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Key Results

  • Launched Grantbook’s change management practice and incorporated change management practices into all project types
  • Co-designed and delivered staff philanthropy curriculum

Tierney Smith

Implementation Management Service Lead

Change Management

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Key Results

  • Launched Grantbook’s change management practice and incorporated change management practices into all project types
  • Co-designed and delivered staff philanthropy curriculum

Tierney specializes in helping grantmakers align their grantmaking processes with their values and make effective use of technology. As a Service Lead and Senior Philanthropy Consultant at GrantBook, she helps clients redesign their processes and successfully implement grants management systems. She is especially passionate about creating stronger funder-grantee partnerships by helping funders implement grantee-centric, trust-based practices. 

Previously, Tierney worked at TechSoup Canada to provide nonprofits with access to low-cost technology and educational resources. She has also worked as a software developer and project manager in the corporate sector. She has a degree in Software Engineering from the University of Waterloo.

Notable Clients & Projects

  • National Endowment for Democracy. System Selection & Implementation Management. Selecting a new GMS, implementing it and managing ongoing enhancements for a large government-adjacent funder. Advised on process design, change management, system architecture and project approach.
  • The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Implementation Readiness, Fluxx Implementation & Support. Created and managed roadmap to implement future state recommendations. Designed streamlined future state processes. Managed re-implementation of Fluxx to modernize and support future state.
  • Waverley Street Foundation. Future State Design & Implementation Management. Designing for grantee-centric principles and practices. Managed the rollout of Zengine for grants management.
  • Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. Implementation Readiness. Designing streamlined future state grantmaking practices.

Skills

  • Project Management
  • Change Management
  • Workshop Facilitation
  • System Architecture

Tech Tools

  • Fluxx
  • Salesforce
  • GovGrants
  • Asana
  • Google Suite

Training & Education

Blog Posts

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PEAK 2024 Seattle: Our Thoughts and Reflections

Three of our team members had the opportunity to attend PEAK 2024 in Seattle in March; here are some of their key takeaways and insights from the sessions they attended.

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Reflections from PEAK 2023: The power of conversation

Read Tierney Smith's learnings and insights from PEAK 2023 around the simple, yet potent, power of having conversations with people.

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Exploring Participatory Grantmaking with Grants Managers

There’s a growing community of philanthropy professionals who are implementing Participatory Grantmaking as a way to create greater impact with their work.

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How Lean Thinking Can Help Philanthropy Create More Value

Lean thinking is a popular method for process design—how can we repurpose this to improve grantmaking processes in philanthropy?

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Unicorns Unite: A Fresh Take on the Keys to Grantmaking Success

Tierney Smith, our change management coach, reflects on the tensions in grantmaker/grantseeker relationships and how technology can impact them.