About Us
While many in the sector have talked about building a web-based common grant application, few have succeeded. Simply put: most technology companies don’t understand the needs of the nonprofit sector, and most nonprofit thought-leaders don’t have expertise in technology.
Social entrepreneur Jason Saul decided to take a different approach. Leveraging ten years of research on measuring nonprofit performance and grant impact, Saul invented a patent-pending method for submitting online grant applications and matching outcomes with impact. The invention enables any nonprofit organization to identify funding opportunities and then actually submit LOIs or proposals to over 400 U.S. foundations using one single application. Saul formed CommonGrants LLC, a for-profit social enterprise, and partnered with the team that invented the CommonApp for college admissions to develop the CommonGrants technology platform.
Team
Jason Saul, CEO
Jason Saul is a leading expert in nonprofit measurement and benchmarking. He has advised some of the world’s leading foundations, corporations and nonprofits on measuring performance and maximizing impact. Saul is the Founder and President of Mission Measurement, LLC, a consultancy that specializes in outcomes measurement. Saul is also co-founder of the Center for What Works, a national nonprofit organization focused on benchmarking. Saul began his career as an attorney, most recently at Mayer Brown LLP, where he represented government and nonprofit clients in public finance transactions.
Jason Saul is the author of Benchmarking for Nonprofits: How to Manage, Measure and Improve Performance, which won the 2005 Ben Franklin Award for Best Business Book. Saul is a lecturer at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Center for Nonprofit Management. He holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, an M.P.P. from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and a B.A. in Government and French Literature from Cornell University. In 1989, Saul was awarded the Harry S. Truman Scholarship for leadership and public service.
Wendy Lazar, Director of Foundation Relations
Wendy Lazar came to CommonGrants from SmithBucklin, the world's largest association management company where she provided management services to non profit associations. Prior to SmithBucklin, Wendy worked with a variety of nonprofit organizations, including The Make A Wish Foundation and The Cleveland Browns Foundation. Wendy was also the Assistant to the Directors at The Aspire Program, a tuition-free academic leadership program for under-resourced public schools in the Cleveland Area.
Wendy graduated with a degree in Human Services from The George Washington University where she co-founded a community service organization. During her tenure at GW, she studied Social Work at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa. While in South Africa, Wendy was very involved in volunteer activities with the Bhapumelele Children's Home, organizing a tutoring program for the children and planning a number of extra curricular activities.