Top 9 Grant Management Software & FAQ Guide for Nonprofits
What is grant management software?
Grant management software refers to technology used to streamline the handling of grant funds. The overarching grant management process involves intensive record keeping, aligning with agreed-upon project timelines, adhering to reporting deadlines, and tracking project outcomes and impact.
The right grant management software makes it easier to juggle these responsibilities, allowing your team to maximize the potential of grant funding and stay accountable to funders. However, grant management tools come in many shapes and sizes with different functionalities. This guide will walk you through our top choices so you can determine the appropriate platform for your organization’s needs.
Want to learn more about the grant management software selection process? Jump to the sections below for more answers to common grant tool questions and recommendations for improving your entire grant workflow.
| Provider | Small Nonprofits | Mid-Sized Nonprofits | Large Nonprofits | Integrated with Double the Donation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomerang | ||||
| Neon One | ||||
| Fundly | ||||
| Trail Blazer | ||||
| NonprofitPlus | ||||
| DonorPerfect | ||||
| Denali Fund | ||||
| QuickBooks | ||||
| Fund EZ |
Bloomerang
Overview
With Bloomerang’s grant management software, you can track grant applications, due dates, submission dates, awards, rejections, and payments in one platform. Plus, Bloomerang’s relationship tracking capabilities allow you to visualize connections between certain individuals and organizations in your database, helping you identify new grant opportunities.
Bloomerang’s grant management software is part of a larger suite of tools—including features for donor, member, and volunteer management, fundraising, and marketing—that your nonprofit can use to maximize funds and engage with different stakeholders. Bloomerang’s pricing starts at $125/month, with additional add-ons available.Why We Love It
Pricing
Neon One
Overview
Neon One allows your nonprofit to track every step in the grant process in one easy-to-use dashboard. Since applying for grants is a team effort, Neon One has created a tool that lets your staff seamlessly work together by assigning separate tasks and setting deadlines. Their grantmaking tools will help you stay organized and efficient so that you can apply for and receive more grants.
Neon also offers additional nonprofit fundraising software and web design services. Neon One’s pricing starts at $99/month.Why We Love It
Pricing
Fundly
Overview
Fundly realizes that tracking grant proposals can be tricky without the right tools. That’s why they’ve created a system that makes it easier. Their software allows you to set deadlines and edit multiple grant profiles simultaneously.
You can pair Fundly’s grantmaking features with their other powerful fundraising tools so your nonprofit can raise even more funds for your cause! Fundly has a 0% platform fee for organizers, and their payment partner Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.40 per transaction for credit card processing.Why We Love It
Pricing
Trail Blazer
Overview
Trail Blazer is a fundraising software provider that can offer your nonprofit tools to track grants. With Trail Blazer, you can store proposal documents and track the status of each grant. That way, you know which grants you’re still applying for and which ones you’ve already received.
Trail Blazer includes a shared calendar feature, which allows you to track deadlines and everyone’s tasks in one place. Trail Blazer’s pricing starts at $50/month for less than 500 contacts, with setup fees ranging from $295 to $495.Why We Love It
Pricing
NonprofitPlus
Overview
NonprofitPlus believes that grant tracking is often overlooked in most nonprofit accounting software, and its mission is to incorporate grants into the rest of your financial tools. If you use their accounting system, your grant information won’t be separate. Instead, the platform will use it to update your nonprofit’s budget and expenses so that you have the most accurate information.
NonprofitPlus has tools that can track each grant’s reporting requirements and send you deadlines so you never forget. Contact NonprofitPlus for pricing details.Why We Love It
Pricing
DonorPerfect
Overview
DonorPerfect is a nonprofit management system that offers grant-tracking tools, allowing you to track grants you’re currently applying for and the ones you have already received. Additionally, you can create foundation profiles to record your interactions with a particular foundation.
DonorPerfect’s nonprofit management software integrates with Double the Donation! DonorPerfect’s pricing starts at $99/month.Why We Love It
Pricing
Cougar Mountain Software Denali Fund
Overview
Cougar Mountain Software created a platform called Denali Fund so nonprofits could manage their fundraising and grants. With its tools, your nonprofit can track all your grants, even if they have different calendar years. Additionally, you can set up customized reports to track each grant’s remaining funds.
