Respond to applicants quickly
Why it’s important to us
We know that the time between submitting an application and getting an answer from us is stressful for applicants, and it puts them in an unproductive holding pattern as they wait. We also balance that desire for responsiveness with the need to give thoughtful consideration to each application.
How we’re doing
While this is important across all our programs, we are using an indicator for Community Innovation grants because it is a rolling program and so each applicant is on a unique-to-them review timeline. For these applicants, 69% receive initial responses from us within 6 weeks.
While it’s hard to say no to the many amazing ideas shared with us, we want to do that quickly if it’s clear that a proposal doesn’t align with our program criteria.
We also want to let applicants know whether they are moving forward in our process as soon as we know. That’s why we’re keeping track of how quickly we respond in the initial application phase. Of course, we want to make sure we are using applicant and staff time well throughout the entire selection process.
What’s next
We are continuing to improve how we make processes more transparent and how we stay in touch with applicants throughout them. This includes reviewing applications as soon as we can after they’re received and proactively sharing whether they have been declined or are advancing through to the next stage in our selection process.