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Interviewer: Could you provide us with an overview of The Atwood Foundation, its mission, and the types of grants you typically manage?
Atwood Foundation: Certainly. The Atwood Foundation is a family foundation founded in 1962 by Bob and Angela Atwood, who were deeply involved in the publishing and creative arts in the Anchorage community. The foundation was established to continue their legacy. Our mission revolves around supporting arts, journalism, and history research projects in the Anchorage community. We currently disburse approximately $2 million annually in grants and have an endowment of $50 million. The foundation is now led by father Ira and daughter Sara, and we take immense satisfaction in the work we do, witnessing the impact it has on the community.
Interviewer: What specific challenges or pain points were you experiencing in managing grants before implementing Temelio's software?
Atwood Foundation: Over the past few years, our grant load has doubled, going from 40 to over 80 grants annually. The challenge was amplified by our slim team because administering the volume of grants took a lot of time and detracted from the time we had to get to know the organizations we funded. Prior to Temelio, we were tracking grants through spreadsheets, desktop drives, and physical file folders. The historical reviews of grants were decentralized and, frankly, tedious.
Interviewer: How did you discover Temelio's grants management software, and what criteria or considerations were important in your decision to choose this software?
Atwood Foundation: What really stood out for us was Temelio's mission, where they mentioned serving small to medium-sized family foundations. That was essential for us. Additionally, other platforms typically required significant IT support, which wasn't feasible for our lean Atwood Foundation team. We also appreciate the consistent, fast responses and that Temelio does exactly what they promise.
Interviewer: Can you describe the process of implementing Temelio's grants management software within your foundation? Were there any unique integration requirements or challenges during implementation?
Atwood Foundation:Temelio made the implementation process as smooth as possible for us. We initiated discussions in December, and despite tight timelines, we managed to have our system up and running by the 1st of April. It was crucial for us that the system be easy for our grantees to use, and we were impressed with how quickly that goal was accomplished.
Interviewer: How do you use Temelio's grants management software in your daily operations, and which features have proven to be the most beneficial for managing grants effectively?
Atwood Foundation: Temelio has been incredibly useful in the grant review process. Before, we had to move between a blank Word template and numerous documents to review grants. The beauty of Temelio is that you can work in one window for grant reviews and grant templates, with all the grantee information conveniently accessible. This has reduced grant review time from 2 hours to just 30 minutes. Additionally, the dashboard provides an immediate snapshot of the organizations we fund. The data dashboard visuals have proven invaluable for discussions with board members who prefer a high-level view of our grantmaking activities.
Interviewer: How has your experience been with Temelio's customer support and service? What has your experience been like when you provide feedback to their team in terms of adaptability and responsiveness?
Atwood Foundation: The support from Temelio has been exceptional. Response times have been impressively quick, and the fact that we're dealing with real people rather than bots is refreshing. Regular meetings to review questions and issues in real-time have been invaluable. We've felt very supported by the Temelio team, and our feedback has been incorporated promptly.
Interviewer: Were there any unexpected challenges or lessons learned during your use of Temelio's grants management software? What advice would you offer to other foundations considering this software?
Atwood Foundation: One of the most pleasant surprises for us was how smoothly the onboarding process was. Transitioning from our manual system to Temelio was a breeze and happened incredibly fast. For other foundations considering this software, we'd advise them to be prepared for a seamless onboarding experience and a significant improvement in efficiency. Look for user-friendly features, responsive customer support, and the power of data visualization in grant management.
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