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Showing posts from March, 2015

SmartSimple's 4th Annual Community Conference - How to Get There, Where to Stay

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April 15th is just a little over two weeks away! We're looking forward to seeing you at our Annual SmartSimple Community Conference. This year, the conference will take place at the Cathedral Centre, located at Church Street and Adelaide Street East, Toronto. The Cathedral Centre is located behind St. James Cathedral: Taking the Subway: The closest TTC station to Cathedral Centre is the King Street station on Line 1 (the Yonge-University Line), which is about a 5 minute walk to the centre. Take the exit and head east on King Street to Church Street. Again, please note the Cathedral Centre is located behind St. James Cathedral. Check out the TTC website for full information about Toronto's transit system. Driving: Parking is available at several locations near the event centre: Metered parking can be found along Church Street and Adelaide Street Target Park at 12 Widmer Street King George Square Parking on George Street Impark at 30 Adelaide Street E

Discover the Power of Collaboration – SmartSimple’s Community Conference

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Mark your calendars! The 4 th Annual SmartSimple Community Conference is taking place on April 15 th , from 9am to 5pm. We’re really excited about this year’s event. The Format We’ve planned an action-packed day of networking and learning, focusing on open discussion between our SmartSimple experts and you, our community experts. Not only will you have the opportunity to meet and chat with our senior managers, but you’ll have the chance to get to know the rest of the team – the movers and shakers who work hard every day to ensure you have best grants, research and claims management systems available. COO Mike Reid at the Chicago Community Conference in 2014. “We’ve changed the format of the conference in Toronto this year,” says Sarah Harris, Director of Client Support and Operations. “Based on the fantastic experience with our first Chicago Community Conference in 2014 and the success of our recent Dublin, Ireland conference, we’ve decided to alter the structure to m

SmartSimple at the Grants Managers Network (GMN) 10th Annual Conference

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March is a busy month for conferences, and while our team is currently in New York attending the 2015 Summit on Employee Engagement in Corporate Citizenship, hosted by Charities @ Work , we wanted to share our experiences from last week’s GMN Annual Conference. “I thought it was a great experience,” says Eric Lauer, Director, Client Care and Marketing, “There was a major focus this year on measurement, and how to achieve valuable, actionable feedback that can be used to encourage more donations.” Eric Lauer and Gary Modlin at the SmartSimple booth. As a first time attendee of the GMN, Eric was excited to share his experiences. “Attending this event gave me an opportunity to get feedback from both current and prospective clients,” he says. “I brought home new ideas and insights for improving our system and for future upgrade features. Face to face meetings at conferences are extremely valuable for interacting with clients who may not think to email or call us.” “Our tea

March 2015 Upgrade Features

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Happy (almost!) spring everyone, and welcome to our upgrades for March, 2015. We have some great new functionality this round, so let’s get right to it! New List View for Invoices We’ve extended the modern list view function, and it’s now available for invoices. This will be of particular interest to IMEs, as this enhancement to the invoicing area of the system now provides greater control options over their list views. Invoices can now be viewed in greater detail, offers improved tracking, and the ability to see what you want, when you want. Personal Filters on Personal List Views Now you have the ability to add your own personal filters to personal list views. This option provides greater flexibility and additional control over how you view your information. Simply go to System Views and click into the Personal Views option to set up your information how you’d prefer to see it displayed. You can also tie your personal list view to the search option for even greater perso

SmartSimple at the ACCP Conference

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The SmartSimple team had a great time at this year’s Association of Corporate Contribution Professionals (ACCP) Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Our Director of Strategic Accounts, Todd Lapin, and our Director of Customer Experience, Eric Lauer, represented us at this year’s event. The lobby of the Hilton Nashville Downtown “We both really enjoyed the entire experience,” says Todd, “The venue was spectacular and our booth was in the perfect spot to meet and greet attendees. Not only did we enjoy visiting with current clients, but we had some wonderful conversations with prospective clients as well.” Eric Lauer at the SmartSimple booth “This was my first time attending the ACCP and I have to say I’m glad I was there,” adds Eric. “In my new role as Director of Customer Experience, I appreciated the opportunity to speak with some of our clients live and in person. I also had the chance to really talk with members of the CSR community and gain a better understanding of

Lessons Learned – The Vendor, The Client and The Grants Management System

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The SmartSimple team is getting geared up for the Grants Managers Network (GMN) 10 th Annual Conference. This year’s event will run from March 16 th -18 th in National Harbor (just outside Washington, D.C.), and promises to be an exciting event. “This is one of the most important conferences of the year for the not-for-profit sector,” says Gary Modlin, Director of Business Development at SmartSimple. “Grants managers and vendors from across North America come together to dig deep into the issues, trends and concerns impacting philanthropy today.” More than 60 sessions are available for grants managers to take advantage of, ranging over topics in nine different learning tracks. Whether you’re new to the industry or a seasoned professional, there are sessions geared specifically to your needs and interests. Topics include Compliance, Skill Building and Technology. Also included are sessions sponsored by vendors attending the conference this year. SmartSimple, alon

Taking Corporate Philanthropy Beyond the Boardroom

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Corporate giving has evolved. The combination of financial and in-kind donations help create a solid base for a successful Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, but it’s the support of your community that is key for a successful, truly holistic giving initiative. Why CSR? Giving back to the community is a corner stone of the modern corporation, and corporate philanthropy is one way to say thank you. Even if your customers don’t live in your backyard, giving your neighbors a helping hand is always well regarded. Of course, there are economic and reputational benefits that amplify the impact of your efforts. Strategically and financially, your CSR program creates goodwill for your brand, increases loyalty and enhances recognition. Being known as a company that does “good work” makes clients feel they too are contributing to a valuable cause. But the days of simply picking a charity and writing a check are long gone. Today, the best CSR programs are innovative, imp