Managing grants effectively can make or break a nonprofit's impact. From researching opportunities to tracking deadlines and ensuring compliance, the grant management process often overwhelms organizations trying to secure vital funding for their mission.
Grant management software has become essential for modern nonprofits, transforming complex grant processes into streamlined workflows.
In this article, we’ll look at the features and benefits of different grant management systems to help you secure the best grants for your nonprofit.
7 best grant management tools for nonprofits
- Foundant GrantHub Pro
- Grant Lifecycle Manager
- Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud
- Instrumentl
- Grantseeker (formerly Fluxx Grantseeker)
- AmpliFund Grant Seeker
- GEMS
Why is a grant management system important for nonprofits?
Grant management software is a tool that helps organizations manage the entire process of applying for and managing grants. It makes it easier to keep track of applications, deadlines, and funding sources.
These tools enable nonprofits to store important documents, track budgets, and monitor spending, allowing them to easily see how much money they have left and ensure they are using it properly.
Benefits of using a grant management tool
- Centralized grant tracking: Monitor all grants in one place, from application to closeout
- Automated deadline management: Never miss critical dates with built-in reminders
- Enhanced compliance: Stay on top of reporting requirements and spending guidelines
- Improved collaboration: Enable team members to work together seamlessly on applications
- Better resource allocation: Track budget utilization and prevent overspending
- Increased success rates: Learn from past applications and improve future submissions
- Time savings: Reduce manual data entry and administrative tasks
- Data-driven decisions: Generate insights from past performance to guide strategy
- Simplified reporting: Create professional reports quickly for stakeholders
- Risk reduction: Maintain audit trails and ensure proper documentation
7 best grant management tools for nonprofits
1. Foundant GrantHub Pro
Foundant GrantHub Pro is a grant management tool for nonprofits and consultants. It helps organizations find and manage grants more easily. This software is especially useful for state, local, and tribal governments, educational institutions, and healthcare organizations.
2. Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud
Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud for Grantmaking combines grant management with customer relationship management (CRM). This tool helps nonprofits manage donations, programs, and results all in one place. It's highly customizable and offers comprehensive reporting features.
3. Grant Lifecycle Manager
Grant Lifecycle Manager is a cloud-based tool that streamlines the entire grantmaking process, helping foundations manage funding activities securely.
4. Instrumentl
Instrumentl focuses on helping nonprofits find and track grants, using smart matching to connect organizations with the best funding opportunities. The software also provides reminders for tasks and deadlines, helping users stay organized.
5. Grantseeker (formerly Fluxx Grantseeker)
Grantseeker is an easy-to-use tool for managing grants and helps you track requests, payments, and deadlines to keep everything organized. It also has a strong search feature to find new funding sources, making the grant-seeking process simpler and more effective.
6. AmpliFund Grant Seeker
AmpliFund Grant Seeker is designed to manage grants, helping you easily track reporting deadlines and compliance. It keeps you organized throughout the grant process, making it great for state, local, and government agencies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and healthcare organizations.
7. GEMS
GEMS grant management software was developed by grant writers who understand the challenges of staying organized. It allows you to monitor pre- and post-award management. The tool also generates instant reports and helps you quickly analyze results.
Top 10 features to look for in grant management tools
1. User-friendly interface
A grant management platform should prioritize ease of use through clear navigation, simple workflows, and minimal complexity. The interface should help users:
- Find key information quickly with logical menu structures
- Complete common tasks without extensive training
- Access visual dashboards that highlight important metrics
- Navigate between features smoothly without confusion
Look for software that emphasizes clarity and simplicity while maintaining powerful functionality.
2. Access controls
Security is critical for nonprofits. Choose software that offers role-based permissions, allowing team members to access only the information necessary for their roles.
Multi-factor authentication adds another layer of security, requiring users to provide more than one form of verification before accessing sensitive data.
Together, these features help protect your organization’s important information, reduce the risk of internal data breaches, and ensure that only the right people have access to sensitive materials.
3. Compliance and auditing tools
The tool should have audit trails and grant management system logs to keep track of actions, making it easier for both internal and external audits.
Third-party security certifications, like SOC-2 compliance, also help confirm that the software has strong security measures in place.
4. Grant tracking
The grant management software should let you set and manage multiple deadlines for each grant so you don’t miss important dates. Real-time budget tracking helps you stay compliant with financial rules while helping with accurate reporting of expenses.
5. Application management
A grant management platform transforms how organizations handle their grant applications from start to finish. Modern solutions offer centralized document libraries where teams can store and access templates, supporting materials, and past successful applications.
The best systems also auto-populate common fields across applications, saving time and reducing errors, while built-in checklists and progress tracking ensure no critical components are missed during the submission process.
6. Reporting and analytics
The software should let you create custom reports on grant activities, success rates, and funding sources, which will help you understand your organization's performance.
Dashboards can show key data clearly, making it easy to see important numbers. Plus, being able to share and schedule reports helps keep your board and stakeholders informed about your progress.
7. Donor and funder management
Building strong relationships with donors and funders is very important.
The software should help you create profiles for each donor and funder so you can easily track your interactions with them. It should also allow you to store important messages and notes, which can help you manage relationships better and discover new grant opportunities.
8. Integrations
The true power of grant management software lies in its ability to connect with your existing tools and systems.
Modern platforms should seamlessly integrate with your accounting software to track grant funds, sync with your CRM to manage funder relationships and connect with calendar systems to maintain deadline awareness.
Look for software that offers both native integrations with popular nonprofit tools and API access for custom connections.
9. Collaboration features
Collaboration tools are important for helping team members work together smoothly on grant applications and projects. Shared workspaces allow multiple users to access and edit documents simultaneously.
Communication features, like built-in messaging or discussion boards, help with teamwork by making it easy to ask questions and share updates.
10. Customer support
Good customer support helps fix problems quickly; look for software that offers training resources, like tutorials and guides, so your team can learn to use it effectively.
Responsive help is also important; choose software that provides quick assistance when needed to ensure your team can maximize its features.
Choosing the right grants management software for your nonprofit
- Attend a demo: Book a personalized demo to explore the software's capabilities in real-time. Come prepared with specific scenarios from your grant process and evaluate how well the platform aligns with your workflow.
- Read reviews: Read user reviews on sites like Capterra or G2. These reviews give you insights from people who have used the software.
- Assess features: Identify essential features you need, like budget tracking and reporting.
- Check integrations: Determine if the software integrates well with the tools you already use, such as your CRM or accounting software. Seamless integration can save time and prevent data loss.
- Evaluate support: Look into the customer support options available and check if they offer live chat, email support, or phone assistance.
- Consider pricing: Compare pricing plans and make sure they fit your budget while meeting your needs.
- Involve your team: Get input from team members who will use the software. Their input can highlight important features they need and any challenges they foresee.
Final words on grant management software
Selecting the right grant management software is a crucial investment in your nonprofit's future, streamlining operations, improving collaboration, and helping secure more funding for your mission.
Whether you're a small nonprofit starting your grant journey or an established organization looking to upgrade your systems, focus on finding software that matches your specific needs and growth trajectory.