Denali Fund offers other accounting features through its grant management software. You can add on as many features as you need. Contact Denali for pricing details.Why We Love It
Pricing
QuickBooks
Overview
Although QuickBooks isn’t made specifically for nonprofits, you can still use their tools to track grants. They have features that allow you to record the grants you receive and include those funds in your expenses and budgets. Plus, they have a feature that lets you track matching grants.
QuickBooks offers nonprofit training so you can customize their tools to meet your nonprofit’s needs. QuickBooks’ pricing starts at $35/month.Why We Love It
Pricing
Fund EZ
Overview
Fund EZ has created an easy-to-use dashboard that lets you track your grant proposals and attach documents to each account. You can also link the grants you receive to their budget feature, which enables you to see how much money you have left and what expenses you used the funds for.
Fund EZ also includes other accounting features to keep your funds and expenses organized and in one location. Contact Fund EZ for pricing details.Why We Love It
Pricing
What key features should I look for in grant management tools?
While grant management tools may have many functionalities, the main features to look for include the following:
- Financial management and budgeting. Track and allocate awarded funds to different areas of your project, including personnel and non-personnel expenses, indirect costs, and matching funds. Ensure you’re using funds responsibly and per funders’ requirements.
- Report generation. Communicate more effectively with funders by developing financial and progress reports. Customize these reports to your organization and funders’ needs, and leverage automation for quick, consistent reporting.
- Performance monitoring and impact analysis. In addition to financials, funders also want to know how their funds and your projects have impacted your community. The best grant management tools allow you to measure and share the positive effects of your nonprofit’s grant funding.
On top of these basic features, some platforms may offer other tools, including workflow automation, scheduling, and communication capabilities. Others may even support other parts of the grant seeking process via grant discovery, research, and writing tools.
How do I choose the right grant management software?
The right grant management software will depend on your nonprofit’s unique needs. To align your team on the most important factors to look for, FreeWill recommends asking yourself the following questions:
- What are our organization’s grant management needs?
- What are our current grant management challenges?
- What are our immediate and long-term grant management goals?
- What are the most essential features we need?
- What are the nice-to-have but not essential features we want?
Additionally, your team should consider the cost of potential software providers and your team’s capacity to implement and leverage the software. For instance, a slightly more expensive platform may be worth the investment if the provider includes training and support within the package that will help your team succeed.
It all comes down to return on investment (ROI). While grant management software can simplify your operations, it also requires financial and time commitments, especially during the implementation process.
Whether you choose to use grant management tools and the specific platform you select should depend on the net benefits your organization will receive and whether those benefits are worth the associated costs. Take the time to conduct a cost-benefit analysis to assess the best grant management path for your nonprofit.
How do I improve other parts of my grants strategy?
Grant management is just one of three main parts of your grants strategy. Before grant management, you must obtain the grant itself, which involves grant writing.
When it comes to enhancing your grant writing strategy, artificial intelligence (AI) is truly changing the game. Nonprofits are increasingly using purpose-built platforms designed to support grant writing and more general generative AI tools like ChatGPT to conduct research, analyze data, refine language choices, and organize proposals.
Of course, relying on AI tools comes with its own set of risks. When leveraging AI during the grant writing process, take care to correct any inaccurate outputs, avoid using sensitive data, and ensure responses align with your organization’s values.
After you’ve secured your grant, grant management comes into play. As mentioned before, using dedicated tools scaled to your needs can help you allocate and report on grant funding more efficiently and effectively.
Stewardship is the final piece of your grants strategy. Just as you build and maintain relationships with donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders, use your CRM or database to store funder information and keep in touch with them. For instance, you may establish a communication cadence in which you send regular impact updates to funders and invite them to special appreciation events.
Additional Resources
Top 21 Nonprofit CRMs
A CRM is a must-have tool for any nonprofit looking to better manage supporter relationships.
Check out our recommended options.
Guide to Challenge Grants
With challenge grants, your nonprofit can potentially double your funds just by continuing your current fundraising! Want to know how it works?
Check out our ultimate guide to challenge grants and learn how you can apply for them.
Volunteer Grant Companies
Volunteer grants let your nonprofit earn money from corporations when their employees volunteer.
Learn about the top companies that offer volunteer grants.
