Westminster Foundation
Introduction to Westminster Foundation – Who Are They?
The Westminster Foundation is an independent grant making trust and registered charity, representing the charitable activity of The Duke of Westminster and Grosvenor businesses, that provides long term sustainable help and direction to vulnerable young people. The Foundation’s funding is focused on creating opportunities for young people (0-25) and their families to have the resilience, skills and capacity to lead happy and healthy lives.
The Westminster Foundation works with local charities and organisations in Chester, Westminster and rural communities in Cheshire West and Chester, Lancashire and Sutherland that generate localised impact and create opportunities for children and young people up to 25 years old.
“We wanted to use our data not only to demonstrate impact but also to inform our internal decisions.”
- Olivier Le Quellec
Why Did You Choose Salesforce and Hyphen8?
To take Salesforce to the next level, the Foundation needed a partner who truly understood the world of philanthropy and grantmaking.
“I looked for partners who could help us use Salesforce more effectively,” said Olivier. “We shortlisted a few, but Hyphen8 stood out. They were knowledgeable, capable, and professional - and most importantly, they really listened to what we needed rather than pushing their own agenda.”
Olivier added, “They found the perfect balance between professionalism and informality. I could just message them when I needed to, and they’d respond straight away. The relationship felt natural and organic, which made the whole process so much easier.”
The Impact of working with Hyphen8
What Has the Impact Been of Having Salesforce with Hyphen8?
Working with Hyphen8, the Westminster Foundation transformed its approach to managing applications, reporting, and decision-making. Together, they developed an approach that was simple, user-friendly, and fully aligned with the Foundation's operational principles.
“Hyphen8 helped us design online application and reporting forms so all data now feeds directly into Salesforce,” said Olivier. “They trained me to build forms myself, which was empowering and has made it easy for us to evolve the system over time.”
Making an impact
"100% of grants captured in Salesforce, which means it's providing a complete, trustworthy single source of truth."
- Olivier Le Quellec
Impacts On The Westminster Foundation
Clean, Consistent Data
Before working with Hyphen8, the team’s grant data was held in a mix of spreadsheets and documents, making consistency a challenge. By introducing online forms that feed directly into Salesforce, every field is now standardised and automatically validated, removing errors and duplication. This means the Foundation’s records are not only complete but easy to analyse and trust.
“Having online forms means we now receive much cleaner, more consistent data,” explained Olivier. “It’s a blessing - I can now use pivot tables and dashboards without worrying about inconsistencies or missing information.”
Faster Reporting
Before working with Hyphen8, the team’s grant data was held in a mix of spreadsheets and documents, making consistency a challenge. By introducing online forms that feed directly into Salesforce, every field is now standardised and automatically validated, removing errors and duplication. This means the Foundation’s records are not only complete but easy to analyse and trust.
“Having online forms means we now receive much cleaner, more consistent data,” explained Olivier. “It’s a blessing - I can now use pivot tables and dashboards without worrying about inconsistencies or missing information.”
Smarter Decision-Making
With all grant and impact data captured through Salesforce and FormAssembly, the Foundation now has a clear picture of where its funding is having the greatest effect. Interactive dashboards in Power BI help the team spot patterns, identify under-served areas, and ensure funding aligns with the most deprived communities. This data-driven insight supports more balanced, equitable grantmaking across all regions.
The data captured through Salesforce and FormAssembly gives the team new insights into where their funding is making the greatest impact. “We can now visualise exactly where our grantees deliver activities and overlay that with deprivation data,” said Olivier. “That’s something we simply couldn’t do before.”
Automated Administration
The introduction of automation has transformed how the Foundation’s team manages grant information. Tasks that once required manual effort, such as preparing documents for grant panels, now happen automatically through Salesforce. Using PDF Butler, the team can generate professional summaries instantly, pulling information directly from applications and assessments. This automation ensures accuracy, saves valuable time, and gives trustees consistent, high-quality reports to support decision-making.
Hyphen8 also implemented PDF Butler to automate the creation of professional summaries for grant panels. “Those documents used to take hours to create manually,” Olivier shared. “Now, they’re automatically generated straight from Salesforce.”
More Time for Impact
By reducing administrative work and creating a more intuitive system, Hyphen8 has given the Westminster Foundation team back time to focus on what truly matters, supporting grantees and deepening relationships with the organisations they fund. The system’s simplicity and automation have allowed staff to spend more time offering guidance, visiting projects, and understanding their real-world outcomes.
“The grants management team is very positive about the reduced admin time,” said Olivier.
“They can now focus on what matters - building relationships with grantees and supporting them directly.”
What Has Happened Since?
The improvements have given the Foundation the clarity, speed, and confidence to make data-driven decisions.
“It’s not just faster - it’s smarter,” said Olivier. “We’re able to see the real impact of our funding, make evidence-based decisions, and ensure our support reaches the communities that need it most.”
The Foundation’s relationship with Hyphen8 remains ongoing. “They understand grantmaking better than anyone,” Olivier concluded. “I’d definitely recommend Hyphen8 to any organisation looking for a partner who makes systems work simply and effectively.”
10 Times Faster Reporting
Reporting that once took days now takes hours. Annual submissions to 360Giving are ten times faster, freeing the team to focus on insight and impact rather than admin.
Structured Online Forms
Every grant record is now captured through structured online forms, giving the Foundation clean, consistent, and reliable data that can be trusted for decision-making.
Instant Professional Reports
Automated panel summaries created through PDF Butler have replaced hours of manual preparation, ensuring trustees receive clear, professional reports instantly.
Reducing Admin
The grants management team has significantly reduced admin time, enabling them to spend more time supporting grantees and strengthening relationships.
Interactive Visability
With interactive dashboards and geographic mapping, the Foundation can now see exactly where funding is making the greatest difference and ensure it reaches the communities most in need.
Single Source of Truth
Salesforce is now the single, trusted source of truth for all grantmaking activity, used confidently across the organisation.
Simple Systems For Easy Adoption
A focus on simplicity has driven full adoption, creating a system that is easy to use, dependable, and central to the Foundation’s day-to-day work.
Advice for other charities
"If you have Salesforce, or are considering it, Hyphen8 are a team who will liste to you, and help you reach your goals."
- Olivier, Westminster Foundation
