Responding to Feedback
How We're Improving the Grant Application Process
Natalia Valenzuela Swanson | Senior Program Director
The Mary Black Foundation values the input of our community to inform our work. This happens at various points, including an annual grantee survey, which is sent to all grant applicants (funded and not funded) from the most recent cycle. This survey asks questions to better understand individuals’ experience through the grantmaking process, such as interactions with staff, clarity on expectations, time to complete the application, etc. It also seeks feedback on the Foundation more generally, such as communication through the website and our overall grantmaking approach.
Below are just a few themes that we gleaned from our most recent grant cycle applicant survey, as well as our response:
What we heard
Our website’s navigation could be improved, especially as it pertains to the grant application.
Our response
Overall, the website is a helpful communications tool for the Foundation. Continuing to improve navigation to our grant application is a priority. This past year, we added a step-by-step video that is on our website as an added visual aid that walks applicants through the application process.
What we heard
Our application takes more hours to complete than desired.
Our response
Over the last couple of years, the Foundation has used the Equitable Grantmaking Continuum to assess our practices, and one of the aspects we have sought to improve is the time it takes to complete grant applications. However, the feedback shows that we still have room to make additional changes. As we prepare for our next grant cycles, we will assess the questions and requirements that make up our application process.
What we heard
Our organizational partners have a variety of capacity-building needs.
Our response
We want to continue to support our partners in a variety of ways outside of traditional grantmaking. One of the ways we can do this is through accessible capacity-building opportunities. Stay tuned for more on this from the Spartanburg Joint Funders!
We look forward to continuing this dialogue and working together to create a more transparent, efficient, and supportive grant application process for all.
