Trust-Based Philanthropists Use Salesforce Grantmaking to Innovate
Fíonta has spent years helping foundations move off legacy grantmaking software onto Agentforce Nonprofit for Grantmaking (formerly known as Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud for Grantmaking), making the grants management process more efficient and improving the experience for grantmakers and grantees alike. Now, we are taking it a step further by using trust-based philanthropy principles to drive innovation in how we build and implement Salesforce grantmaking solutions. We are going to explore the past, present, and future of grantmaking systems and some of the creative ways we are using technology to make life easier for grantees.
The Legacy Problem
Our grantmaking clients come to us from legacy systems where the administrative burden is high for both foundation staff and grantees. Staff is spending hours creating applications from scratch each cycle, fielding phone calls and emails for application technical support, performing due diligence through third-party systems, and manually checking that grantees have submitted progress reports.
Grantees are spending hours filling out applications with information the foundation likely already knows about them, submitting supplemental documents via email, and providing extensive progress and budget reports.
Where We Are Now
Agentforce Nonprofit for Grantmaking reduces the administrative burden for grantmakers and grantees. Templated application sections and document checklists mean that foundation staff spend less time updating grant applications each cycle. Grantees submit applications through a secure portal where known information about their organization is pre-filled, saving them time and allowing them to keep their information up-to-date. The self-service portal provides a better user experience than legacy application systems and includes account and password management, FAQs, case management, or support agents to assist portal users with technical support, reducing the number of emails and phone calls fielded by grants managers. Templated and automated disbursements and post-award reports streamline the award process for grantmakers and grantees alike.
The Future of Philanthropy
What does the future of philanthropy look like, and how can Agentforce Nonprofit for Grantmaking support it? Many organizations have told us the same thing: Trust-based philanthropy is the future of our grantmaking practices.
Trust-based philanthropy is a set of six practices focused on centering the needs of grantees in the grantmaking process, rather than the grantmakers. According to the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, “Too often, grantmaking practices slow down or inhibit nonprofits doing the work they know best. Trust-based philanthropy reimagines that dynamic, helping funders authentically partner with grantees in a spirit of service.” At Fíonta, we are using the principles of trust-based philanthropy to innovate how we design and implement Agentforce Nonprofit for Grantmaking.
Using Salesforce to innovate from a trust-based philanthropy perspective
AI-assisted application completion
At the 2026 PEAK Grantmaking Conference User Group, Salesforce demonstrated how grant applicants can upload a preexisting PDF application to the portal and have AI parse out relevant details into application fields. This strategy goes beyond pre-filling applications with organizational information. It allows nonprofits to utilize their existing resources and leverage Salesforce and AI to do the previously time-consuming task of completing application fields.
Streamlined due diligence with Candid integration
Our Candid integration accelerator allows grant managers to research nonprofits and perform financial and regulatory due diligence in a fraction of the time. The Candid call-out returns information about the grantee organization at the click of a button without requiring nonprofits to upload years of 990s or IRS documentation. We can extend the Candid integration further by using AI to summarize findings or flag risks, reducing the manual work of researching, analyzing, and performing due diligence.
Turning conversations into reports
One area we are exploring with our grantmaking clients is the ability to turn conversations between funders and grantees into narrative reports, reducing the amount of time grantees spend writing formal post-award reports. Communication tools to Agentforce Nonprofit for Grantmaking, like Slack or Zoom, allow grantmakers and grantees to have conversations that can be synced to Salesforce. AI tools can be used to summarize those conversations or parse them into structured reports. Rather than requiring nonprofits to spend time on extensive progress reports or narratives, grantmakers can simply have conversations with their grantees and leverage technology to record and analyze the information they learn. This approach honors the spirit of trust-based philanthropy by reducing the administrative burden on grantees.
Grantee-defined outcomes and impact reporting
Rather than foundations determining standard metrics and requiring grantees to complete extensive post-award reports, grantees can define their own intended outcomes and impacts at the time of application. Automations carry those metrics through to award and post-award reporting, so instead of selecting from a pre-defined list of reporting metrics, grantees have the autonomy to define what success looks like for their work and easily report on their outcomes. Grantmakers that trust grantees to define and communicate how impact is measured are demonstrating trust-based philanthropy in action.
What’s next?
The innovations we explored in this post are just the beginning. As AI capabilities in Salesforce continue to evolve and grantmakers deepen their commitment to trust-based philanthropy, we can reimagine what the grantmaking process looks like for foundations and their nonprofit grantees. Less time spent on paperwork means more time doing the work. We are excited to keep exploring how technology can help funders show up for grantees in a more meaningful way.
To learn more, check out our previous blog about trust-based philanthropy or reach out to have a conversation about how we can help you innovate with Agentforce Nonprofit for Grantmaking or contact us to schedule a conversation.