After more than ten years of working directly with customers to design software within the consumer electronics, web-based applications and grant management industries I’ve learned several valuable lessons. First, I learned the value of providing customers a simple solution to a complex task. Technology, when used well, allows us to distill complicated and often intimidating tasks into simple, automated processes that anyone can work with. Then, when I began to work with web-based technologies, it was exceedingly clear they offered opportunities to deliver solutions that could only be dreamed about in the client-software industry – and they could be provided at an exceptionally affordable price.

Building commercial, consumer-based products was exciting, but working within the grant community allows me to apply everything I’ve learned with consumer products to truly make a difference within an industry that is committed to the most critical aspects of our daily lives. Whether it’s putting out fires, putting officers on the street, or caring for children and the elderly… serving the community is the mission of every grant professional. Unfortunately, software solutions for the government and non-profit community are typically unnecessarily complicated, built on antiquated technology and tremendously overpriced.

We founded AFI because we understand that powerful systems are only useful if they are understandable and affordable. That is why we are dedicated to both simplicity and scalability in design. The same system that can scale up to power the grant operations of a major metropolitan city should scale down and be just as valuable to a small non-profit struggling to manage a handful of grants. For AFI, this is our mandate. As our clients – of all sizes – are better positioned to succeed in their mission, AFI will be successfully upholding our mission. We look forward to helping you help your organization, your constituents and your communities.