🏗️ Applicant Portal Foundation
Complete these steps before inviting any applicants to your site to ensure a professional and branded experience.
Set Up the Portal: Use the Front End Manager → Agency Editor to craft your Home Message.
Branding: Upload your logo in the Branding section of the Agency Editor.
Edit the Profile Fields: Use the Front End Manager → Profile Editor to turn registration questions on or off; add optional guidance to the Instructional Text section.
Media Library: Set the allowed file types in Front End Manager → Media Library Module, and set the language for applicants' online media libraries in the Media Library Module. Skip this if you will be using file upload fields instead.
Navigation & Resources: Use the Front End Manager → Navigation Editor to create additional pages, such as "Guidelines" or "Best Practices".
Related tutorials:
Customize Your Applicant Portal
Customize the visual aspects of your applicant portal.
Setting Up Your Applicants’ Media Library
The Media Library lets applicants upload images, videos, audio, or documents to their account portfolio. They can then attach any of those files to their applications.
Requesting Media Files in GO Smart
There are two distinct methods for collecting media files from your applicants, each suited for different needs.
💡 Tip: Set fields like UEI, FEIN, or DUNS to "Displayed and Required" if you need these for federal reporting.
🎨 Design Your Form Pages
Build the forms and questions your applicants will complete.
Create the Program: Navigate to Grant Editor → Programs to create a master program, such as "Operating Support" or "Fellowship".
Define the Cycle: Navigate to Grant Editor → Program Cycles to complete the logistics for your specific cycle, such as open and close dates.
Select Your Forms: In Grant Editor → Program Cycles, use the dropdowns to select which additional forms you will offer: Intent to Apply, Interim Report, or Final Report.
Add Cycle Pages: Navigate to the Grant Editor → Cycle Pages subtab to create a logical flow for your application pages (e.g., Contact Info, Narrative, Budget).
Build Questions: Click the Add Question icon on Custom Narrative pages. Toggle "Required" for essential fields and set character limits for text responses.
💡 Tip: Keep it simple! If you don't need the data for a report, don't ask the question.
Related tutorials:
Build and Launch Your First Application Cycle
After your site is set up with the GO Smart team, you’ll be ready to build and launch your first grant. Begin in the Grant Editor tab.
Customize Application Forms
Create application pages and questions.
🧪 Verification and Testing
Never launch without a "dry run" to ensure your application is working as intended and that your automated emails are ready to go.
Set Status Mailers: Create your automated emails in the Grant Editor → Status Mailer section so applicants receive confirmation upon submission or when you change their status.
Preview the Form: Use the Preview Page button in the Grant Editor → Cycle Pages page editor to see the Live Form (applicant view).
Check the Snapshot: Click View PDF to ensure the Printable Version (admin/panelist view) looks clean.
Test as an Applicant: Create a "Test Applicant" account and fill out the form to ensure that conditional logic and uploads work as expected.
Related tutorials:
Preview Your Application Page
See how a cycle page will appear to applicants.
Test and Preview a Cycle
Test your cycle with a test applicant account before inviting actual applicants.
📊 NEA Reporting
If you report to the NEA, complete these steps before inviting applicants.
NEA Template: Use this page in your final report (and optionally in the application) to gather 24 of the 28 required data points, such as grant amounts and audience estimates.
Location & Budget: Use the Activity Locations and Project Budget page templates to gather specific data required by NASAA and the NEA.
Amount Funded: Add the Amount Funded column to the Grant Manager Dashboard to add the amount rewarded to a grantee to your reports.
Related tutorials:
NEA Questions Template & Reporting
Use the single-source Template to collect 24 FDR points.
Customize Grant Manager Dashboard Columns
Add up to four columns to your Grant Manager Dashboard's default settings and change how the information is sorted.
🔄 Preparing Your Next Grant Opportunity
When you are ready for a new cycle, you can clone your work or create and use templates rather than starting from scratch.
Clone the Cycle: Click the Clone Tools section in the Grant Editor → Program Cycles and click Create New Cycle. This refreshes the page with a copy of your existing cycle.
Modify Logistics: Update the name, prefix, and dates to reflect the new year/cycle.
Review Pages: Check for outdated language or dates in your application forms in Grant Editor → Cycle Pages.
Update Mailers: Review, modify, and activate your copied Status Mailers to ensure they don't send outdated information.
Utilize Page Templates: If you have page templates enabled, you can quickly insert any saved page to create applications.
Related tutorials:
Create Your Second Grant Application
Create your next application, whether that be in an existing program or a new one.
Create, Use, and Save Custom Templates
Insert your templates in new or existing grant cycles. Templates are available for Custom Narrative, Custom Calculation, and Intent to Apply pages.