How Lightning Reach transformed grant-making at The Salespeople’s Charity

We had the pleasure of speaking with Laura Garnett, Executive Director and sole employee of The Salespeople’s Charity, formerly known as the Commercial Travellers’ Benevolent Institution. The charity has supported people working in B2B sales for over 175 years. With a legacy of helping people through hardship, the charity provides financial support during difficult times.

Before partnering with Lightning Reach, Laura faced significant challenges in managing applications. Every submission, even those that were ineligible, had to be reviewed manually.

“I inherited a system that had been upgraded over the years but not to its full potential. It didn’t make my life easy and, more importantly, wasn’t the best experience for applicants. Every application, even the ineligible ones, had to be read manually. It was overwhelming.”

With rising demand and limited resources, she needed a smarter, more efficient way to manage an increasing workload, all while running the charity single-handedly.

Efficiency through automation

Before using Lightning Reach, there was no way to screen out ineligible applicants. It could take up to an hour just to determine that someone didn’t qualify.

Since adopting the portal, the charity’s process has been transformed. Applicants are now asked key eligibility questions at the start, filtering out those who don’t meet the criteria before they even submit. Laura can easily identify which applications are ready for review, with no time spent on those that don’t meet the charity’s criteria.

“Since going live with Lightning Reach, 272 people were filtered out as ineligible before they even reached me. That’s at least 272 hours of my time saved.”

Increasing grant-making, backed by better data

Previously, the charity’s grant-giving approach was cautious, with average awards around £1200. Due to limited financial data, it was challenging to assess applicants’ true needs, often resulting in limited support.

With Lightning Reach, the charity now benefits from more robust applicant data and clearer insights, enabling faster, more confident decisions. Key features include:

• Open Banking - providing real-time access to applicants’ bank statements, making it easier to verify income, identify spending patterns, and detect fraud.

• Automated ID verification - confirming applicant identities up front, helping to reduce the risk of fraud and ensure trust in the application process.

  
  

“It’s very hard to establish due diligence with just PDFs and screenshots. With Lightning Reach I can see real-time spending trends and patterns - the full landscape which yes, throws up red flags but also gives us the green light to lean in and support”

By gaining deeper visibility into applicants’ financial situations and needs, the charity has been able to increase its average grant size to £3,150 (almost triple the previous amount). This allows for more sustained and meaningful support.

Consistency and fairness in every decision

Lightning Reach has introduced a more consistent, objective way of assessing applications. By replacing manual reviews and ad hoc communication with a structured process, the charity ensures all applicants are treated fairly – with clear criteria, no leading questions, and decisions based on data, not instinct.

“It’s a professional platform that helps us stay consistent. Everyone is treated the same, every decision is clearly recorded.”

Shaping the future of grant-making

“Can we afford not to do this?”

That’s the question Laura now puts to trustees when they reflect on the charity’s transformation. From time saved and fraud prevented to greater confidence in award decisions, Lightning Reach has helped create a more streamlined, secure, and scalable way to deliver support.

“When you count the time saved, the fraud avoided, and the quality of support we’re giving now, it’s not a cost. It’s a necessity.”

Join us

Want to find out more about how Lightning Reach can help your organisation? Get in touch via www.lightningreach.org/partners