Case Study: Conrad N. Hilton Foundation achieves a seamless migration from GIFTS and modernized grants management with GivingData

A Smooth Migration from GIFTS to GivingData

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, a $2.5 billion philanthropic organization that awards over $100 million annually, needed to replace its aging GIFTS grants management system with a modern, user-friendly GMS to support better budget tracking, scenario planning, reporting, applicant experience, and board visibility. Seeking both advanced software and strategic consulting to redesign grantmaking practices, the Foundation engaged GivingData to lead the migration and transformation.

GivingData delivered a phased, ten-month migration—first deploying turn‑key analytics, budget management, and scenario‑planning extensions as a GIFTS overlay, then running user-centered workshops and incrementally building new GMS functionality while keeping GIFTS fully operational. As a result, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation achieved extended access to grants data for staff and the Board, stronger reporting and trend analysis, improved grant lifecycle, budget and task management, cloud document management, standardized cross‑program coding, and APIs for publishing grants data—enabling more informed decision-making with minimal disruption.

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Edmund Cain

Vice President of Grant Programs