Introduction

The Nonprofit Grant (NPG) is a significant financial resource for nonprofit organizations to enhance their operations, including capital construction, vehicle acquisition, and healthcare assets. However, the grant application process can be a challenging experience for applicants, resulting in inefficiencies and missed opportunities. This case study focuses on the findings from a research project conducted by the CTDS UX Research Team to investigate the experiences of nonprofit organizations applying for NPGs and to identify pain points in the process. The goal of the research is to develop insights that can improve transparency and support for applicants.

Background

Over seven rounds of NPG applications, nonprofit organizations have faced issues related to a lack of transparency, unclear instructions, and difficulties in managing the application process. The research team conducted discovery research using remote, 1-on-1 interviews to gather information from 11 participants who had applied for or received a grant in the past five years.

Key Research Questions

The research focused on understanding the experiences of grant applicants at various stages:

• Pre-submission: How do organizations find out about grants, and how do they learn the application process?

• Submission: What steps do organizations take during the application process, and what challenges do they face?

• Post-submission: How do applicants manage their grants after receiving the award, and what could improve their experience?

Findings

1. Pre-submission Stage:

   • Transparency Issues: Many applicants learned about grants from third-party sources, such as trade associations, instead of directly from the government. This caused an additional burden of monitoring various platforms to stay informed.

   • Solution: A centralized platform providing timely notifications and clearer instructions for prospective applicants would be beneficial.

2. Submission Stage:

   • Word Count Limits: Some applicants struggled with expressing their ideas within the word limits set by the application, particularly when addressing complex questions about long-term impact and numerical data.

   • Clear Instructions: Many users, especially those new to grant writing, felt the instructions were unclear. Some participants suggested that clearer guidelines or webinars could help inexperienced applicants.

   • Problem with Grant Writing Experience: Writing a compelling grant requires statistical knowledge and business writing skills, which are often lacking in smaller organizations.

   • Solution: Providing comprehensive support materials such as webinars, FAQs, and sample applications could improve the submission experience.

3. Post-submission Stage:

   • Tracking Issues: There was no clear system to track the status of the grant applications after submission. Applicants expressed frustration with the lack of updates, leading to uncertainty about when to expect an award letter.

   • Solution: Implementing a tracking system that informs applicants of their application status in real-time would enhance communication and reduce anxiety.

Overarching Themes

• Lack of Resources: Applicants found it challenging to find answers to their questions or access adequate resources to guide them through the process. The research participants called for more comprehensive instructions, webinars, and documentation.

• Importance of Business Skills: Successful grant writing requires more than just a passion for the organization’s mission. Applicants need business acumen to quantify the expected long-term impact of the grant, which is often a challenge for smaller nonprofits without specialized staff.

• Application Tools and Errors: Some applicants encountered errors with tools such as budget spreadsheets, leading to incorrect funding amounts.

Recommendations

1. Enhance Transparency: The grant application process should be more transparent, with automatic notifications when applications open, and a single point of contact for inquiries.

2. Improve Resources: New applicants need access to educational resources such as webinars, workshops, and comprehensive documentation to navigate the grant application process more easily.

3. Flexible Word Count: Revisiting the word count limit and offering variable limits based on question complexity would allow applicants to provide better, more thoughtful answers.

4. Tracking System: Introducing a real-time application tracking system would alleviate uncertainty and reduce the need for applicants to reach out to government agencies for updates.

Conclusion

The findings of this research highlight the need for improvements in transparency, resource availability, and communication in the NPG application process. Addressing these pain points will help nonprofits apply for grants more efficiently and increase their chances of securing the funds they need to thrive.

This case study underscores the importance of user-centered design in simplifying complex processes like grant applications, ensuring that all types of nonprofits can compete for funding on an equal footing.