Saskatoon Community Foundation

The data export and reporting utilities in GLM are very useful in generating reports for board and committee reference, but the greatest benefit to staff and board reviewers is the ability to access the system from any computer connected to the internet.

Pain Points

Apart from the huge and largely unnecessary amounts of paper generated by paper granting - the tracking, coordinating, collating, and delivery of paper applications was fraught with opportunities for human error. Consequently, labor-intensive systems had to be kept in place to ensure all the work was done accurately. Spreadsheets had to be maintained and the physical space required for the files was also a challenge. Because our endowment has quadrupled in size in the last ten years, we knew we had to ensure that our staff had the capacity to manage all the work. 

Solution

Paper consumption has decreased by thousands of sheets per year since we began using the system in 2008. The software enables me to ensure all reviewers are seeing the same materials, all applicants have included all the necessary materials prior to the review, and follow up reports are filed in a timely fashion. As time goes on, we can see an applicant’s granting history at a glance, and ensure that all reporting is up-to-date prior to awarding new grants. We can review the applications together onscreen during decision meetings. The time saved on mechanical tasks, such as collating and photocopying, can now be put to more productive use.