Grant Writing Calendar: How to Better Manage Your Grants

The anxiety that stems from the thought of "missing grant submission deadlines" is enough to keep anyone up at night. 

Just take the unfortunate news headline that the city of Oakland lost millions of funding dollars due to a missed deadline.

This is a stark reminder of the high stakes—we all need a well-managed grant calendar. 

This is where Instrumentl steps in, far surpassing the capabilities of manual spreadsheets, to ensure you'll never miss a deadline again.

This blog post will:

• Discuss what a grant calendar is
• Highlight why having a grant calendar is crucial for non-profits
• Explain how to create and manage your grant calendar

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A grant calendar is more than just a tool; it's an essential lifeline for nonprofits seeking funding. It is a meticulously organized schedule that:

• Keeps track of grant opportunities
• Monitors submission deadlines
• Logs follow-up dates
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A grant calendar is a strategic tool used by nonprofits and researchers to schedule and track their funding opportunities. It includes grant deadlines, application statuses, and award dates.

A well-curated grant calendar is a foolproof way to never miss a funding opportunity and always complete application processes punctually. The calendar typically includes essential details like:

• The name of the grant
• Application deadline
• Expected decision date
• Notes on the application process

Traditional methods of maintaining grant calendars involve manually updated spreadsheets. But, this system can often be time-consuming and error-prone.

Arnisha T Johnson, CEO and Chief Grants Officer, shares the mistakes she often sees in organizations trying to manage multiple grants:
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“The biggest mistake I've seen organizations make when managing several grants is letting important tasks fall through the cracks. This can easily happen when there is disorganization of information possibly due to overload or overwhelm. It's important to stay on top of all these things in a well-organized manner or hire someone to help manage it”. --Arnisha T Johnson

Although these struggles can be common at busy nonprofits, this is where Instrumentl shines, offering a far superior alternative for managing your grant calendar. By automating the tedious tasks, Instrumentl ensures the grant management process is not only smooth and efficient but also highly effective.

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Let's look into the ways you can keep up with upcoming grant deadlines.

Spreadsheet templates

While spreadsheet templates like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets may seem like an easy solution, they often fall short of effectively managing grant timelines. 

The process of updating these grant timeline templates is:

• manual, 
• time-consuming, and 
• prone to human error. 

A small mistake can lead to missed deadlines or inaccurate information, negatively impacting your funding.

Manually using sticky notes and to-do lists

Manually tracking deadlines with sticky notes and to-do lists can be a chaotic process. 

Not only is it disorganized, but it's also unreliable. Sticky notes can be lost, and important deadlines can be overlooked amidst a sea of other tasks on your desk.

At first glance, to-do lists may seem like a viable option, but the time and effort required to manage individual lists for each grant can become overwhelming quickly. Plus, these methods do not provide a comprehensive overview of all grants and their deadlines.

Online alerts

Subscribing to email alerts from foundations and funders might also feel like a convenient solution, but it has its drawbacks. Your inbox can quickly become cluttered with alerts, making it easy to miss an important deadline.

Plus, it's not unusual for these alerts to go to your Spam folder. Moreover, this method doesn't provide a consolidated view of all your grant applications and deadlines.

Grant management software: The superior solution

Grant management software, like Instrumentl, presents the most effective and reliable way to manage your grant calendar. Here's why:

• Automated Updates: No more manual entries. The software automatically tracks and updates the grant timeline for you.
• Centralized Platform: All your grant information and deadlines are stored in one place, making it easy to monitor and manage.
• Source Research: Instrumentl allows you to easily research and match your nonprofit with relevant funders.
• Alerts and Reminders: Receive timely reminders for upcoming deadlines so you never miss an opportunity.

CEO Peggy Beisler-Homesly understands the importance of prioritizing tools with state-of-the-art technology, automated abilities, and AI integration.
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“I need a tool that jumps out and reminds me. It isn't as simple anymore as writing it down in a journal or something similar; I need bells and whistles from available technology”. --Peggy Beisler-Homesly

Ensuring that you and your team are supported with a grants management software that meets your needs is essential. With Instrumentl, you can say goodbye to the inefficiencies of traditional methods and embrace a more efficient, organized approach to managing your grant calendar.

For your grant calendar to be effective, here’s what it should include:
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Creating a grant calendar might seem like a daunting task, but with a step-by-step approach and the right tool, it becomes a breeze.
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Creating a grant calendar with Instrumentl is a game-changer. It streamlines the grant management process with automated updates, a centralized platform, and timely reminders, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.

