New Grantee Experience - Grant Applications/Requirements

Cheryl Dabat

Has anyone heard when they will offer training on the new grantee applications/requirements? I signed up for training in which I though it was the new software to find it was the old. I would love some official training on this new product. There is also no training at bbcon on the pre-conference workshop day. Why are BBGM clients not represented!! I'm a little frustrated on this release of software which we have to migrate to by August 2025.

Carrie Watkins

@Cheryl Dabat Hi Cheryl! Glad that you will be able to join us at bbcon. There are two sessions dedicated to the new applicant experience, as well as a tour with BBU instructor Chrissy Haskell. And you are welcome to stop by the Blackbaud Grantmaking booth to get a one-on-one demonstration.

For those not able to make it to bbcon, there is an eLearning available through BBU:

Here are the bbcon sessions if you want to add them to your agenda:
Tuesday 9/24/24 2:30PM Mastering the Latest Updates to Online Applications in Blackbaud Grantmaking: Tips from the Experts (Chrissy and Henry)

Blackbaud University Instructors, Henry and Chrissy, will guide attendees through the advancements made to the Blackbaud Grantmaking Online Application tool in 2024. The session will begin with highlighting the stand-out new features that will excite users, including conditional logic, basic e-signature, and language translation. Henry and Chrissy will demonstrate building an applicant-friendly form that highlights their expert tips and share suggestions to keep online application management processes organized. The session will end with an opportunity for attendees to ask their questions surrounding Online Applications.

Wednesday 9/25/24 10:10AM Boost Efficiency with Conditional Logic in Blackbaud Grantmaking (Ryan and Nick)

Uncover the secrets of conditional logic and unleash its full potential to revolutionize your application processes.

• Unravel the Mysteries: Learn how conditional logic weaves its magic, making your forms smarter and more responsive.
• Master the Craft: Harness the power of conditional logic to create dynamic forms that adapt to applicants' responses in real time.
• Strategic Considerations: Gain insights into the strategic implications of conditional logic and how to use it effectively.
• Optimization Secrets: Explore ways to streamline and consolidate your application forms, reducing complexity and enhancing user experience.

Join us on this adventure to elevate your grantmaking experience and empower your organization with the tools for success!

Thursday 9/26/24 10AM Tour the Grantee Experience with the new Blackbaud Grantmaking 2024 advancements(Chrissy)

Advancements were made in 2024 to the Online Application tool for both Blackbaud Grantmaking users and their applicants. In this demonstration we will spend time going through the applicant's perspective of the new feature. In the demonstration we will look at how an applicant will locate an application form, complete a form, navigate the applicant portal, and understand the types of communications they may receive after submitting a grant application. Join the demonstration to learn about the enhancements and learn tips to create a seamless experience for your applicants!

Janene Hickerson

@Cheryl Dabat I have taken the webinar linked below and read the Migrating Existing Online Forms to the New Forms Manager - but I still have lots of questions. My deadline is October 1. Pushing this out without set classes is very frustrating. I have most of my application converted to the new application but still lots of questions.

This link has information to get started but will not answer all your questions.

Kate Turk

@Carrie Watkins
Will there be any videos for virtual attendees at bbcon to watch regarding the new grantee experience?

Carrie Watkins

Hi @Kate Turk! We haven't finalized which sessions will be available for the virtual audience, but I have confirmed that the session, “Mastering the Latest Updates to Online Applications in Blackbaud Grantmaking: Tips from the Experts” is expected to be recorded. We should have the full list of sessions available for virtual attendees in the next week or two.

Ashleigh Allessio

@Kate Turk will there be opportunities for those not attending bbcon virtually to gain access to these sessions?

Beth Broomall

@Cheryl Dabat me too! I'm following along. Will you be attending bbcon?

Cheryl Dabat

@Beth Broomall Yes, I will be attending. Would love to have a BBGM meet up with other users.

Chrissy Haskell

@Janene Hickerson
Hi Janene, would you like to share the questions you have? I wonder if I can help clear things up. I am a Blackbaud University instructor for BBGM and have also been exploring the new application features.

Janene Hickerson

@Chrissy Haskell I have lots of questions. But I will start with I have a draft of an application. There are lots of issues that I need to address. However, my first goal was to submit an application, consider the application and then see if I could add the information to my dashboard with a filter. I can't get past the “Consider application phase”. I'm getting errors. Error Considering Grant Application.docx

It will not allow me to Republish the application. The first time I got an error code it mentioned the MiddleName and EmailAddress. I thought well maybe I will delete the fields from the Organization and Request Contact Lists but it is not returning my application.

I am finding the “Consider Application” stage very complicated. Nothing like the old system.

Also - how do I unpublish an application so that I can make changes?

There is definitely not enough information in webinars or training to get to the next step.

Janene Hickerson

@Cheryl Dabat https://community.blackbaud.com/forums/viewtopic/307/69249?post_id=274567&utm_campaign=website&utm_medium=email&utm_source=community.blackbaud.com#p274567

This is all I have found on their website. The video is helpful but nowhere near close enough to get the job done.

