SmartSimple Review: Features, Pricing, and Grant Management Alternatives

SmartSimple is a configurable grant management and relationship management platform built for foundations, government agencies, research funders, corporate giving teams, and other organizations that manage complex application, review, award, and reporting workflows. This review looks at SmartSimple’s features, pricing approach, strengths, limitations, and alternatives for teams comparing grant management software.

TLDR: SmartSimple is best suited for mid-sized to large grantmakers that need highly customizable workflows, multi-stage reviews, complex reporting, and integrations. Pricing is typically quote-based, so a foundation processing 800 applications per year may pay differently than an agency managing 20,000 applicants across multiple programs. For example, a grant team that reduces manual eligibility checks by 40% through automated workflows could justify the platform’s cost if it handles high application volume. Smaller nonprofits with simple grant cycles may find lighter alternatives easier and faster to adopt.

What Is SmartSimple?

SmartSimple is a cloud-based platform used to manage grants, applications, awards, reviewers, contacts, compliance tasks, and impact reporting. It is often referred to as SmartSimple Cloud and is known for its flexibility rather than being a rigid, one-size-fits-all grants tool.

The platform can support the full grant lifecycle, including:

• Application intake through online forms and portals
• Eligibility screening and automated routing
• Peer review and scoring with configurable criteria
• Award management, budgets, payments, and milestones
• Post-award reporting and grantee progress tracking
• Dashboards and analytics for internal teams and executives

Because SmartSimple can be adapted to different funding models, it is commonly used by community foundations, private foundations, research institutions, government programs, and corporate social responsibility teams.

Key SmartSimple Features

1. Configurable Grant Workflows

SmartSimple’s strongest feature is its workflow customization. Organizations can create different workflows for scholarships, research grants, emergency funding, capital projects, sponsorships, and other programs. Each workflow can include its own forms, approval steps, review stages, permissions, notifications, and reporting requirements.

This makes SmartSimple suitable for organizations that manage multiple grant programs with different rules. However, the same flexibility can make implementation more complex than simpler grant platforms.

2. Online Application Portals

The platform allows grantmakers to create branded applicant portals where users can register, submit forms, upload documents, save drafts, and track application status. Forms can include conditional logic, required fields, file uploads, budgets, tables, and custom questions.

For applicants, this reduces back-and-forth email communication. For administrators, it centralizes application data and makes it easier to compare submissions.

3. Review and Scoring Tools

SmartSimple supports internal and external reviewers, conflict-of-interest declarations, scoring rubrics, weighted criteria, comments, and committee workflows. Reviewers can be assigned automatically or manually based on program, region, topic, or expertise.

This is especially valuable for research funders or public agencies where transparency, consistency, and auditability are important.

4. Relationship and Contact Management

In addition to grants, SmartSimple includes CRM-style capabilities. Organizations can manage contacts, institutions, grantees, reviewers, board members, staff, and partners in one system. This allows teams to see a broader history of interactions, awards, reports, and communications.

5. Reporting and Dashboards

SmartSimple includes reporting tools for tracking application volume, approval rates, funding distribution, reviewer activity, budget usage, and outcomes. Dashboards can be configured for program officers, executives, finance teams, and external stakeholders.

For example, a foundation could monitor how $5 million in annual grants is distributed by geography, organization size, focus area, and demographic impact. This can help leadership make better funding decisions over time.

6. Automation and Notifications

The system can automate reminders, deadline alerts, status changes, task assignments, eligibility checks, and report requests. Automation helps teams reduce manual administration and avoid missed deadlines.

SmartSimple Pricing

SmartSimple does not usually publish standard pricing on its website. Instead, pricing is generally custom and quote-based, depending on the organization’s size, number of users, required modules, configuration needs, integrations, support level, and implementation scope.

Typical cost factors may include:

• Number of internal users, such as administrators and program officers
• Number of external users, including applicants, reviewers, and grantees
• Complexity of workflows and forms
• Data migration from spreadsheets or previous systems
• Integrations with finance, CRM, identity, or analytics tools
• Training and implementation services

Because of this model, SmartSimple is often a better fit for organizations with dedicated budgets for software implementation and long-term system management. Smaller teams looking for a low-cost, plug-and-play tool may need to compare alternatives with transparent monthly or annual pricing.

