The Future of Government Aid is Human-Centered

Program administrators must move fast, but never at the expense of equity or transparency. Streamlining processes makes it easier for governments to move quickly to address urgent community needs. But as teams look to simplify the applicant experience, they must preserve levers for equity and accountability.

When it comes to government grant and relief programs, equity must be a foundational design principle. The right technology provides the tools and insight to put intentions around equity into action. 

Equity is not a theoretical pursuit. It has real-world impact. And stakes are high. At the federal level, leaders at FEMA have been confronting the reality that race often skews the help it provides disaster victims, with white people consistently receiving more aid than people of color. 

Part of embracing an equitable approach is acknowledging the burden an application puts on those applying for funds. Whether a program is directed toward individuals, businesses, or other government agencies, administrators must remember that there are real people on the other side of the application. Applications should only require information that is absolutely essential, and the platform should make it as easy as possible for people to access and complete the forms. The process of applying for funds should never be so cumbersome that it discourages qualified applicants. 

At every level, governments are taking action to support equity. With the Justice40 Initiative, the federal government has set a goal to direct 40% of climate investments to disadvantaged communities. To help teams engage with goals like this, technology must capture the data needed to evaluate and improve programs, while facilitating all required reporting and auditing.

Fraud siphons essential resources away from the people who need them, undercutting efforts to uplift communities. The right software gives government teams the ability to address fraud without pulling them away from the important work of building and managing their programs.

Not only can fraud skew outcomes, it also erodes public trust in processes and institutions, putting future programs in jeopardy. Take the recent scandals around the PPP loans, which accounted for $80 billion in theft of COVID relief funds. When constituents and elected officials see this kind of misappropriation, they are much more hesitant to support large-scale relief spending in the future. 

To effectively address fraud, governments should seek out technology and consulting partners who take an informed and human-centered approach to understanding the core intent of the programs. If partners don’t make an effort to understand the broader context of why a program exists, they’ll struggle to eliminate fraud without burdening applicants. 

Again, we return to the idea of balance. Rooting out fraud and human error is essential, but if the safeguards in place make it harder for qualified applicants to apply, it’s like cutting down an apple tree to save the fruit. 

Government teams must look for technology that can help address fraud without adding cumbersome steps to the application process. Simple but effective security checks can be incredibly useful here. For instance, knowledge-based authentication quizzes verify applicants’ identities by having them answer a few multiple-choice questions such as which addresses or vehicles they’ve been associated with. Another option is instant photo identity verification, in which a tool confirms that an applicant’s government-issued ID matches a selfie taken in real time. 

Though it gets less attention than fraud, human error can be a big issue, especially for teams who handle high volumes of applications. It’s easy to make mistakes when you have thousands or tens of thousands of forms to review. Automation takes the pressure off. The right technology can eliminate busywork by automating tasks such as verifying data from tax forms or analyzing images. Automated scoring can save government teams from having to perform complex calculations as they review applications. 

With the right technology, there’s no need to compromise.The experience can be easy and straightforward for everyone, while ensuring the right checks and controls are in place to prevent fraud and human error.

Government agencies across the country are at a pivotal moment. They have momentum—now it’s just about channeling that momentum into long-term, transformative change. It’s time to embrace a human-centered approach and invest in technology and resources that support this pursuit. 

Partnerships are key. Across the private sector, philanthropy, and government entities, strategic coalitions are what enable teams to serve individuals and communities. 

That’s why we’re excited about the new collaboration between Submittable and BDO. Submittable, the social impact software company, helps thousands of organizations worldwide launch, manage, and measure community investment programs. BDO USA, LLP is one of the nation’s leading assurance, tax, and advisory firms. Together, we have created a comprehensive grants management service tailored to public sector organizations.

This new joint service provides the robust software and experienced implementation support needed to help safeguard grants programs against clawbacks, streamline government audit readiness, and uphold ongoing documentation. With user-friendly tools, powerful automations, and comprehensive services, BDO and Submittable help make grants administration easier, scalable, and more effective for government agencies.

With a joint vision of a human-centered future, Submittable and BDO are positioned to support governments of all sizes as they look to evolve.