Case Study: Conrad N. Hilton Foundation achieves faster, more consistent grantmaking with GivingData

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Improves Efficiency in Grantmaking & Consistency in Grantee Experience

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation faced a sharp increase in grantmaking after a major bequest and suspected that bottlenecks and inconsistent practices were slowing turnaround times and creating uneven experiences for grantees. To diagnose the problem, their grants management team turned to GivingData, using GivingData Workflows within the GivingData grants management system to measure task completion timing and test hypotheses about where delays occurred.

Using GivingData, the team developed a repeatable eight-part methodology to analyze workflow data, excluding weekends/holidays and normalizing start/end dates, which revealed an average grant cycle of 83 work days and exposed specific process gaps. GivingData enabled actions that improved consistency and the grantee experience—staff eliminated a redundant document, standardized turnaround times, and mandated online concept notes after demonstrating that concept-note submissions via GivingData cut initial review and approval by a full week.

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Richelle Pittella

Manager of Grants Training and Process