Case Study: Helios Education Foundation achieves cloud-based grants management and elevated reporting with SmartSimple Cloud

How Helios Education created a versatile, cloud-based grants management system that elevated their reporting capabilities

Helios Education Foundation was operating on a dated, in-house database that lacked remote access, intuitive workflows, and reliable reporting—making it difficult for staff in the field to collaborate or aggregate outcomes. To modernize grants administration, Helios selected SmartSimple Cloud (SmartSimple Cloud for Grants Management) as a web-based replacement to meet needs for accessibility, program tracking, and robust reporting.

SmartSimple Cloud implemented a configurable, cloud-based grants management system with dedicated support and admin training that let Helios staff self-configure features and centralize documentation. The result was organization-wide adoption (up from just four regular users), near-instant reporting that previously required manual file review, clearer tracking of engagements, contracts, payments and approvals, and increased confidence in their data—supporting Helios’s management of $17.4M in grants in 2016. SmartSimple Cloud’s responsiveness and training were cited as key to these efficiency gains.

Helios Education Foundation

Linda Thompson

Senior Vice President and Chief Impact Officer