SmartSimple Pros and Cons

Pros

• Highly configurable: It can support many grant types and approval structures.
• Strong lifecycle management: It covers intake, review, awards, reporting, and impact tracking.
• Good for complex organizations: Multiple departments, programs, and stakeholder groups can be managed in one platform.
• Advanced permissions: Different users can access only the information they need.
• Useful reporting options: Dashboards and exports support strategic decision-making.

Cons

• Implementation may take time: Configuration can require planning, training, and testing.
• Pricing is not transparent: Organizations must request a quote.
• May be too complex for small teams: Basic grant programs may not need its full capabilities.
• Admin learning curve: Staff may need time to become comfortable with advanced settings.

Who Should Use SmartSimple?

SmartSimple is best for organizations that need more than a simple application form and spreadsheet. It is particularly useful for grantmakers with multiple funding programs, high application volume, formal review panels, compliance requirements, and detailed outcome measurement.

A practical user case would be a regional foundation running 12 annual grant programs, receiving 3,500 applications, and working with 150 external reviewers. In that situation, SmartSimple could help standardize scoring, automatically route applications, send reminders, and produce board-ready reports. The operational savings may outweigh the cost if the platform replaces scattered spreadsheets, email chains, and manual document tracking.

By contrast, a small nonprofit giving out 20 community grants per year may find the system more powerful than necessary.

Top SmartSimple Alternatives

1. Submittable

Submittable is a popular alternative for application intake, review workflows, payments, and social impact programs. It is often easier to launch than highly customized enterprise systems. It may be a strong fit for organizations that value a modern interface and straightforward setup.

2. Foundant Grant Lifecycle Manager

Foundant GLM is widely used by foundations and grantmakers. It offers application management, evaluations, follow-up forms, reporting, and applicant communication. It is often considered user-friendly and well suited for community foundations and private funders.

3. Fluxx

Fluxx is designed for grantmaking organizations that need collaboration, transparency, and workflow management. It is frequently used by foundations and public-sector funders. Fluxx can be a good option for organizations seeking a grants-focused platform with strong visibility across programs.

4. Blackbaud Grantmaking

Blackbaud Grantmaking is part of the broader Blackbaud ecosystem. It can be attractive for organizations already using Blackbaud fundraising, finance, or donor management products. It supports proposal tracking, relationship management, reporting, and grantee communication.

5. SurveyMonkey Apply

SurveyMonkey Apply is commonly used for scholarships, grants, awards, and application-based programs. It provides forms, review workflows, and applicant portals. It may be simpler than SmartSimple for organizations that do not need deep customization.

6. Salesforce-Based Grant Management

Some organizations use Salesforce with grant management apps or custom configurations. This can work well for teams already invested in Salesforce and needing strong CRM functionality. However, it may require consultants or internal administrators to configure and maintain properly.

Final Verdict

SmartSimple is a powerful grant management platform for organizations that need custom workflows, robust review processes, relationship management, and detailed reporting. Its depth makes it especially valuable for complex grantmakers, research funders, and public agencies.

However, its flexibility comes with trade-offs. The platform may require a longer implementation process, more administrator training, and a larger software budget than simpler tools. Organizations should evaluate their application volume, workflow complexity, reporting needs, and internal capacity before choosing SmartSimple.

For large or growing grantmakers, SmartSimple can become a central operating system for funding programs. For smaller teams, alternatives such as Foundant, Submittable, or SurveyMonkey Apply may provide a faster and more affordable path.

FAQ

Is SmartSimple good for grant management?

Yes. SmartSimple is well suited for grant management, especially when an organization needs configurable workflows, reviewer scoring, applicant portals, award tracking, and post-award reporting.

How much does SmartSimple cost?

SmartSimple typically uses custom quote-based pricing. Costs depend on factors such as user count, modules, workflow complexity, implementation services, integrations, and support requirements.

Is SmartSimple easy to use?

SmartSimple can be user-friendly for applicants and reviewers once configured, but administrators may face a learning curve because the system is highly customizable.

What organizations use SmartSimple?

It is commonly used by foundations, government agencies, research funders, corporate giving teams, educational institutions, and organizations managing complex funding programs.

What is the best SmartSimple alternative?

The best alternative depends on the organization’s needs. Foundant GLM is strong for foundations, Submittable is useful for streamlined application programs, and Fluxx is often considered by larger grantmakers.