The SmartSimple Blog

The research you fund is only as good as the outcomes it generates. Funders have to make the process of reporting easy for researchers so they can give you the metrics you need while not sacrificing their important research time. Tracking and measuring the impact of funding can leave researchers and funders alike misaligned and out of sync, which in turn, leaves everyone isolated and in the dark. Even when there are outcomes to be tracked, gathering the data and efficiently reporting it is a different story. Based on a global  2016 survey , 36% of researchers felt they would benefit from improved systems for tracking impact. Quality data reporting, in turn, dramatically influences the confidence of their funders, i.e., you. Here are three ways you can simplify your impact reporting process Separate your key metrics into easy to access activity categories When reporting metrics and outcomes, there’s a delicate balance between what the researcher has to do and what...

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence are rapidly enhancing how we work, but what does this mean for the granting world? Below are 3 different examples of how it applies. Machine Learning might sound like a concept you'd read in a sci-fi novel taking place in the distant future, but it's something very present in our daily lives. And you've definitely interacted with some form of it, probably even today. From your Recommended movie section on Netflix, to self-driving cars, Machine Learning is quickly becoming a tool that enables projects and businesses make more effective and impactful decisions in their processes and strategies in effort to connect with their audiences in the most appropriate way. When it comes to the granting world, Machine Learning can create a major shift in the landscape as we know it. Machine Learning can enable any grants foundation to look at their past giving to assist in achieving better giving outcomes in the future. Learn about ...

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is fast approaching and officially enacted on May 25, 2018, in Europe, and it will have a critical impact on organizations around the globe which can even include bankruptcy. GDPR is a European Union legislation that is designed to protect the fundamental rights of citizens and their personal data. This law ensures not only that people know where their private data is kept, but keeps organisations accountable and transparent with their practices. This new regulation not only shifts the standards for how organizations store data, it changes how they relate with data in general. At SmartSimple, we want to help you not only be informed about GDPR, but be confidently compliant with it so that your organization is ready and safe from heavy consequences. This is why we’ve broken down the different elements into our S.I.M.P.L.E model and providing real, practical strategies to comply with the upcoming regulation. Read on and be ready. W...

At this point, you’ve probably heard the widespread chatter about the upcoming impact of GDPR, and for good reason. While this new regulation has been enacted by the EU, it will affect how organizations engage with data on a global level. GDPR is a looming presence in large part because of the prohibitive fines for non-compliance (see below). With only a few weeks before it takes effect, many organizations are left trying to understand the legislation, its scope, and how to prepare for it. We want to help you not only understand the nuances of the GDPR legislation but be confidently compliant with it. This is why we’ve broken down the different elements of the new law in our latest GDPR Workbook. The guide is structured around a set of self-assessment questions designed to help you evaluate your preparedness for compliance with the law.  DOWNLOAD OUR GDPR SELF-ASSESSMENT WORKBOOK To get you started, here are 10 important things you need to know about GDPR 1. Wha...

Real technical support from a real human, at any hour. We’re launching round-the-clock technical support 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. From Sunday at 4pm Eastern Time to Friday 9pm Eastern Time, our clients will have access to live support. GMT: 9 pm Sunday to 2 am Saturday EST: 4 pm Sunday to 9 pm Friday PST: 1 pm Sunday to 6 pm Friday AEST: 8 am Monday to 1 pm Saturday “When you have to burn the midnight oil to get your job done it’s important to know you won’t have to wait till the morning to get answers. You can call us up and talk to a real human being any time of the week, day or night”.   — Mike Reid, Co-Founder of SmartSimple We take support seriously, which is why we’re pioneering this model as the first in our industry. We’re in the empowerment business, and as such, it’s part of our responsibility to help our clients to get the most out of the SmartSimple platform every step of the way. We at SmartSimple take pride in our delivery of excellent service ...

For this month’s upgrade, we focused on making system configuration more efficient, more streamlined and more intuitive to make it easier for you to apply changes. Below is a summary of these exciting updates.  Watch the video below to review the highlights from the February Upgrade.

Photo courtesy of Loic Djim Round the clock technical support starting on March 4 As we’ve grown our international footprint with clients to support across every continent on the planet, we know that time doesn’t stop when we go to sleep. That’s why we’ve ramped up our technical support to assist our clients with any technical needs they have, at any hour. Beginning March 4, we’re launching round-the-clock technical support 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.  O ur clients will have access to live support during the following hours: GMT: 9 pm Sunday  to 2  am Saturday EST: 4 pm Sunday to 9 pm Friday PST: 1 pm Sunday to 6 pm Friday AEST: 8 am Monday to 1  pm Saturday  “When you have to burn the midnight oil to get your job done it’s important to know you won’t have to wait till the morning to get answers. You can call us up and talk to a real human being any time of the week, day or night”.   — Mike Reid, Co-Founder of Sm...

Photo courtesy of Raw Pixel Introducing: SmartSimple Business Strategy Service Get your answers and solutions faster We want to make sure you’re maximizing the powerful functionality of your SmartSimple software, which is why we’re launching our complimentary SmartSimple Business Strategy services — for those times you have questions that require more than just technical troubleshooting. Thinking of adding a component to your platform that sends out automatic notifications alerting and updating your grantees where they are in the grant application process? Want to impress your boss by improving your foundation’s impact reports at your next presentation? We can help you every step of the way. Think of this like our white glove concierge service to your platform’s needs. We’ll help you get the resources you need to make sure your platform is future-proof and scalable to your new technological advancements. “The SmartSimple Business Strategy service is like an operator of sort...

Welcome to another year with SmartSimple! In this year's kick-off newsletter, we would like to start with some words from our co-founders Mike Reid and Keith Yau. Their message will provide you with a snapshot of our achievements in 2017 and how we will be positioning our development efforts this year. Also, we will be sharing some results from the recent Community Engagement Survey and our brand new approach to delivering webinars. A Message from Mike and Keith Mike Reid, COO Happy New Year, SmartSimple Community! Every new year brings a renewed sense of hope and optimism. At SmartSimple, our optimism is driven by our theme for the year: Future-Proof . So why future-proof? In 2017, our strategic theme was Efficiency. With efficiency in mind in everything we do, we have achieved the following: Keith Yau, CTO 192% user growt h - Over 115,000 individual users/month as of December 2017 vs 60,000 individual users/month in 2016 New global mar...