Centering Grantees: Rethinking the Reporting Process and Alternatives for Greater Impact

As someone who has worked with both funders and grantees, I have seen firsthand the challenges that grantee organizations face when it comes to reporting on their progress and outcomes. For many organizations, preparing and submitting reports can be a time-consuming and daunting task that takes away from the important work they are doing in their communities. And unfortunately, too often these reports end up being filed away by funders without being put to meaningful use.

But what if we could center grantees in the reporting process and provide them with alternatives that better serve their needs while still providing funders with the information they need to make informed decisions about where to allocate their resources?

One approach to achieving this is to involve grantees in the design of the reporting process. By soliciting feedback and input from grantees, funders can better understand what information is most important to them and how that information can be collected in a way that is less burdensome. This could include streamlining the reporting process, reducing the frequency of reports, or using alternative methods of data collection, such as surveys or focus groups.

Another approach is to provide grantees with greater flexibility in how they report their progress. This might include allowing grantees to use different formats or mediums to communicate their progress, such as videos or infographics, or allowing them to submit progress updates in real-time using social media or other digital tools. By giving grantees more control over how they report their progress, funders can better support their needs while still meeting their own reporting requirements.

Finally, funders should be more intentional about how they use the reports that grantees submit. Rather than simply filing away reports and using them to evaluate grantees, funders should use the information they receive to engage in meaningful conversations with grantees about their progress and to identify opportunities for additional support or collaboration. This might include providing feedback on grantees’ progress, identifying areas for improvement, or working with grantees to co-create solutions to the challenges they are facing.

There is a real opportunity to center grantees in the reporting process and provide them with reporting alternatives that better serve their needs while still meeting the needs of funders. By involving grantees in the design of the reporting process, providing them with greater flexibility in how they report their progress, and using the reports they submit to engage in meaningful conversations, we can build stronger partnerships between funders and grantees and ultimately achieve greater impact in our communities.

How can Submit.com help?

Submit.com is a powerful platform that can help funders and grantees streamline the reporting process, making it easier and more efficient for everyone involved. Here are a few ways that Submit.com can support the efforts to center grantees with reporting alternatives:

1. Customizable Forms and Templates: Submit.com allows organizations to create customizable forms and templates for grantees to use when reporting their progress. This means that organizations can tailor the reporting process to meet the specific needs of grantees and collect the information that is most important to them.
2. Real-Time Data Collection: Submit.com allows organizations to collect data in real-time, which means that grantees can provide progress updates as they happen. This eliminates the need for grantees to wait until the end of a reporting period to submit their progress reports, and it allows funders to stay up-to-date on the work that is being done in real-time.
3. Automated Workflows: Submit.com streamlines the reporting process by automating workflows and notifications. This means that grantees can be reminded when reports are due, and funders can be notified when reports have been submitted. This eliminates the need for manual follow-up and helps to ensure that everyone stays on track.
4. Robust Reporting and Analytics: Submit.com provides organizations with robust reporting and analytics tools that can help them make sense of the data they collect. This means that funders can quickly and easily analyze the progress reports submitted by grantees, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions about where to allocate their resources.

Submit.com can be a valuable tool for organizations looking to center grantees in the reporting process and provide them with reporting alternatives. By streamlining the reporting process, automating workflows, and providing robust reporting and analytics tools, Submit.com can help organizations build stronger partnerships with grantees and ultimately achieve greater impact in our communities.

Contact us today to find out how.