The Grant Management Tools Every Team Should Consider

Grant management spans deadline tracking, document organization, budget monitoring, and compliance with funder requirements. This can actually be confusing as the term 'grant management' traditionally has referred to only post-award management of award grants. This guide outlines common tool categories, typical use cases, strengths and limitations, and a framework for selecting an appropriate mix for different organizational contexts.

Foundational Toolkit (Low-Cost, High-Control)

These tools provide a practical starting point and remain useful components even as portfolios grow. These are tools that can be creating with existing software that most organizations already have. 

Grant Calendar Systems

Common options include Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar. A centralized grants calendar with standardized color codes (for example, applications, reports, and monitoring events) supports shared visibility and predictable workflows.

Strengths

• Widely available and low cost

• Easy shared visibility across teams

• Multiple reminder intervals reduce deadline risk

Limitations

• Manual maintenance to keep dates current

• Not purpose-built for grants (limited metadata and linkage to tasks/documents)

• Risk of fragmented calendars across departments

Recommended Practices

• Maintain a single, shared grants calendar

• Standardize color codes and naming conventions

• Use staggered reminders (e.g., 30/14/7 days)

The Grant Project has created a Grant Tracker tool for your use! Check out our resources page for more information.

Spreadsheets for Tracking

Excel and Google Sheets are commonly used to track opportunity pipelines, active awards, budgets, and document checklists.

Strengths

• High flexibility and rapid customization

• Low cost and broad familiarity

• Useful for small portfolios and prototyping processes

Limitations

• Version control and error risk without strict discipline

• Limited audit trails and field-level controls

• Scalability constraints for larger portfolios or complex compliance

Risk Mitigations

• Store in a shared cloud location with permissions

• Apply data validation, filters, and structured templates

• Back up on a consistent schedule

Document Management Basics

Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive can serve as centralized repositories for application materials, award documents, and reporting files. Some organizations may also have SharePoint to create teams and specific use sites for data management. 

Strengths

• Centralized storage, sharing, and search

• Basic version history and recovery

• Familiar interfaces and quick adoption

Limitations

• Inconsistent naming conventions hinder retrieval

• Limited native workflow automation

• Permissions sprawl without governance

Recommended Practices

• Define a folder taxonomy (or naming convention) by funder, program/project, and fiscal year

• Use standard file naming (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD_Funder_DocumentType)

• Create template folders for new grants

Basic Budget Tracking

QuickBooks Online or spreadsheet-based tracking can handle smaller grant portfolios when maintained consistently.

Strengths

• Accessible tools with familiar reporting

• Supports basic categorization and reconciliation

Limitations

• Grant-specific tagging (e.g., restricted funds, cost-share) may be limited

• Allocation of shared costs may require manual steps

• Reconciliation effort increases with portfolio size

Mid-Level Solutions

When portfolios expand or cross-functional coordination increases, additional structure and automation provide value.

Project Management Platforms

Platforms such as Asana, Monday, Trello, and ClickUp facilitate task assignment, timelines, and reusable workflows across pre- and post-award activities. All of these tools have their own strengths and weaknesses. It's important to find the tool that works best for your team and, most importantly, that they will use. 

Strengths

• Templates, dependencies, notifications, and dashboards

• Broad integrations with email, storage, and communication tools

• Improves visibility across teams and stages

Limitations

• Not grant-specific; post-award financial/compliance features are limited

• Per-seat costs can scale with team size

• Requires ongoing administrative ownership and governance

Enhanced Document Systems

SharePoint and Box offer stronger governance, workflows, and security for document-centric processes.

Strengths

• Version control with check-in/out and metadata

• Approval workflows and retention policies

• Granular permissions and enterprise security features

Limitations

• Configuration complexity and change management requirements

• Training and adoption time

• Licensing and storage costs

Integrated Financial Tools

Upgrading QuickBooks tiers or using tools like FreshBooks can improve project-based visibility and reporting.

Strengths

• Project/class tracking and custom reporting

• Integrations with data visualization and payroll/expenses

Limitations

• Limited native support for grant-specific requirements (e.g., indirect cost rates, subaward tracking)

• May require add-ons or workarounds for complex compliance scenarios

Advanced Grant Management Software

Dedicated platforms support the full lifecycle from discovery and applications to post-award management and compliance.

Comprehensive Platforms

AmpliFund: Built for public sector and compliance-heavy environments, with strong alignment to federal requirements, configurable workflows, and robust reporting.

Strengths

• Compliance features, audit-ready records, role-based permissions

Limitations

• Steeper learning curve; higher total cost of ownership; configuration effort

GrantHub: Designed for nonprofit grant tracking with intuitive interfaces and deadline management, plus research assistance and templates.

Strengths

• Ease of use, purpose-built fields, reminders

Limitations

• Less comprehensive for complex post-award compliance; limited advanced financial controls

AI-Enabled Solutions

OpenGrants: Uses AI to match organizations with relevant opportunities and assist with drafting narrative components.

• Strengths: Faster opportunity discovery; drafting support for standard sections

• Limitations: Draft quality varies; human review remains essential; data privacy and confidentiality require due diligence

Submittable: Workflow automation and intelligent routing primarily for application intake and reviews (commonly used by grantmakers). Grantee teams may use it to track submissions and communications.

• Strengths: Streamlined intake, staged reviews, clear audit trails for reviewers

• Limitations: Not a full post-award financial/compliance system; role is narrower for grantee organizations

Indicators It Is Time to Upgrade

• Administrative overhead exceeds program work due to manual updates and reconciliation

• Missed or near-missed deadlines indicate visibility gaps

• Teams operate from conflicting document versions or lack a single source of truth

• Compliance requirements outpace available audit trails and controls

• Portfolio growth (volume, value, or complexity) stresses current tools and processes

Selection Criteria and Decision Framework

Evaluate tools against organizational context and constraints:

• Scope and scale: number of active grants, complexity (federal vs. private), and internal/external stakeholders

• Team capacity: administrative ownership, training needs, and comfort with configuration

• Integration: interoperability with calendars, storage, accounting, CRM, and communication platforms

• Compliance and auditability: permissions, version history, activity logs, and documentation standards

• Reporting: dashboards, scheduled reports, exports, and flexibility to meet funder requirements

• Data governance: security, access controls, retention, and privacy considerations

• Total cost of ownership: licenses, implementation, training, change management, and ongoing administration

• Scalability: ability to add modules, users, and workflows without re-platforming

Building a Toolkit Roadmap

A phased approach supports stability and scalability. Understanding the costs and implementation timeline can impact which tools you choose for your organization's success. Here are some recommendations:

Phase 1: Foundation (approximately 0–10 active grants)

• Shared calendar system

• Cloud-based document storage with standardized taxonomy

• Grant tracking spreadsheet

• Basic accounting software

Phase 2: Growth (approximately 10–25 active grants)

• Project management platform with reusable workflows

• Enhanced document management with version control

• Automated reminders and shared dashboards

• Integrated financial tracking with project/class coding

Phase 3: Scale (25+ active grants or complex compliance)

• Dedicated grant management software

• Advanced reporting and audit-ready records

• AI-enabled discovery and drafting support

• Enterprise-level security, backup, and governance

An effective grant management stack reduces administrative burden, strengthens compliance, and improves decision-making. Most organizations benefit from an incremental path: stabilize a foundational layer, then add project management, document governance, and financial integration as portfolios grow, with specialized grant platforms introduced when compliance and scale require them.

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