Here, we'll walk you through the process of setting up your grant calendar.

The first step is to create a free trial on Instrumentl. This will allow you to start searching for grants suited to your cause. 

Pro tip: Create a free Instrumentl account and access grant search features for 14 days.

Once you've signed up, navigate to the dashboard and create a new project. Click the box that says “+ Project.” This is where you'll begin your search for grants.

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From here, you’ll be prompted to add a bit of info describing your project details. 

In this case, you’ll want to complete the “Project Name” and select the button that says “Tracking” only. Click “Create Project.”

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Next, set up your first tracking project. Unlike setting up matches, this step focuses on tracking only. 

Instrumentl allows you to save hours of manual data entry by uploading your existing grant spreadsheet using this grant timeline template. 

This process takes a couple of days, depending on the number of grants you're importing. But you also have the option to add each grant individually.

Download The Grant Spreadsheet Upload Template

First, navigate to the “Tracker” tab of your project.

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On the right-hand side of your screen, select “Add new.” From the drop-down menu, click on “Import your grants spreadsheet.”

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Add Your Grants To The Spreadsheet Template

Follow the prompts to upload your desired spreadsheet. Be sure to copy any and all rows from your current grant spreadsheet into our template.

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Upload Your Spreadsheet of Grants

Select “Finish upload,” and sit back and relax while Instrumentl formats your spreadsheet.

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Once you've uploaded your grants, you can view them in the Calendar view within Instrumentl. 

Here, you'll see all your grant deadlines and work within Instrumentl’s calendar view. 

Review Your Calendar

To see the calendar, select “Calendar” from the dashboard.

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Here, you’ll find all of your upcoming grants formatted in a nice, easy-to-read calendar.

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You can see deadlines, add tasks, and use filters such as by status (e.g., Researching vs Application Submitted). 

Edit Grant Details

You can edit details on individual grants by clicking on them.

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From there, all the applicable grants will be shown on your calendar.

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To expand your grant opportunities, you’ll want to allow matches. Using Instrumentl’s matching feature will allow you to quickly find grants that are a good fit for your organization. This action saves you countless hours of internet digging.

Find Matches for Your Project

First, select “Edit” from the “Project Actions” button.

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This time, instead of choosing “Tracking,” you’ll want to click “Matches & Tracking.”

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Next, you will be prompted to provide details about your nonprofit to help find the most suitable grant options. 

After you’ve filled out this form, click “Save and Exit” to see your matches.

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Finally, you can review your matched grants and save them to your grant calendar. With Instrumentl, you can sift through potential grants in a format similar to an email inbox.

You can quickly analyze each grant's relevancy and save the ones you're interested in, which will then be reflected in your calendar.

Save Your Grant Projects

To save your grants, simply click on the "Save" button located at the bottom of the screen. 

Once clicked, a pop-up window will appear where you can write any notes about the grant that you would like to revisit later.

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With Instrumentl, you can organize your saved grants by marking them with tags like "Researching."

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This feature helps to segment your grant opportunities according to your progress and makes it easier for you to keep track of your research.

Leverage Your Grant Tracker To Stay Organized

Once you have saved various grants to your grant calendar, they all get stored in a dedicated tracker section. You can easily access this by navigating to the "Tracker" tab in your dashboard. 

Here, each grant is listed with all its essential details — from deadlines to the stage of application. The tracker also displays any notes or tags you've added, making it a one-stop shop for managing your grant progress.

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Arnold King, Senior Grant Writer, shared with us how he uses both the tracker and calendar view to stay organized:
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“I prioritize tasks and deadlines when pursuing multiple grant opportunities by using both: a calendar and a grant tracker. Both have definitely helped me in determining what grants I have and [am keeping up] with them.” - Arnold King, Senior Grant Writer

Both tools are vital to a successful grants lifecycle.

Instrumentl helps you stay on top of your grant deadlines, track project status, and even grow your grant opportunities –all in one user-friendly platform, far superior to manual spreadsheet updates.

But the process of grants management doesn't stop here. To truly master this art, it's crucial to keep learning and adapting.

Continue your journey towards grant management excellence by reading our comprehensive guide, How to Manage Grants. Packed with insights, tips, and strategies, this blog post will equip you with the knowledge and tools to effectively manage your grants and maximize your nonprofit's funding potential.