KELL Partners Helps U.S. Soccer Foundation Score With More Efficient Grant Application Process
AUSTIN, TEXAS (May 15, 2012) – KELL Partners today announced the implementation of a new CRM system for the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the United States, to help the organization more effectively manage its Annual Grants program.
KELL Partners is an Austin, Texas-based consulting firm specializing in cloud-based technology solutions for nonprofits. The U.S. Soccer Foundation focuses on enhancing and growing the sport of soccer, as well as improving the well-being of children in underserved areas around the country. Since it was established in 1994, the Foundation has awarded more than $57 million in grants to support the programming and equipment needs of nonprofit groups that provide children with the opportunity to play soccer and live healthy lifestyles.
“Providing grants to other nonprofits around the country is a major part of what we do, and it had become increasingly important for us to have a technology solution in place that enabled us to achieve greater organization and efficiency in managing our grants program,” said Zach Riggle, Programs Assistant, U.S. Soccer Foundation. “KELL Partners helped guide the deployment of our CRM system and provided a way to integrate key components of our grant application process. As a result, we’ve reduced a tremendous amount of staff time and manual work that previously was required to keep the Foundation’s grants program successfully moving forward.”
KELL Partners worked with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to implement its Salesforce CRM solution, providing the Foundation with a cloud-based technology platform to better organize and manage the various stages of its grant application process. The organization’s form-building application, which collects information from grant applicants online, now integrates with and feeds application details directly into its Salesforce database. Instead of manually reviewing stacks of hard copy applications (the Foundation receives an estimated 600 grant applications each year), authorized staff members can easily log into the Foundation’s CRM system to screen and score applications online.
KELL Partners also developed a web portal for use in the final selection process by the Foundation’s Annual Grants Committee, which consists of five individuals in various parts of the country. In the past, Annual Grants Committee members would receive hard copies of applications by postal mail which they would manually review and mail back to the Foundation. Now, Annual Grants Committee members are able to conveniently log in from their home computers to review and score their assigned grant applications, and all online feedback is automatically collected and viewable by staff members through the Foundation’s CRM system.
Additionally, the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s new CRM system makes it possible for the organization to more effectively track the financial component involved with awarding grants. The Foundation can enter details related to financial support from its corporate partners directly into the system, enabling staff members to more effectively track the use and availability of grant funds throughout the grant application cycle.
“The U.S. Soccer Foundation provides a great example of the ways nonprofits can leverage cloud-based technology solutions to bring new levels of convenience and efficiency to their operations,” said Sandra Jensen, founder of KELL Partners. “Putting the right CRM system in place in the right way can provide nonprofit staffs with a better view of and easier access to the information they need to do their jobs and better fulfill their missions.”
About the U.S. Soccer Foundation
The U.S. Soccer Foundation is the Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the United States. Established in 1994, the U.S. Soccer Foundation has invested more than $57 million in all 50 states. The U.S. Soccer Foundation supports programs and field building projects that provide underserved youth, in urban communities, with opportunities that promote positive behavior, healthy lifestyles, self-confidence and positive alternatives to drugs, crime and other at-risk behaviors. www.ussoccerfoundation.org
About KELL Partners
KELL Partners specializes in consulting services focused on cloud-based technology solutions for nonprofits and higher education institutions. With services designed for organizations of all sizes, the company leverages its extensive technology expertise and deep experience serving the nonprofit and higher education sectors to ensure organizations receive maximum value from their technology investments. For more information, please visit www.kellpartners.com.
