Getting Practical: Automation in Philanthropy

As part of our Theory of Change, GrantBook is dedicated to working with like-minded organizations with whom together, we can help improve the flow of funds and opportunities in philanthropy. With the recent launch of their new product, SurveyMonkey Apply, SurveyMonkey invited us to co-host a webinar on integrating best-in-class tools to complete work. Connecting multiple tools work together seamlessly allows folks to use the tools they like or want and prevents product developers from over-building to try to meet all needs, but potentially under-serving across the board - jack of all trades, master of none.

This is an example of how to get practical with our musings on automation and the future of work in philanthropy. We based these examples on very common activities in grant-making: needing to share lists of applicants and successful Grantees, e-mailing Grantees and organizing meetings with multiple parties involved (e.g. contractors, content providers, vendors). By integrating together tools like SurveyMonkey Apply, Salesforce, Google Sheets, GMail and Eventbrite we can start to see the potential of these principles in helping us increase our capacities to engage, analyze and iterate.

You can see the webinar here:

Supercharge Your Software - Survey Monkey Apply
James Law's headshot

James Law

Director, Design & Foresight

Director, Design & Foresight

James Law has worked for 10 years in the social finance and social sectors, designing, exploring, and implementing technologies to help organizations activate mission and achieve impact.

He began working in lean non-profits, employing databases and constituent relationship management tools (CRM) to help track and aggregate data for land conservation and environmental protection. Moving into social finance, he managed the development of an application to administer community bonds and equity.

Moving to Grantbook in 2015, James dove head first into helping foundations—of all types—align on digital values, explore technology options, and select the best path forward. From there, he continued to explore solutions architecture and integrations, connecting best-in-class tools to meet the ideal needs of grantmakers, grantees, and all stakeholders. 

More recently James is investing in Grantbook’s use of service design tools—from personas to service blueprints—to increase resilience and reduce the risk of technology planning and adoption via human-centred thinking. He also helps rally and co-ordinate Grantbook’s new ideas and opportunities as philanthropy and technology change.