About SickKids Foundation

Client: SickKids Foundation 
Industry: Health Foundation 
Key Stakeholders: Pam Gilliland (Granting and Hospital Relations Manager) 
Client Since: 2017 
Tools Used: SmartSimple Cloud 

Overview 

The SickKids Foundation, Canada’s largest charitable funder of child health research, learning, and care, faced an outdated and inefficient grants management system that hindered their ability to operate smoothly and track meaningful impact. With hundreds of applications flooding in every grant cycle and a small team to process them, their old paper-based, PDF-heavy process was no longer sustainable. After transitioning to SmartSimple Cloud for Research Grants Management, the Foundation was able to streamline operations, eliminate manual data entry, and gain a robust system for tracking grantee activity and community impact. 

Challenges 

The National Grants Team at SickKids was overwhelmed by a manual, time-consuming process: 

  • Proposals submitted as PDFs, requiring volunteers to manually enter data 
  • Disjointed modules and high maintenance fees from their previous system 
  • Lack of real-time visibility into application status and deadlines 
  • Limited reporting capability, preventing in-depth impact assessment 

Their outdated system obstructed insight and scalability at a time when the Foundation was managing up to 100 applications per cycle from researchers across Canada. 

Solutions Implemented 

SickKids Foundation needed a cost-effective, intuitive, and powerful grants platform, one that didn’t require advanced technical skills but could scale with their vision. They chose SmartSimple Cloud for its: 

  • Straightforward and transparent pricing
  • User-friendly interface for both admins and applicants 
  • Advanced reporting and tracking features 
  • Strong implementation and ongoing support 

Working closely with SmartSimple’s implementation team, the Foundation was able to reimagine their entire workflow, from intake and peer review, to reporting and storytelling. 

Impact & Outcomes 

  • Administrative Efficiency and Error Reduction 
    • Gone are the days of manual entry. The platform handles all incoming applications in a streamlined digital workflow. 
  • Proactive Peer Review Preparation 
    • With early visibility into submitted applications, staff can now assign reviewers based on expertise weeks in advance, a major departure from their previous last-minute scramble. 
  • Deeper Reporting and Impact Tracking 
    • SmartSimple Cloud enables the team to generate robust impact reports and track their researchers’ progress in real-time. This has allowed for the creation of grantee profiles and web content, amplifying the visibility of their work and its effect on child health outcomes. 
  • Responsive Support and Scalability 
    • Despite being a small team with limited tech background, the SickKids Foundation successfully transitioned to a fully digital grants process, thanks to SmartSimple’s hands-on support. 

Client Testimonials 

“I love that SmartSimple is an innovative company. The senior management is very in tune with the clients, and it doesn’t feel like all sales, all the time.” 
— Pam Gilliland, Granting and Hospital Relations Manager 

“The support has been great, and they’re helping us all the time to make it better. It’s been very manageable, even without going through our own IT department.” 
— Pam Gilliland, Granting and Hospital Relations Manager 

Key Takeaways 

With SmartSimple Cloud for Research Grants Management, the SickKids Foundation has modernized its operations and expanded its capacity to focus on what matters most, supporting researchers and improving children’s health across Canada. From eliminating data entry to elevating grantee storytelling, the platform has transformed their workflow and sharpened their impact lens.