If your government agency or non-profit provides grants, your applicants and grantees may expect a web portal to apply for a grant, check on that status of their applications, and submit post-award reports. Grant software such as Microsoft Grants Manager Plus offer portals which allow you to interact with your data via the portal rather than store the data in a second place and replicate the data.
This blog post offers ideas for how to get the most out of your grantee portal, and which features and content to include in your implementation.
Consider which elements you will offer to anonymous users and which will be visible only to applicants and grantees who log in.
Grant Program Background
The portal may be the first place that the public and grant applicants learn about your programs. It is a place to tell your story, with text, photos and videos that show how your grants make an impact.
Dynamic content can include reports, graphs and maps showing who receives grants and how they are spent. For instance, several of our clients included maps showing the impact of economic stimulus spending on public infrastructure.
Eligibility Rules and Application Instructions
The portal should contain eligibility information for prospective grantees, and contact information for grant managers or your help desk where applicants can turn for additional information. This is general static information which can be conveyed through HTML pages or links to documents as appropriate.
Online Applications
Applicants often expect to be able to apply online. Applications usually consist of online forms along with file attachments for backup materials such as budgets or longer narratives. Be sure that your portal saves data often so that applicants don't lose data they enter in an incomplete application. Similarly, unless they are quite simple, most grant applications are not finished in a single session. You should allow applicants to save their work and resume the application later.
Consider including training videos, especially if your applications or process are complex.
Grantee Documents and Templates
In addition to application forms, you may want to provide document and spreadsheet templates to your prospective applicants. Documents such as these may be stored on your web server or in SharePoint or another document management system.
Grantee Login
Before they apply, you will want applicants to create user accounts and provide their profile information. Microsoft Dynamics portal provides facilities for creating accounts, changing passwords, and lost password recovery. Consider using multi-factor authentication, such as sending a confirmation code to a mobile phone, if this is appropriate for your organization.
Application Status
The portal should allow authenticated (logged on) applicants to view the status of their grants and applications. Often this is shown as a table on their home page.
Payment Requests
The portal can allow grantees to submit payment requests based on grant activities. These requests may be tied with status reports. Often the payment request is integrated with the financial management system to initiate the process of reviewing and issuing the payment.
Post Award Reports
One of the most valuable functions of a grants portal is to allow grantees to submit periodic post award reports. These reports often include attachments with material such as receipts or spending details.
For more information on grant management and Microsoft Grants Manager Plus, see my posts:
5 Ways to Ensure Compliance with Your Grant Management System
6 Things to Look for in Grant Management Software
Estimating the Cost of a Microsoft Grants Manager Plus Implementation
Extending Grants Manager Plus
Flexible Grant Management Software: Long Term Considerations
Grant Management for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)
Grant Management Portal: What to Include
Grant Management with FedRAMP Certification: Microsoft Dynamics 365
Grants Manager Plus: Theme and Variations
InfoStrat Grants Manager Plus Review on FinanceOnline
InfoStrat Releases New Version of Grants Manager Plus
InfoStrat Releases New Videos on Grants Manager Plus
Microsoft Grants Manager Plus
Microsoft Grants Manager Plus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Online Resources for Microsoft Grants Manager Plus
Portal Options for Microsoft Grants Manager
Statewide Grant Management Systems
The DATA Act Driving Grant Management Automation
The Story of InfoStrat and Grant Management
Usage Scenarios for Microsoft Grants Manager
User Stories for Grants Manager Plus
Understanding Budget, Payments and Milestones in Grants Manager Plus
Understanding Grant Management Data: CDBG-DR Programs
Understanding Programs in Grants Manager Plus