The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research
Streamlining the grant management life cycle
0
x
As a young nonprofit that has awarded $260 million in grants to cancer investigators at more than 115 academic institutions across 16 countries, The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research needed sophisticated technology to manage its grants, support its growth and uphold its critical mission.
.jpg?rev=23c7da3311674b63ab594a22a96cb1c4&hash=17A774DFBF8524E9073CD37CECAD2BBA)
.jpg?rev=071ea7aa44ad4db5bd97356a14d83978)
The Challenge
The Mark Foundation, which manages the full grant life cycle for cancer researchers (from letter of intent to post-award administration), started expanding exponentially around 2020. Piecing together historical info and critical data from various spreadsheets was time-consuming, and it made reporting and onboarding new staff unnecessarily complex. The foundation wanted a scalable, user-friendly platform to help it stay organized and effective as it grew. After talking with various firms, The Mark Foundation chose Wipfli based on the firm’s holistic strategy and insightful questions that helped form their vision of the grant management system.
The Solution
Wipfli conducted a detailed design assessment, which included reviewing the foundation’s spreadsheets and data, and created a strategic road map. Microsoft Dynamics 365 was selected as the optimal platform for its current and future needs. The development team incorporated reports and payment schedules, affiliated organizations, contacts, investments, project impacts and more and continuously customized the tool based on weekly status meetings with The Mark Foundation. The system continues to rapidly grow and evolve. Recent enhancements include events management and annual budget and donation tracking, as well as additional granularity within the grant records.
It takes creativity to come up with the best solutions for our needs. When I present a need or an idea to Wipfli, they ask the right questions to formulate the right features and integrate them quickly. The team always delivers.
.jpg?rev=634f2d65593e431dbd9a4979a7bfbc69)
The results
The Mark Foundation now has a centralized grant management platform with an extensive matrix of data that enables real-time tracking and analysis of funding allocations, research progress and financial commitments. The interwoven structure helps ensure all stakeholders can access relevant data, fostering informed decision-making and strategic planning. This level of interconnectivity strengthens their ability to monitor the impact of funded projects, assess the effectiveness of our funding strategies and optimize resource distribution. By streamlining grant administration and financial oversight, The Mark Foundation saves valuable time and maintains smooth operations, allowing the team to focus on the mission-accelerating research that will transform the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
