Blueprints are a fundamental component of government processes and are central to delivering on the needs of the public, be that infrastructure or community building programs. A regranting blueprint serves a similar function. In this article, we dive into the value of creating your regranting blueprint and outline the first step in the process.
In the same way you would map out a new water main or plan to build a community center, a regranting blueprint lays out the configuration for the entire regranting process and helps grant makers to refine their understanding of each component of their workflow. It ensures that grant makers remain on track to meet key milestones while also maximizing efficiency.
Designing and following a regranting blueprint is an excellent way for grant administrators to achieve a heightened level of clarity on their goals while also ensuring accountability at every stage of the process. By working with a dedicated partner adept at collaborating with mission-driven organizations, such as WizeHive, grant administrators will define requirements, determine how to interact with applicants, maximize communication with various stakeholders, delineate the types of data to collect, and put each of these pieces into a blueprint that lays out how the entire workflow happens — and how to safeguard the process from obstacles.
In addition to benefiting administrators, blueprints also benefit grant subrecipients by keeping them accountable to the goals and requirements of the grantee and by providing them with a framework for success. When followed, this framework lays the foundation for continued beneficial relationships for the subrecipient, not only with the granting and regranting agencies, but also with the community in which the subrecipient is working.
To help you determine if it’s a good fit and where to begin, we’ve laid out the steps to designing a regranting blueprint:
Begin by taking inventory of the key players. Determine who the key stakeholders are and how they will be involved with the regranting process. Are the stakeholders decision makers? Are they subrecipients? Administrators? How will each of these various stakeholder groups work together? Determine who will engage with the applicants and the subrecipients, who will manage the day-to-day operations of the regranting program, and who will make decisions. Identify what types of information the stakeholders will need to gather and share to ensure compliance with the original funder as well as with you as the manager of the pass-through grant.
There’s an executive-level decision process here, in which an entire chain of decision makers, boards, and committees may need to be involved. So before jumping the shark, so to speak, it is important to understand who will play in this space, how they will interact, and what data points you will need them to provide to ensure success and compliance.
If it’s a new program, this step entails mapping the intersections between stakeholders and the ways in which they will interact. If it’s an existing program, the focus shifts to how stakeholders can be more efficient in their processes and how they can be better supported by software automation. This extends from collecting and managing data to enhancing program performance and achieving proof of compliance.
Next: Learn how to implement a regranting blueprint.
