New Online Grant Platform
Calgary Arts Development is rolling out a new online platform to accept applications to grant investment programs beginning in February 2022. The system will go live on February 28, 2022, for the Project Grant Program for Individuals and Collectives.
The Smart Simple platform offers enhanced features for applicants and grantees, and allows the community investment team to streamline administration of grant programs. The platform also allows us to significantly grow our reporting and measurement capabilities, making better use of data to inform our funding priorities and tell the story of the impact of the arts on our city. The Smart Simple platform is used by many of our peers across the country, and we look forward to increasing our technical capacity to administer grant investment programs.
This is a major configuration and implementation project, and we thank you for your patience as we work through this transition together. The community investment team is available to answer questions and provide support.
Smart Simple Platform Demonstrations
Two short information sessions on the platform will be offered in March. These sessions are intended to provide a very basic overview of Smart Simple, including how to register and update an applicant profile, and navigate to funding opportunities. These sessions will not be recorded. If you are unable to attend either of these sessions but would like support in accessing the platform, please contact grants@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.
Date: Friday, March 4, 2022
Time: 1:30 – 2:30pm MT on Zoom
Register for this session
Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Time: 4:00 – 5:00pm MT on Zoom
Register for this session
New Features
- Built in media library to directly upload audio and video files, so support material can be reviewed in the platform, instead of using links.
- Application forms can auto populate from data in applicant profiles. No more uploading basic information about your organization or practice every single time you open an application form.
- Unique applicant profiles for individual artists, artist collectives, and arts organizations.
- Enhanced communication and notification capability.
Implementation & Onboarding
The platform will be rolled out in phases. There is an overlapping transition period where both the old and new platforms will be live, and some users with upcoming reporting deadlines may be working in both systems for a short period of time. The community investment team will be in direct contact with those users while we work to close off past grant programs.
Limited data will be migrated from the old system to Smart Simple. Basic applicant profile data (name, email address, and address) will be migrated in the first phase. Historical grant results will be migrated later in the year. We will not be migrating the content of previous applications and final reports.
Phase 1, February – March 2022: Individuals & Collectives
- On February 28, 2022, the Grant Login link on the Calgary Arts Development website will change to the new platform.
- Individuals who had existing profiles in the old system will receive an email from the community investment team notifying them that their profile has been migrated to the new system. They can log in using the email address used for the old system, and will be prompted to reset their password and begin populating their individual profiles. If your email address was missed, or you are using new contact information, the registration process is quick and simple.
- Artist collectives will be prompted to register their collective from scratch, as there is now a unique profile type for collectives.
- The Project Grant for Individuals and Collectives application form opens in Smart Simple on February 28, with a deadline of April 19, 2022.
Phase 2, April – May 2022: Arts Organizations
- Organizations with existing profiles in the old systems will receive an email from the community investment team notifying them that their profile has been migrated to the new system. Emails will be sent to the most recent primary and secondary contacts on file. They can log in using the email address used from the old system, and will be prompted to reset their password and begin populating their organization profiles.
- If the primary contact for your organization has changed since September 2021, we encourage you to reach out to the team to ensure we are migrating the correct information.
Phase 3, May – September 2022: Archiving
- The content of previous applications and final reports will not be migrated to Smart Simple.
- Applicants who wish to retain copies of prior applications can download PDFs of the forms from the old system until September 30, 2022.
- The old system will no longer be available as of October 1, 2022.
