Discovery call with Erika Miller and Christina Jester (WI Masons) to map the current manual matching-grant workflow and define the target automated process. Mark Hope facilitated; Adam Rigden attended as client lead.
Goal: Reduce the 1.5 FTE workload consumed by grant administration so staff capacity can be redirected to new programs, and more funds flow directly to lodges and their communities.
Attendees:
- Erika Miller — erika@wimasons.org
- Christina Jester — christina@wimasons.org
- Adam Rigden — adam.rigden@wimasons.org
- Mark Hope — Asymmetric
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual limit per lodge | $4,000 (unrestricted as of last board meeting) |
| Fiscal year | May 1 – April 30 |
| Eligible recipients | 501(c)(3) organizations or government agencies |
| Tracking system | [1] — Ninox database |
How Ninox tracks balances: Lodges start at $0 and accumulate toward the $4,000 cap as grants are entered. There is no automatic reset; staff manually manage the fiscal-year rollover.
Grant types on the application:
- AED (automated external defibrillator)
- FST (first aid/safety kit — confirm acronym)
- Jump bag
- Act of Kindness Matching Grant
- Medical Fund (now folded into the unrestricted $4,000 pool)
Lodge fills out online application at wimasons.org
│
▼
Lodge mails physical check + application simultaneously
│
▼
Erika manually checks lodge's running total in Ninox
│
├─ Funds NOT available → return check, deny grant
│
└─ Funds available → approve
│
├─ AED / FST / Jump Bag → Erika emails vendor with shipping details
│
└─ All other grants → Christina mails physical check to recipient org
Pain points identified:
- Lodge sends a check before anyone has confirmed funds are available — creates rework when grants must be rejected and checks returned.
- Every fund-availability check is a manual Ninox lookup.
- Vendor notification emails are written and sent manually.
- No automated confirmation loop back to the lodge.
Lodge fills out online application (includes shipping address field)
│
▼
System queries Ninox → checks lodge's remaining annual balance
│
├─ Funds NOT available → automated rejection notice to lodge
│
└─ Funds available → lodge prompted for online payment (CC or ACH)
│
▼
Payment confirmed
│
├─ AED / FST / Jump Bag → automated email to vendor with shipping details
│
└─ All other grants → automated notification to Christina to mail check
Key design notes:
- The shipping address field already exists on the payment links Adam built; it captures where the item should be delivered (not necessarily the lodge address).
- For non-vendor grants, the lodge uploads a photo of their own check (e.g., $500 to a school); the Foundation then matches with its own check mailed by Christina. This physical mailing step cannot be eliminated.
- Approval criteria are simple: recipient must be a 501(c)(3) or government agency. No discretionary review board — Erika confirms eligibility and enters into Ninox.