Good Grants

Great platform

Pros:

Really easy to use compared to other software we've used previously, particularly setting up different forms on the fly. Support team is super responsive

Cons:

No real cons to speak of, there were a few terms that didn't make sense to make when setting up the account but the support team was quick to explain that

FANTASTIC PLATFORM!

Comments: Fabulous. Never had more than 24h waiting for a response to any needs.

Pros:

Quick responses to our queries, always accompanied by a video if the matter is 'tricky'. Platform is straightforward to use and highly user-friendly. All our stakeholders give compliment.

Cons:

I wish we could have separate 'seasons' within our program.

Alternatives Considered: GEMS Grant Easy Management Software

Reasons for Switching to Good Grants: Good Grants delivered a better and easy to use platform for a more competitive cost and with excellent customer service from the first meeting.

Content building confusing and not intuitive

Pros:

Applicants were able to apply without many issues; customer service generally helpful with quick responses

Cons:

Backend interface for building application forms is confusing with menus that are not intuitive. There are a lot of features that you can turn on and off but unless you're a computer programmer, you're probably not going to use them (and feel a bit lost in them, unless you're relying on the help guides...which are helpful but very wordy and time consuming to read). Features like PDF downloads for reviewers are great but not great when they don't work properly. Redacting information for a double blind becomes a manual process unless your applicant was very good about not embedding info into questions. Overall it is okay but it honestly feels like an overbuilt beta testing version more than a finished product, which further makes it feel overpriced for what you get (a fancy form builder). Maybe the experience is better below the base plan? Might look at other platforms for our next round of grants.

Alternatives Considered: SurveyMonkey

Reasons for Switching to Good Grants: Lowest price, seemed like an easier to use interface

Happy customer!

Comments: Super happy, easy to use great customer service. 10 out of 10 from my perspective. I would strongly recommend to anyone looking for a cost effective feature rich one.

Pros:

It was easy to use, much easier than I anticipated. It's made us more efficient

Cons:

Nothing in particular that stands out, I think any system takes a little while to get use to.

Everything I needed and more.

Comments: This was by far the most applicable (and easy to use) software for my needs. Experimenting with the Trial version enabled me to see if the tools I needed were included in the software. As it turned out, they were, and they were easy to use. We purchased the Intro version, and I created the application as we wanted and needed. If I needed help, I was assisted very quickly (or immediately if that is what I requested) and virtually all questions or issues were resolved clearly, thoroughly, and professionally. Working with the same people throughout the process made me feel comfortable, understood, and eliminated having to re-explain things to others. It still amazes me that so many options had already been thought of and implemented throughout the software. If I thought of something I wanted to do, the ability was nearly always there and easy to use.

Pros:

What I liked most about this software is that virtually all the tools and tips were in place so that I could easily create an application immediately. Using the trial version enabled me to try everything out so I knew in advance what all the capabilities were before purchasing the software. I still find it pretty amazing how so many things I wanted to do had already been thought of and put in place before I even started. In addition, running into snags (something not working properly) was nearly non-existent.

Cons:

I think the final application should have the actual submission date on the preview/PDF. I found the location "content blocks" confusing when using the list in the review mode. At times, it would have been good to pick up the phone and call someone for a quick question or something that was difficult to explain. However, every online request for assistance was addressed quickly and thoroughly.

Alternatives Considered: FormSwift, Jotform and SurveyMonkey

Reasons for Choosing Good Grants: Trying to get the application we wanted produced was never fully achieved and what was done did not always work correctly. We kept with them for 3 years and spent a larger sum of money. In addition, the applicants (and myself) found it tedious and not user-friendly.

Reasons for Switching to Good Grants: After our previous experiences, I knew I could create what we needed given the right tools. When I started the research, I quickly found that the other software companies offered only limited capabilities and were not worth what they were providing. (Of course they had more options but they would cost even more money.) Fortunately, I came across Good Grants before I'd searched very long. Based on an easy review, I found that what I needed to create the application myself was included, and ended up being even better than expected.

Efficient Grant Management

Comments: The Good Grants has made our grant management experience enjoyable.

Pros:

The Good Grants software has changed the way we manage our grant applications. Before starting to use the software, we used to have disorganized applications and found it hard to manage and assign applications to different reviewers. An interesting aspect of the software is its customizable ability and the multi-language option. As a multi-lingual organization, the software has provided as the option of not only promoting diversity by allowing users to use interact with our platform in their preferred language, but also do so in a seamless and efficient way. The Good Grants’ client success team has also been very instrumental in ensuring our implementation phase is smooth, with the team offering 24/7 support. I also like the fact that you can get help in almost everything by using their precise and straightforward guides.

