A small nonprofit with a big mission automated its entire grant lifecycle, from initial inquiry through 10-year follow-ups, saving its team around 14 hours every week.

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Gift of Adoption provides financial assistance grants up to $15,000 to help families overcome adoption-related financial barriers, serving approximately 725 families annually.

Brian Murphy has been with Gift of Adoption for 18 years, serving as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO). “We’re a small team, so we wear a lot of hats,” he explains. He oversees the grant selection program, marketing, and finance, all while keeping the organization’s mission at the forefront: helping children find loving, permanent families.

For years, Gift of Adoption relied on a paper-based grant application process. Families downloaded PDF forms, filled them out by hand, and mailed physical applications with required documents and check payments.

Once applications arrived, staff faced the tedious task of manually typing all information into their internal database. “We were sitting at a keyboard, manually typing in all of that information,” Brian recalls. This consumed roughly 14 hours each week that could have been spent on more meaningful work.

Despite their commitment to serving families, their paper-based processes were creating significant operational bottlenecks.

The Challenge

Gift of Adoption’s paper-based application system created problems that impacted staff efficiency, operational costs, and ultimately, the experiences of the families they served. Every hour spent on data entry was an hour not spent connecting families with children who need homes.

Manual, paper-based applications

Families seeking adoption assistance had to download PDF forms, fill them out by hand, and physically mail the application with required attachments and a check payment.

• Why this matters: This created a frustrating, slow experience for families during an already stressful time. The process was also error-prone and created delays in reviewing applications.

Time-consuming manual data entry

Once paper applications arrived, staff manually typed all application information into spreadsheets and their internal CRM using Microsoft Access.

• Why this matters: This repetitive, tedious work consumed roughly 14 hours each week that could have been spent on more meaningful work.

Physical document storage and management

Paper applications were filed and stored in the office. Photographs and other documents were physically mailed every week to a volunteer in Florida who helped with document review.

• Why this matters: This created multiple problems: risks of lost paperwork, ongoing postage expenses, scattered files, and inefficient collaboration across 30 chapters.

Payment processing limitations

Collecting application fees via check meant manually processing and tracking each one. More importantly, their paper-based system meant they had no streamlined way to offer fee waivers to families facing financial hardship.

• Why this matters: The lack of online payment collection meant their team was spending significant time manually processing payments and sending applicants the discount code.

The combined effect of these challenges was clear: Gift of Adoption’s processes were holding them back from serving families efficiently. They needed a solution that could handle the complexity of their grant application process while freeing up their staff’s time.

Why Cognito Forms?

Gift of Adoption needed more than just a way to collect information digitally. They needed a comprehensive platform that could transform their entire grant management workflow. When evaluating solutions, Gift of Adoption identified several requirements that would address their challenges:

Payment processing with flexibility

• Built-in payment collection through PCI-compliant payment providers like Stripe, Square, and PayPal to eliminate check handling.
• Discount code functionality for families who need to waive application fees.

Powerful automation

• Integrations with Zapier and Power Automate made automations more accessible to non-technical staff.
• Automations to send submission data to their Access database, route documents to the correct locations, and trigger follow-up communications.

Secure file uploads

• File Upload fields to securely collect application attachments and post-adoption update photos.
• All photos attached to form submissions are easily accessible from one central location.

Ease of use

• Cognito Forms was intuitive and easy to learn, even for those without a technical background.
• Anyone could use the platform easily, making it practical for their small team.

The Solution

Gift of Adoption didn’t just digitize paper forms. They reimagined the entire grant lifecycle. Using Cognito Forms, Brian created a set of interconnected forms that guide families through every stage, from initial inquiry to long-term impact tracking.

The application journey

Families begin by completing a Grant Application Request form that collects basic information about their situation. This form automatically sends them program details and a link to the full application.

The Grant Application form gathers comprehensive information about the family’s adoption circumstances, the child (if already identified), and their financial situation. Secure file uploads collect required attachments, and integrated payment processes fees. Discount codes can also be applied for qualifying families.

Supporting the full grant lifecycle

Because adoptions can take years to complete, the Monthly Update form goes out to all applicants currently in the pipeline and keeps applicant information current as adoptions progress. For applicants being presented to the selection committee that month, a more detailed Family Update form collects compelling information about the child and their circumstances. Every month, the Grant Selection Committee form streamlines the voting and the decision-making processes across 30 chapters nationally.

Long-term impact tracking

Gift of Adoption’s relationship with families doesn’t end when a grant is awarded. A series of Evaluation forms are sent out at intervals (immediately after adoption, 6 months, 18 months, 3 years, 7 years, and 10 years) to track outcomes and updates and maintain relationships. Additionally, the information collected in these forms is used to demonstrate long-term impact to donors who made the adoptions possible.

Behind-the-Scenes Automation

The real transformation is not Cognito Forms alone. It came from connecting Cognito Forms to their existing systems through Zapier and Power Automate. Now, when applications are submitted, data automatically flows into their Access database without manual typing. Zapier compares requests to completed applications and sends automated reminders to families who started but haven’t finished the application yet. Power Automate routes attachments to the correct location in their document storage, eliminating email and document-shipping needs.

Results & Impact

Since implementing Cognito Forms, Gift of Adoption has fundamentally transformed how it operates. Ripple effects have extended from their staff all the way to the children and families they serve.

Best Practices Learned

Through their implementation of Cognito Forms, Brian developed several strategies that other nonprofits can apply to their own digital transformation:

• Build systems, not just forms: Rather than thinking about forms in isolation, create interconnected forms that work together throughout the entire grant lifecycle. Requests for more information can flow into the official application, which can then trigger monthly updates, and evaluations can track long-term outcomes.
• Leverage automation integrations strategically: Connecting Cognito Forms to Zapier and Power Automate multiplies the platform’s value by automating data transfer, document routing, and follow-up communications. Entire categories of manual work can be eliminated with the right automation. The key is identifying repetitive tasks and finding ways to let integrations handle them automatically.
• Start with your most frequent process: Brian prioritized their grant application first. Their team handled this process most often (approximately 75 applications monthly). Digitizing this workflow first meant they immediately saw the greatest impact on their daily operations before expanding to other areas.

Up Next

Having transformed their grant lifecycle, Brian plans to explore Cognito Forms’ Workflow features to streamline operations further. He envisions a multi-stage budget approval for chapter event planning processes, sending submissions and guiding participants through the review and subsequent event detail sections.

He sees similar potential for Workflow in their grant applications, automatically moving forms through different stages and triggering notifications as families progress through the review process.

Transform Your Nonprofit’s Grant Operations

Are you struggling with paper-based processes, manual data entry, or disconnected systems? Cognito Forms enables you to build custom digital forms with workflow automation and integrations with existing systems — all without complicated setup or coding.

Join Gift of Adoption and hundreds of other nonprofits in eliminating manual processes and focusing on mission-critical work. Whether you’re managing grant applications, donor communications, or program evaluations, start creating secure, professional forms in minutes.