What we have learnt in the last two years
In the last two years we have seen an enormous increase in the public’s reliance on government support. Be it in response to natural disasters such as the bushfires, the public health crisis and economic turmoil surrounding COVID-19, or the most recent flooding events in Queensland and New South Wales. We have all learnt how essential it is for governments, and other giving organisations, to distribute grant funds quickly, particularly to the most vulnerable.
The sooner that funds are received, the sooner the recovery starts, and the sooner communities can return to normal. But it is also crucial that those distributing the funds can ensure that they are being spent appropriately. Furthermore, robust reporting ensures that funders better understand the needs of the communities they serve and how outcomes are achieved. By better understanding the communities they serve, funders can replicate and scale successful projects to ensure continuous impact – leaving them better prepared for future disaster scenarios.
But bringing funds to market fast whilst maintaining a close eye on how they are spent, requires a well-managed system with configurable reporting capabilities and milestone tracking. Enquire Fund Management and Impact Reporting Software is the system of choice for local, state, and federal governments, as well as non-profits, foundations, philanthropic organisations, and corporates, who need to deliver grant funds quickly to support those in need, while maintaining data integrity and good governance of programs.
How quickly can you create a funding round?
Enquire makes it easy to set up new funding rounds fast. It is possible to set up a funding round online and receive applications within days of funding approval in the case of emergency relief grants. This ensures funds can be sent out sooner, minimising the time it takes to build back.
With configurable application forms, funders can ask the necessary questions to understand the needs of their applicants. Furthermore, applicants can save and return to their applications, which is often critical during ongoing disaster situations. The status cards found within the Enquire Client Portal can be used to communicate any updates to the round directly to your applicants. This structured channel of communication provides peace of mind amidst the uncertainty of any crisis, speeding up the process while reducing the chance of errors and delays.
Assess and award grant applications faster
Assessment is typically the most complex, time consuming and labour intensive stage in grant management and is certainly the most daunting for applicants. Enquire’s assessment workflows and accessibility features make it easy for assessors to quickly review applications and track their progress. Enquire’s bulk functions further speed up this process, by enabling grant administrators to update the application status of many records simultaneously. The transparency and efficiency Enquire adds during the assessment process are key in getting funding out to the right places as quick as possible to maximise community support.
By accelerating the assessment stage, applicants receive outcome notifications swiftly. Enquire’s email notifications make this process efficient and personable, allowing teams to configure and select templates based on various application outcomes. Better still, Enquire’s Microsoft Office integrated document generation features make sending out contracts and offer letters fast and easy. This all adds up to reducing the wait time for your applicants, improving their experience, and ultimately their grant outcomes.
Distribute grant funds quickly without compromising oversight
All organisations distributing disaster relief and other urgent grant funds are concerned about the transparency and accountability of their programs.
Enquire has features built into the system that improve the transparency of the process for both applicants and management, including:
- image attachments for photographic evidence of damage claims
- the ability to contact applicants for further clarification without leaving the system
- potential conflict of interest registers for applicants and assessors
- payment management features that link project costs to payment milestones, so funds are delivered based on outcomes
- required questions and official declaration statements
These features allows teams to distribute grant funds quickly with greater certainty, while improving transparency by providing clear evidence to stakeholders on how funds are being spent. Furthermore, Enquire’s one click reporting features enable management teams to report on program outcomes quickly and easily. With configurable reporting indicators, that can be defined and aligned to your organisation’s goals, grant managers can report on the precise details of their programs, showing their full impact with ease. Reporting can also be drawn from across multiple grant rounds and programs to compare outcomes and identify high performance projects.
Do you need to distribute grant funds quickly?
Whether you’re responding to a natural disaster or need to distribute funds quickly based on emergent community needs, Enquire is the software solution of choice.
With a focus on speed, transparency, and communication throughout the project lifecycle, Enquire allows your grant program to be online within days, ready to receive and assess applications within short timeframes without compromising allocation of funds. Being purpose-built with easy-to-use reporting features, Enquire is an incredibly valuable tool in providing the community you serve with the most timely and efficient support possible.
Our implementation team is experienced in assisting organisations of various sizes in program development and deployment, from small foundations to multi-million-dollar government aid programs. We are excited to help you too.
See Enquire in action by exploring our product tours or contact us directly for a demo.
