for smaller and mid-sized companies, so we set out to make an intuitive app that combines the best features of free and paid CSR platforms. Our software allows companies to enjoy many of the same benefits that corporate foundations do—without the paperwork headaches and hefty price tag.

With Groundswell’s grant management capabilities, your team can:

• Add multiple internal users for constant collaboration, no matter the users’ locations.
• Customize and automate workflows to cut down on tedious, rote tasks that take up valuable time.
• Easily view the status of applications and funds so nobody’s left out of the loop.
• Award grants and not have to worry about manually cutting checks or disbursing funds to recipients.
• Rest easy knowing that your company doesn’t have to pay extra distribution fees for every grant disbursement.
• Function within a safe and secure ecosystem, as Groundswell’s products are SOC 2 compliant and exceed compliance standards of the world’s largest businesses.

Instead of juggling multiple platforms and add-ons, Groundswell has everything you need in one place. With centralized dashboards, your team can operate based on a single source of truth.

Your Personalized Demo from Groundswell Awaits

We know your time is scarce. Our software is designed with the user in mind; with Groundswell, you don’t have to worry about complicated, clunky systems that only create more work for your administrative team. 

Demonstrations of our software work the same way. Sessions are quick, to-the-point, and informative, allowing your CSR department the time and space to make a decision. After the fact, we’re always available to answer your questions so you can get the most out of the software you’re paying for.

Let us know when we can show your team just how easy, fun, and effective our grantmaking CSR software is!

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