Contents

• Overview 
• What is Smart Summary? 
• Step-By-Step Instructions
  • Add a Customized Smart Summary Prompt to an Intake Round
    • Tips for Writing Clear Prompts
  • Generate a Smart Summary
• What Happens If You Change Prompts Later
• Related Articles
   

Overview

This article shows Program Admins how to set up and use the AI‑powered Smart Summary feature in Next.

⚠️ Beta Notice: Smart Summary is currently in Beta. Only organizations that have signed the Beta Agreement can have this feature turned on. To get started, please contact Customer Success. 
 

🎥 Quick Video Walkthrough 

Watch this short video for a quick overview of Smart Summary & Smart Reviewer. 

What is Smart Summary?

Smart Summary is an AI tool that creates a short snapshot of an application based on prompts you write. 

It highlights key details you want from applications and displays the summary at the bottom of each application after it's generated. 

• Who Can Use Smart Summary
   
  • Can create prompts:
    • Organization Owners
    • Program Owners
    • Program Managers
  • Can generate summaries in applications (Intake Forms):
    • Organization Owners
    • Program Owners
    • Program Managers
    • Program Staff

📌Note: Reviewers can view Smart Summaries once they’re generated, but they cannot generate them.
 

Step-By-Step Instructions 

Add a Customized Smart Summary Prompt to an Intake Round

You can add a customized Smart Summary prompt to any intake round in the Workflow Builder.

1. Open the program, then click the gear icon to the far right of the cycle to open Cycle Settings. 
   
   
    
2. In Cycle Settings, click Workflow in the top menu, then select Workflow Builder from the left menu.  
   
   
    
3. In the Workflow Builder, click Expand+ in the upper-right corner of the review round to open its settings.
   
   
   
   📌Note: If you need help setting up the other parts of the Intake Round, see ➡️ Set Up an Intake Round. 
    
4. Locate the Smart Application Summary Prompt section at the bottom of the Intake Round pop-up and review the default prompt.
   
   
    
5. To customize the prompt, delete the default text and enter your own prompt. 
   
   💡For help creating effective prompts, see the section above Tips for Writing Clear Prompts.
    
   
    
6. Click Next Round in the bottom-right corner to save your changes.
   
   
   
   📌Notes: 

• If you have multiple Intake Rounds and want to use Smart Summary in all of them, you must set up a prompt for each round.
• Your prompt applies to all applications submitted to that Intake Round in the cycle.
• You can edit the Smart Summary prompt during testing and after publishing.
• If you duplicate the award cycle at a future date, the Smart Summary prompt you added to the Review Round(s) will automatically carry over.

7. After adding the prompt, you’ll need to generate a Smart Summary for each application after its submitted. See the section below Generate a Smart Summary.
 

Tips for Writing Clear Prompts

Prompts tell the system what information you want it to pull from an application. Write prompts the same way you'd give directions to a helpful coworker: simple, direct, and focused on what matters for your review.

• Describe what the system will be looking at: A short line of context helps the system stay on track. (Example: “You will be presented with a grant application for an arts program”)
   
• Be direct about what you want the system to do: Tell it the task in plain language. (Example: “You are helping reviewers identify the key points”)
   
• Be clear about the type of answer you want: Say whether you want a short summary, bullet points, or another format. (Example: “Summarize the applicant’s community impact in 3 sentences”)
   
• Focus on your review criteria: Base your prompt on what your team actually evaluates, such as financial need, impact, project goals, etc. 
   
• Use plain, neutral language: Avoid words that sound like opinions, such as “strong candidate” or “impressive.” Neutral wording keeps summaries fair and consistent.

💡Example Prompt: 

You will be presented with an application for a community project grant. Your role is to help reviewers quickly understand the applicant’s project and how well it fits the goals of the grant program.

In 3-4 bullet‑point sentences, summarize:

• The project the applicant plans to carry out and the key activities or responsibilities involved.
• The community need or problem the project addresses.
• Who will benefit and how the project supports the goals of the grant program.
• Any details the applicant provides about their budget or financial need.

Base the summary only on information included in the application. Use clear, neutral language and avoid adding interpretation.

Generate a Smart Summary

Smart Summaries can be generated from applications in either an intake or review round. 

1. In the program, click the cycle name to open the cycle. 
   
   
    
2. In the award cycle, select the intake or review round from the left-hand menu. 
   
   
    
3. Click a hyperlinked Applicant ID or Name to open an application.
   
   
4. At the top of the application, click the lightbulb icon .

⚠️IMPORTANT: You must click the lightbulb icon for each application you want summarized. If you do not click the icon, a Smart Summary will not be generated or visible to anyone.
 

• After you click the lightbulb icon, the message “Generating smart summary…” will appear.
  
  
   
• When the summary is ready, a confirmation message appears in the bottom‑left corner: “Generate smart summary successful.”
   
• The Smart Summary section loads at the bottom of the application. This summary will be visible to reviewers and admins in applications that are opened in any intake and review round. 
  
  💡Tip: On a long application, jump to the Smart Summary section by clicking “More…” in the Sections list at the top of the application and selecting “Smart Summary.”
  
  

What Happens If You Change Prompts Later?

• If you change your prompt at a later date, Smart Summaries you already generated will remain as they are.
• Any new summaries you generate—on new or previously submitted applications—will use the updated prompt.
• Each time you generate a new summary on an application, the previous one is replaced.
   

Related Articles

➡️ Setting Up & Using Smart Reviewer

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