Jason Kelliher

@Janene Hickerson
There is no need to unpublish forms in order to make edits, If you edit any form that is published and save; you will have two options - update the current version, this will push out edits to the published form, or create a new revision of the form. Publishing forms allows you to connect them to a program workflow. There is no longer a connotation of Active/Inactive as the Program cycles control the ability to start a new application.

For the error when considering, I would recommend that you report this to Blackbaud Support so that they can investigate for you.

Janene Hickerson

@Jason Kelliher Thank you!

Beth Broomall

@Cheryl Dabat Lety's plan on it.

Christine Harris

@Cheryl Dabat I completely agree, and I keep checking back to see if they've added a live training module yet, but I don't see one. Blackbaud really needs an instructor-led training course on this new application system. The e-learning module is a 30,000 foot view, but we need someone we can direct questions to as they pertain to our specific grantmaking processes. I too have so many questions, especially about workflow set-up. Also, all of us admins need to be able to interact with the new applications and workflow set-up on a training system first, rather than our own live system.

Paula Lentoni

@Cheryl Dabat - I feel so lost. I would love to see something we could put on our calendars- a 60-90 min. weekly session implemented for 4-6 weeks that takes you through the whole process. Each session would review the pieces of this new system- The application, the Program, Workflow, etc. If we could provide questions ahead of time, then they could work them into the session. Oh, and record it too, please! Does this seem like an unreasonable request?

Kate Turk

@Christine Harris
I was in a customer success session last week and they said that there will me new live instructor instruction course after the start of the year. I feel that it should have been available before then, but am glad to see them add instruction.

Christine Harris

@Kate Turk Good to know, although I agree that it's too late. Training in 2025 doesn't help my timeline since I need to roll out these new applications by January 1st. We do almost all of our grantmaking in the first 6 months of the year, and I need a system in good working order for that entire period. I guess I'll need to look into trying to get some one-on-one support.

Monica Jordan

@Christine Harris I'm with you - our next Call for Applications opens Dec 11 so I'm working hard to figure out the process and test the process! Have you had any “a-ha!” moments?

Christine Harris

@Monica Jordan No “Ah-ha” moments to speak of yet. Lots of question marks and head scratching moments though. I had to set it aside about a month ago to attend to some other work, but I'll probably pick it up again next week. I'll try to keep you posted if I figure out anything that might be helpful.

Michael Kennedy

Hi all - I just found out that Blackbaud is hosting Connect for Success sessions on the new Applicant Portal THIS WEEK - Wednesday the 23rd at 9:30 CDT and Thursday the 24th at 1:30 CDT. I'm planning on attending one of the sessions.

It may be helpful to raise some of these questions/issues/concerns with the Blackbaud Team, as it appears most of us admins are in the same boat. Our organization has held off on developing new applications - it would be helpful to have representation from those that are further along and can highlight the pain points. We'll see if any insights or updates come out of the sessions!

Monica Jordan

@Michael Kennedy Thank you so much for sharing!! Can you share the reg link?

Michael Kennedy

@Monica Jordan - Meant to link it, thank you for asking! There also appears to be two additional Grantmaking Sessions on Oct 30th 9:30 CDT and Oct 31st at 1:30 CDT.

Monica Jordan

@Michael Kennedy thanks so much! First for noticing the training is available and second for sharing with all of us! Gold star for you! ?

Christine Harris

@Michael Kennedy Thank you for this! I'm not even sure how to find this page without the link. I thought I had been all over the Blackbaud support and community pages. It was so helpful for you to share this info.

Nicole Ragno

@Paula Lentoni Hey Paula! I wanted to let you know that we hear you and we have something exactly like this planned. These sessions will be “Office Hour” style where a topic will be focused on and then there will be ample time for Q&A to discuss everyone's unique workflow questions. Please stay tuned for more information! Happy to take your feedback on topics you would like to see covered.

CC @Cheryl Dabat

Christine Harris

@Nicole Ragno Thank you! I hope these “office hour” sessions can get started soon for those of us who need to migrate to the new system in the next few months (by January 1st for me) so that we aren't changing up the whole application process mid-cycle.

Topics that I still have questions about after going through the on-demand training, reviewing available resources, and working in the new system:

1. How do we handle fiscal sponsors in the new application forms? We do not want the fiscal sponsor organization name to be the grantee organization name. Parent organization and/or affiliate contacts were used in the old form, but some fields aren't available in the new form.
2. Contact tables
3. Form Emails - How do I customize?
4. Program Set-Up - Trying to figure out the most efficient/simple set-up with our grantmaking process
5. How do organizations get assigned to a program?
6. Our applications are invitation only. How do I send an invitation?
7. What does the new “workflow” look like from the applicant portal?
8. How can I test my applications and workflow before making everything live?
   

Paula Lentoni

@Nicole Ragno- Excellent news! Please provide the times ASAP so we can block time on our busy calendars.