Released in the spring of 2000, IGAM was designed to make the grants process easier for both applicant and grants administrator.

Fannie Mae Foundation
Fannie Mae Foundation (FMF) -- revitalizing neighborhoods and creating affordable housing opportunities for more than 20 years -- hopes to receive the majority, if not all, of its preliminary applications online by 2002. Already, since December 2000, the organization has received more than 300 online applications, more than half of all applications received to date.

For Specialist in Grants Management Jamie Holtzclaw, some of the grants FMF has given of which she is most proud have been those awarded to organizations that help non-native speakers of English. These grants focus on helping individuals develop English language skills as they learn about personal finance and the complex process of securing a mortgage. “It’s difficult enough having to navigate through the home-buying process without adding a language barrier to that,” she said. “We plan to continue awarding grants to organizations that help provide affordable housing and home-ownership opportunities to families and communities in need, grants that help people from all walks of life realize their dreams of owning a home. Being able to accept our initial letters of inquiry [or preliminary applications] online has already helped us simplify the grantmaking process and work toward our goals.”

FMF purchased IGAM in December 2000 and immediately set about implementing it. When asked if she would do anything differently if she were to go through the process all over again, she responded: “The application itself is not hard to implement. But no matter how straight-forward something is to set up, there are invariably obstacles. My advice to another organization planning to implement IGAM -- or any new technology for that matter -- would be to take the time to test your system in house before making it public. Don’t give yourself too stringent a deadline. Like anything, you need a bit of time to learn, to make mistakes, to get the system up and running.”

One of the main obstacles for FMF was its firewall -- a barrier to protect an organization’s private network resources. But Fannie Mae Foundation and MicroEdge Technical Support worked together to solve the problem.

At FMF, IGAM is used to collect and transfer information from applications submitted online into GIFTS for internal review by program staff.

Though it is too soon for Holtzclaw and her colleagues to see any sort of pattern of online versus traditional submission, they are hoping that they will receive more qualified applications from the beginning of the process. The online letter of inquiry helps weed out those applicants whose proposals do not fit the FMF guidelines -- something that saves time for both the staff at FMF and the applicants, themselves.

Helen Bader Foundation
“Within the first week of launching IGAM, we received four online applications,” said Robert Tobon, Communications Director at the Helen Bader Foundation (HBF), a Milwaukee-based family foundation that concentrates its grantmaking in Wisconsin and Israel. “That number may not seem large, but to us -- that first week of implementing a brand new tool -- it was enormous. It was one of those build-it-and-they-shall-come situations.” To date, the foundation, which awards grants primarily in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, as well as to children’s programs in Israel, is receiving a steady and ever-increasing number of online applications.

Before IGAM, HBF had tried to create a Web-based form that would accept online applications. “We attempted to set up a system ourselves but it fell short in many ways,” Tobon said. “With IGAM, we are assured that applications are getting through to us.” Though during the first few days of running IGAM HBF had a few Internet-connection problems, with the help of MicroEdge’s Technical Support, the problem was solved.

From the start, Tobon and his colleagues appreciated the fact that IGAM’s appearance was customizable. Organizations can choose colors and styles to make the application look more like an integral part of their Website. They can also include their logo for recognizability.

Tobon believes that the preliminary application form has already helped weed out those applicants who send blanket submissions or who do not take the time to read the specific guidelines of a foundation. Because of the simplicity of the preliminary application, the information can be fed directly into GIFTS, thus saving the grants manager time inputting or transcribing the data. “We like that the form is simple. It has all the meat and potatoes we need from a letter of inquiry. Once a proposal is approved, the applicant can then work with our program staff on completing a full application,” he said.

Already, HBF is looking forward to receiving more and more applications online. “Right now, the main thing is that applicants are on our site. They can learn about what we do, what our guidelines are, and if we are a good match. They can apply right then and there while what they have just read about us is fresh in their minds.”

Ultimately, all this “grants management” transforms into adult services designed to help frail older adults and adults with disabilities, for example; programs to help Israeli children with developmental or physical disabilities or those from immigrant families; or funds to send a local Milwaukee arts high school group to dance and perform in Scotland’s Fringe Festival. “Our grantees make a tremendous difference in thousands of individual lives, in both Wisconsin and Israel,” said Tobon: “For their benefit, we hope to make the grant application process as accommodating as possible.”

Fannie Mae Foundation
http://www.fanniemaefoundation.org

Helen Bader Foundation
http://www.hbf.org