Scholarship Lifecycle Manager (SLM) is Foundant's scholarship management solution for foundations and organizations that manage the full lifecycle of a scholarship, from application through award and reporting. This article provides a high-level orientation to SLM, including how the site works for applicants and administrators, the difference between your Sandbox and Live sites, and where to find learning and support resources.
User Role: Administrator
Use This Article to:
- Understand the basic functions of your SLM site from both the applicant and administrator perspective.
- Learn the difference between your Sandbox site and your Live site.
- Locate the learning and support resources available to you direction within SLM.
How SLM Works
SLM allows applicants to efficiently apply for scholarships and allows administrators to manage their requests and awards within a single site.
The tutorial below provides a high-level introduction to SLM, including how applicants register and apply, how administrators manage requests, and how to access support and learning resources within your site.
Applicant Experience
Applicants register for an account by providing their contact information. Once logged in, applicants can apply to any open scholarship cycle, referred to in SLM as a process. If the Universal Application feature is in use, applicants apply to a universe, which contains multiple scholarship opportunities. After applying, applicants manage their requests from the applicant dashboard, where they can view the status of each submission and take any required actions.
Administrator Dashboard
The administrator dashboard displays all active requests for funding organized by the status of those requests. From the dashboard, administrators move scholarship requests through the different statuses of the scholarship lifecycle, from application through award and follow up.
Sandbox Site versus Live Site
SLM provides two versions of your site: a Sandbox site and a Live site.
- Sandbox site - Available for learning and testing. It is recommended to use the Sandbox site when exploring features, building processes, and testing configurations before applying changes to your Live site.
- Live site - The site open to applicants. It contains your actual data and active grant cycles.
Learning and Support Resources
Several resources are available directly within your SLM site to help you get started and continue learning.
Help Menu
Click the question mark icon in your site to access the Help Menu.
From the Help Menu, administrators can:
- Send Support an email, call, or start a chat. Support is available Monday through Friday 7am to 6pm Mountain Time.
- Access the Support Hub for the full library of help articles.
- Access the Learning Center for courses, videos, and tutorials on Foundant products.
Additional Resources in the Navigation Bar
The row of icons in the upper right corner of your site provides access to additional resources:
- Compass icon - Provides access to Compass. Foundant's online community where users can swap solutions, share expertise, and connect with peers in philanthropy.
- Lightbulb icon - Provides access to IdeaLab, Foundant's central location to add and vote on ideas for product enhancements and feature requests.
- Present icon- Links to release notes to stay up to date on changes made to the software.
- Nine-dot icon - Provides access to the Client Resource Center, which includes upcoming events, product training, sector education, and additional resources.
Navigate the Learning Center
The Learning Center is where administrators access SLM training courses, videos, and tutorials provided by Foundant. Becoming familiar with the Learning Center early helps new administrators find the training they need as they build and manage their SLM site.
The tutorial below provides an overview of how to navigate the Learning Center, including how to find courses in progress, browse the catalog, and filter content by category.
Learning Center Sections
The Learning Center home page contains three banners at the top that link to additional Foundant resources:
- Professional Services - Outlines the professional services and training that Foundant provides.
- Compass - Launches Compass, the networking and discussion site for Foundant and SmartSimple users.
- Support Hub - Launches the Foundant Support Hub for additional learning resources.
Learning Center Tabs
The Learning Center is organized into three main tabs:
- Courses - Displays courses currently in progress and courses enrolled in but not yet started. The My Achievements section tracks points, levels, and badges earned from engaging with course content.
- My Learning - Displays all courses you are enrolled in. Courses can be filtered by status and category to narrow the list.
- Catalog - Contains all course and video content available for self-enrollment. The catalog can be searched and filtered by category. Note that category filters are additive. Selecting multiple categories broadens results rather than narrows them. Use the search bar alongside category filters to find more specific content.