New Albany Community Foundation

Streamlining grant submissions through digital applications.

Technologies: Gravity Forms

Services: Ongoing Support, Project Management, UX/UI

The Challenge: Integrating Applications

The New Albany Community Foundation (NACF) is a non-profit organization that funds local initiatives for life-long learning, arts and culture, health and wellness and a sustainable environment.

NACF has been one of our support clients for about two years. We have worked with them on a variety of projects to integrate technology into their services to better serve the New Albany Community.

NACF came to us looking for a digital solution to their grant application process. Their old system required applicants to download a grant application, print it, fill it out manually, and then send it back to the NACF team. This process required applicants to have access to printers and scanners, which is becoming uncommon in an increasingly virtual world. Applicants sent their submissions individually, which required NACF staff to manually sort and save a huge number of documents. The NACF team wanted a grant application that could be filled out online to streamline the process and contain all applications in Wordpress.

The Process: Creating a Digital Grant Application

We met with NACF to discuss their pain points and understand their needs. Then, our team transferred all aspects of the old PDF application into a new Gravity form integrated into their website. The application appears at the bottom of the Grants page, immediately beneath the deadlines and guidelines. The page also informs applicants about what documentation they will need before they begin the application process. The clarity of information, located all in one place, sets applicants up for success.

We also did work on the back end to ensure that NACF staff could easily sort through the applications, which frees up time for them to work on other projects.

The Impact: Convenient Access to Funding Opportunities

The new Grant Application Form has streamlined the grant submission process for applicants and staff alike. It can be filled out fully online without the need to print, scan, or mail any materials. This encourages even more applicants to submit their worthwhile projects to the Foundation, because there are fewer obstacles to the application. After submitting the form, users receive an email confirmation of what they submitted along with a downloadable PDF.

NACF receives completed applications instantly, which allows them to decide on grant recipients faster than ever. This integration of technology provides the infrastructure for a more modern, accessible community foundation.

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