About A Global Corporate Foundation

Client: A Global Corporate Foundation 
Industry: Private Foundation 
Key Stakeholders:  
Client Since: 2016 
Tools Used: SmartSimple Cloud 

Overview 

A Global Corporate Foundation, the philanthropic arm of one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, supports over 432 organizations worldwide. With a lean staff of just 10 people, they rely heavily on their global offices to manage and recommend funding opportunities, requiring a highly collaborative and efficient grants management system. 

Challenges 

From 2009 to 2020, the Foundation used CyberGrants to manage their giving programs. Over time, issues accumulated: 

  • High fixed user fees: The Foundation paid steep costs even though many users only accessed the system a few days per year. 
  • Unreliable support: A major system crash was left unresolved for an extended period, with minimal urgency from the vendor. 
  • Rigid platform: Their unique international workflows didn’t fit into the platform’s limitations. 

With 6,000 unsolicited applications annually and a global, multi-tiered approval process involving local offices, the Foundation needed a system that was more than off-the-shelf. They required configurability, reliability, and a vendor who could match their collaborative values. 

Solutions Implemented 

SmartSimple Cloud provided a fully customizable grants management platform, built to support the Foundation’s complex global workflows: 

  • Configurable approval workflows to accommodate multi-tiered funding processes across local and global offices 
  • Individualized user portals: Each stakeholder, from employee reviewers to local approvers, accesses a personalized interface showing only what’s relevant to them 
  • Integrated employee giving programs, global recommendations, and compliance tracking 

SmartSimple’s Technical Community Support team was another standout. Known for timely responses, hands-on configuration assistance, and extended hours, they offered continuous support across time zones. 

Impact & Outcomes 

By switching to SmartSimple Cloud, the Foundation realized: 

  • 70% annual savings on user fees through a flexible pricing structure and a community license for occasional users 
  • Improved collaboration with global offices through user-specific portals and clear role-based access 
  • Faster implementation and time to value thanks to hands-on support and a fully tailored system 
  • Enhanced grant tracking and reporting across 154 countries, streamlining the global funding process 

Client Testimonials 

“With SmartSimple Cloud, we knew we could build something that would meet everyone’s expectations. This was not going to be just a one-time relationship but a partnership that would build synergy for both organizations.” 
— A Global Corporate Foundation 

“The SmartSimple Cloud workflow is completely different from any other we’ve seen or used. We can decide on how it functions rather than needing to change our process to match the limitations of the system.” 
— A Global Corporate Foundation 

Key Takeaways 

With SmartSimple Cloud in place, the Foundation continues to evolve its grantmaking process with confidence: 

  • No compromises on workflows
  • A true partner in innovation 
  • A system designed to scale with their ambitions