Cons:

At first, I didn't like the fact that one of the languages that our partners use was not included as one of the language options. However, this was addressed by the Good Grants client success team since they offered to integrate the language to our platform.

Good Grants: an nice and easy grant platform (with really good customer support)

Comments: I would recommend Good Grants to anyone looking for a good and easily manageable grant platform. For multi-layered kinds of grants like ours, for example, with an application round and multiple review rounds, Good Grants has proven very suitable. What I also appreciate a lot is that any advice/request from us as a customer is heard and welcomed by the Good Grants team. They always try to improve the platform and ask us for input to find out if there is anything in particular we would like to see or use differently. The team is always available to answer questions and to help out with any difficulties or problems we encounter. All in all, we are very happy with our choice.

Pros:

Aidsfonds use a variety of the different features on the grants management platform, including the option for applicants to select their preferred language which comes in really handy for international use!

Cons:

What I *did* like te least, was that we couldn't build or modify the form straight away from the main page, but had to bild the form by creating single field ('questions') from a separate page. However, Good Grants created a new feature which now does allow us to build or modify our form directly on the main page; we can now work in a so-called 'what-you-see-is-what-you-get' manner!

A Lifesaver of a Product

Comments: Couldn't be more pleased with the product and I would highly recommend it. The initial cost may be high for a small non-profit but it pays for itself with time saved in managing a grants program efficiently.

Pros:

The software does everything we need to manage a small grants program for a price we can afford. As a non-profit, every penny counts so we made the decision to buy it very carefully. We have absolutely no regrets. It can be a little complicated to set up at first but with the excellent technical help and time becoming familiarized with the program, it got much easier. It has not only great for managing the applications, but because of the ease of the judging process, it has been easy to recruit and keep judges. All have commented on how pleasant the process was for them.

Cons:

Building a program with the software from the ground up can be a challenge when you first get started but the tutorials and help topics were excellent. It was nice to know if all else fails, I can message a tech for help. They always got back to me faster than expected and were always able to fix the problem.

Good tool that is constantly improving

Comments: Customer service has been top notch and responds to inquiries very rapidly and competently. They also did a good job with onboarding. The learning curve is a little steep as there are many dependent elements that all need to be set up properly. The excellent online documentation - that is publicly accessible, which gives a great impression of the tool's functions before getting into a sales pitch - helps, though.

Pros:

From an end-user perspective, this is an excellent tool that is easy to use, looks appealing and works well. We received good feedback from applicants, reviewers and program managers. There are a lot of options and ways to make it work for our programs.

Cons:

There are small things that are inconsistent and some functionalities are lacking but they can usually be worked around. They seem to be aware of them and also seem to be working on it. The number of elements that depend on each other and need to be set up correctly makes for a steep learning curve at the beginning. From a program manager perspective, the seasonality aspect and the myriad of options and menus pose a challenge and often require a substantial amount of setup.

Great System. Fantastic Support.

Comments: It's probably not the most complex grant program from a management point of view but Good Grants has served us very well!

Pros:

We looked to deploy a grant system with short notice and having the support of [SENSITIVE CONTENT] (AU) was outstanding. The system is easy to deploy and use and I am very happy with the choice we have made.

Cons:

The biggest issues I have encountered are little bugs as new functionality rolls outs are made - staff at Good grants have been great at having the engineers rectify these quickly.

Seamless Grant-Making Process

Pros:

The intuitive nature of this software system is incredibly helpful when implementing a grant cycle. Notifications and communication to other organizations can be scheduled and tracked. Application progress can be seen in real time on a customized dashboard. Different scoring criterias and ranking systems can be established for reviewers. Reviewers benefit from side-by-side reviewing (application questions/answers : rubric).

Cons:

I wish there was a better way to link RFA communication to the LOI stage to the full application stage.

Award Force / GG

Comments: Generally good, we love that we can make changes with the configuration mode.

Pros:

Functunality and growing uses, ability to customize.

Cons:

Being able to keep simultaneous rounds open.

Great product, great value!

Comments: Great time saving product

Pros:

Moving to Good Grants saved our staff and volunteers time and money.

Cons:

Some users were challenged by changing from a purely paper application to online, but since administrators can view applications live, we are able to help them easily as they get used to the product.