Case Study: Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative (IAAQLI) achieves rapid, efficient management of a $100M grants program with SmarterSelect

How SmarterSelect Helped IAAQLI Manage a Large-Scale Initiative

The Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative (IAAQLI) needed to rapidly stand up systems to distribute a $100 million Lilly Endowment fund through an open competition with a complex review process. As a newly formed nonprofit without existing infrastructure, IAAQLI anticipated 100–200 applications per funding round reviewed by a team of more than 30 evaluators and turned to SmarterSelect’s grants management software for a flexible, easy-to-use solution.

SmarterSelect delivered a customizable, intuitive online grants platform set up in days, enabling IAAQLI to launch quickly, build smart application forms with conditional logic, collect evaluator feedback, and track ongoing recipient reporting. The SmarterSelect system efficiently handled the high-volume workflow (100–200 applications per round with 30+ reviewers), reduced staff time and costs versus more complex alternatives, and provided reporting and support that sped decision-making and program improvements.

Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative (IAAQLI)

Alicia Baird

Director of Grants & Data Management