Designing a grant program for Boys & Girls Clubs across Massachusetts
Our name, Back of the Napkin Consulting, represents the creative energy that comes from moments where people and plans click, and this grant program project Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs was no exception.
The opportunity
The Alliance received funding from the state department to run its own grant program.
Back of the Napkin Consulting came on board to conceptualize and implement a grant program from application to evaluation.
The goals
When designing the program, we sought to:
Create a low barrier to entry for application accessibility.
Ensure ease of implementation for the B&G Massachusetts team members.
Provide the tools to simplify complex data in a way that makes sense.
Use the program as an opportunity to strengthen connections between grantees.
The work
Together with the Alliance, we determined:
What the grant application system looked like, including data collection
How the grant applications would be scored
How the application team could adhere to rigorous protocols while creating minimal interference with people participating in the grant
What process would be followed to report updates to the state and federal government
The result
The grant program was a success from all sides.
The application's front end received rave reviews, and the application process was streamlined without compromising on integral data.
For grantees, we developed communities of practice where individuals working on similar projects could meet, share, and network. This communal gathering doubled as assessment time (to replace emails, phone calls, and site visits) while fostering connections with others in the same state.
For internal team members, our processes, tools, and systems helped make the data actionable and easy to understand.
We love when ideas, people, data, and opportunity collide!