Case Study: North Star Fund achieves streamlined, trust-based participatory grantmaking and reduced applicant burden with Submittable

Funding Communities of Color Through Evolved Grantmaking

North Star Fund, a New York–based foundation that supports grassroots organizing led by communities of color, needed to shift power in philanthropy through participatory, trust‑based grantmaking—but its prior process relied on spreadsheets and email attachments that created administrative burden for applicants, staff, and volunteer reviewers. To address this, North Star Fund implemented Submittable’s grant management platform in 2016 to centralize applications, support community-led review committees, and reduce friction for small, volunteer‑run organizations.

Submittable delivered a centralized review system with numeric scoring, customizable forms (including demographic fields and example answers), response templates, form duplication, filters/labels, and timely support, enabling faster communications and rapid‑response grants. The platform streamlined administration, improved reviewer and applicant experience, and made it easier to run participatory processes—North Star Fund has administered 40+ grants through Submittable since 2016 and reports substantial time savings and consistently positive feedback from reviewers and grantees.

North Star Fund

Catherine Eusebio

Program Director