Halifax Foundation Northern Ireland

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The Organisation Intro here .

 

More on the intro

Halifax Foundation Northern Ireland: Transforming Grant Management with Salesforce

The Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland (HFNI) is a grant-giving foundation which is generously supported by the Lloyds Banking Group.

Supporting a wide range of charities across Northern Ireland, HFNI plays a crucial role in nurturing and providing vital support to communities. Operating with a small but dedicated team of just six staff members, the Foundation sought a more streamlined, efficient way to manage its grants and relationships, leading them to partner with Hyphen8 to implement Salesforce. This change revolutionised their operations, enabling them to focus on what matters most—supporting and nurturing their grantees.

Challenges and Pain Points

Before adopting Salesforce, HFNI relied on an older, clunky grant management system that was limited in functionality and highly dependent on external IT support. This setup presented several challenges:

  • Time-Consuming Processes: Generating reports or extracting data required external assistance, delaying critical tasks.
  • Manual Operations: Signing terms and conditions for grants involved physical paperwork, which became a bottleneck, particularly during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Disconnected Team: With a small team, HFNI needed a solution that would allow seamless collaboration and easy access to shared information.

"Our previous system was restrictive," shared Brenda their CEO.

"We couldn’t customise reports or make changes without external help, which made it hard to respond quickly to our needs. It was a lot of manual input, paper-based, and it made things unnecessarily slow when we needed to act fast!"

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Every year the team support hundreds of organisations with grants, and with a small team of 6, it's important that they have the best system possible to support their work.

 

Why HFNI Chose Hyphen8 and Salesforce

 

HFNI selected Salesforce as their grant management platform and Hyphen8 as their implementation partner due to Hyphen8’s extensive experience in the nonprofit sector. Hyphen8’s understanding of grant-making processes and their proactive support stood out during the discovery phase.

We asked Brenda their CEO to share why she chose Salesforce and Hyphen8 to work with their team.

Brenda shared:

"Hyphen8’s knowledge of grant-making was fantastic—they made suggestions to improve our efficiency, tailored the system to meet our needs, and their commitment to supporting communities through pro bono work was a huge plus for us.

The transition to Salesforce was seamless; on Friday, we closed our old system, and by Monday, we were live. Their support didn’t stop at implementation—they’ve been a vital partner as we’ve continued to refine and adapt the system."

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As a busy CEO, Brenda needed a partner who could become an extension of her team

“Hyphen8’s support didn’t stop at implementation—they’ve been a vital partner as we’ve continued to decide what else we wanted to adapt and change as an organisation. As a busy CEO it was important I had a partner who was an extension of my team." - Brenda

The Impact of Salesforce

Since implementing Salesforce, HFNI has experienced transformative improvements across all areas of their grant management. Key benefits include:

  • Efficiency and Time Savings: Automated processes like electronic signatures for terms and conditions reduced the need for physical paperwork, allowing the team to respond faster, even during emergencies.
  • Enhanced Collaboration: The centralised system enables the team to access and share information quickly, fostering better collaboration and decision-making.
  • Improved Grantee Experience: Grantees no longer need to navigate cumbersome processes. Electronic submissions and simplified application designs make the experience more user-friendly.
  • Empowered Team: Staff can now build reports, design applications, and customise processes independently without relying on external support.
  • Agility During Crises: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Salesforce allowed HFNI to quickly launch an emergency fund and manage applications entirely online.
  • Strategic Planning: Salesforce’s robust features support HFNI’s five-year strategy, including the launch of five new grant programmes.

"Salesforce has given us the ability to work smarter, not harder," one team member shared. "It allows us to focus on the things that matter—helping charities achieve their goals."

Looking Ahead

As HFNI embarks on its next chapter, the team is excited about the possibilities Salesforce unlocks for their future. With plans to launch new grant programmes, the Foundation is confident in its ability to adapt, scale, and continue delivering impactful support to charities across Northern Ireland.

"Salesforce allows us to build systems that are user-friendly, gather all the data we need, and empower us to make great decisions. It’s not just a tool—it’s a solution that has transformed the way we work, think about impact, and focus on what we do best—supporting and connecting with our grantees," said Brenda

With a strong foundation in place, HFNI is well-equipped to face new challenges and opportunities, ensuring their mission to uplift Northern Ireland’s communities continues to thrive.