Grants can feel complicated. Each one has different requirements, a different due date, a different way to submit...that's a lot to keep track of. That's where a grant management software solution comes in. It streamlines your workflow so you can apply for more grants more efficiently. In this article, we'll look at 10 of the top grant management software options available to both grant seekers and grant makers.
Many nonprofits look for grant funding from the start. Grants can provide the necessary funds if your organization needs help with startup costs, new technology, program funding, or operating funds.
Grant providers and grant seekers need a grant management system and the right software to ensure your system meets your organization’s needs.
In this article, we’ve included a list of the top ten grant management software options for both.
Grant management is the life cycle of finding, prioritizing, processing, and completing grant applications from beginning to end.
Grantmakers set strategic goals that fit their mission and are responsible for evaluating applications and awarding grants that fit their goals. On the other hand, grant seekers collect internal information, search, and apply for grants that fit their needs. Both must also track how the nonprofit complies with regulations and how the grant affects their organization.
Grant management software assists nonprofits with all the steps involved in grant management. It can help nonprofits find and apply for grants, track their finances, and comply with grantmaker expectations. The software can also help grantmakers collect applications, track outcomes, and automate communications with nonprofits.
There are several options nonprofits have when researching grant management software. Some are part of larger online donation tools; others were created solely for grantmakers and grant seekers.
Grant management tools can help you:
We’ve added tips to help you choose the right grant management software in this blog. First, let us explore the top 10 options to choose from.
The following 10 grant management software are either parts of larger online donation and CRM tools for nonprofits or were created solely for grant management purposes.
Salesforce is one of the largest nonprofit SaaS companies with online donation tools for fundraising, donation management, and more. Salesforce’s grant management system lets nonprofits track, manage, and deliver grant funding. Grantmakers and grant seekers can use this tool to track, manage, and deliver paperwork and funding.
Nonprofits can sign up for a demo and visit Salesforce’s pricing page for more details on its features. Salesforce’s Grants Management module is $2,100 a year.
Features of this package include –
Donorbox helps you integrate with Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack and Nonprofit Cloud to manage your donor data and use the same for other significant tasks. Here’s a guide to help you learn about the process (along with features, FAQs, and more). We also have a quick video to visually explain the simple integration process to you. Watch it here –
Foundant is an online donation tool that offers separate programs for community foundations, grantmakers, scholarship providers, and nonprofits. Unlike other companies on this list, Foundant’s entire focus is on grants and scholarships. This singular focus lets them offer more options for grantmakers and grant seekers.
Foundant’s grantmaker program is designed for funders of all sizes. They’ve created a streamlined process for funders to track applications, communicate with nonprofits, and analyze how well funds are being used.
Grantmakers can sign up for a demo and call for pricing.
Foundant offers another intuitive system for grant seekers through GrantHub that helps nonprofits:
GrantHub’s Pre-Award Grant Management package is $129 a month for various research, fund relationships, grant management, and report features. GrantHub also has a pro package for $249 a month (billed annually). Nonprofits can request a demo or sign up for a free trial to try it out.
Bloomerang is a nonprofit tool that includes fundraising, email marketing, surveys, and more. Another significant area Bloomerang can help nonprofits with is grant management.
Bloomerang lets nonprofits track applications, essential deadlines, awards, rejections, and payments in one place. Tracking grants through Bloomerang can help nonprofits find connections between individuals and potential grant makers.
Grant seekers can also use Bloomerang’s Sustainability Scorecard to assess and analyze their organization’s financial and program data and quickly answer grant makers’ questions.
You can sign up for a demo or make a call to learn more about their plans.
Amplifund is a grant management software that streamlines the grant process for
This software lets grantmakers expand their mission and impact by helping them:
Grant seekers can also use Amplifund to find grant opportunities and remain compliant with federal legislation.
Amplifund bases prices on the organizations’ needs. Grantmakers and grant seekers can count on consistent annual costs and unlimited users.
Fluxx is grant management software built for and by grantmakers. Thanks to this background, they have features designed solely for grant making, including –
Fluxx provides one place to collect submissions and to make approval easy, deadlines clear, data accessible, and impact visible. Grantmakers use Fluxx to create a customizable grant process, assign tasks to team members, receive in-app and email deadline notifications, and integrate with other tools, like Microsoft Office, Salesforce, GuideStar, and DocuSign.
Fluxx lets grantmakers create impact boards and program reports and monitor progress against budget goals. They can also connect with other grantmakers using Fluxx to share best practices, tips, and tricks.
Grantmakers can sign up for a demo and learn more about pricing.
Fluxx also has plans for grant seekers with a free basic plan that lets nonprofits manage unlimited grants, requests, and payments, assign unlimited tasks, and track and share their impact with funders.
Additional paid plans start at $14.99 monthly with a free trial and offer more integration and interactive options.
Eleo is an online donation processor with features including a donor database, events management, website donation forms, volunteer management, and grant management. Eleo’s grant management system is included with a monthly subscription. It helps nonprofits record and track grant applications and awards in one place.
Nonprofits can use Eleo to –
Packages with Eleo start at $39 a month for up to 2,500 donor records. There is no free package, but Eleo does offer Opportunity Grants to nonprofits on a case-by-case basis.
DonationXchange has a customizable grants management system that lets grantmakers and grant seekers automate –
Grantmakers can also develop digital pre-check questionnaires that fit their organization’s programs and mission, review and track applications, and assess and review multiple applications.
Grant seekers can also use DonationXchange to –
Sign up for a demo to learn more about their prices.
Submittable is a grant management software made for grantmakers. This software aims to ensure grant makers save an average of twelve hours a week. They pride themselves on supplying a streamlined process that helps grantmakers, applicants, and reviewers with –
With Submittable, grantmakers can create forms, review applications, notify recipients, distribute funds, and report and measure impact. They have starter, pro, and enterprise packages.
Get a quote and learn about more features and prices.
GovGrants is a leading enterprise-level grant management software for the complete grant life cycle. Federal, state, and local governments use GovGrants to create branded portals with custom content and automate their grant management process from beginning to end. GovGrants also connects available grant funds and state budgets to ensure accurate reporting.
Grantmakers and grant seekers can contact GovGrants for a free demo and to learn more about pricing.
TrailBlazer has tools for nonprofits, campaigns, and PACs. Its CRM system lets you manage documents in a centralized location, track finances, store letters, and grant proposals, and keep track of conversations, emails, and letters.
Their shared calendar lets you track all grant deadlines and assign tasks for team members.
Set-up fees with TrailBlazer start at $295. After that, nonprofits with fewer than 500 contacts pay $50 a month.
According to their website, TrailBlazer provides all-in-one pricing, no upgrades or modules, and every software enhancement is free.
Before choosing grant management software for your nonprofit, you must keep a few things in mind.
Most nonprofit donation processors integrate with other fundraising and marketing tools. Many grant management software offers the same. You’ll want to find software that works with your existing donor database to ensure a seamless transition.
For example, Donorbox seamlessly integrates with Salesforce to help you more effectively manage your donor data and use it for other significant tasks. It’s a simple 4-step process and Donorbox is there to help you every step of the way. Here are our blogs to get you started.
The primary reason to purchase grant management software is to save time. If it takes hours to set up and understand a new grant management software system, you’ve defeated the purpose.
When researching new software, make sure their system is easy to navigate, and dashboards are easy to find and understand.
Grant management software should also include training and a way to get help with any questions. You may also want to check how helpful and prompt their support team is. Eventually, this helps whenever you stumble upon an issue.
Grantmakers and grant seekers must collect and store financial and program details throughout the grant process. Your software should make it easy to store and find this information.
The feature you must look for is if you can integrate this tool with your existing management tools. Alternatively, you can also ask if it lets you add data manually if your integration doesn’t work. In the case of manual adding, ensure the steps are simple for all to understand.
Finally, automation is the best way to limit time spent on administrative duties. When searching for grant management software, find one that automatically updates your calendar and sets and tracks deadlines, team member tasks, and reminders.
Usually, management software also lets team members communicate online right on the tool and keeps track of them. This helps especially when you’re working remotely and when there’s change within the team. Be sure to look for a way to store and track all communications.
Grant management can be time-consuming and confusing. However, listening to experts always helps. Check out this podcast episode to learn from the personal experiences of the founder and CEO of Instrumentl, Gauri Manglik.
Grant management software provides automated and streamlined systems for grantmakers and grant seekers. Once you’ve found the best grant management software for your organization, you can move on to finding the right grants, creating proposals, and tracking how grants support your organization.
We have written more articles on finding technology and government grants. This is not all – we have an array of insightful guides, grant-related blogs, fundraising tips and best practices, and downloadable resources on the Donorbox Nonprofit Blog. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the best resources directly in your inbox every month.
Donorbox connects with thousands of accounting, CRM, marketing, and other tools to help run your nonprofit better. Our fundraising features are simple to use and free to get started. Sign up for free and get started right away!
Kristine Ensor is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience working with local and international nonprofits. As a nonprofit professional she has specialized in fundraising, marketing, event planning, volunteer management, and board development.
Subscribe to our e-newsletter to receive the latest blogs, news, and more in your inbox.
Kristine Ensor