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Instrumentl surveyed over 1,000 grant professionals, and learned something that likely will not come to a surprise for you: 96% of grant pros rely on at least one informal workaround to hold their grant operations together.
Personal, manually updated spreadsheets. Email folders. Calendar reminders. Institutional knowledge that lives in one person's head.
We call this shadow work: the invisible, manual labor that fills the gaps between the systems organizations provide and the work grant professionals are actually hired to do.
Shadow work is a rational response to systems that were never built for the complexity of grant work. But it comes with a cost.
Over the next six weeks, we're pulling back the curtain on the cost of shadow work. We’ll talk about where shadow work shows up across the grants lifecycle, what it's actually costing nonprofit organizations, and what it looks like to build something better.
Let’s get into it!
Pitfalls and Pointers
When you take a moment to think about your system, you might find that you’re duct taping together more tools and workarounds than you realize.
And your grants practice runs on workarounds, operating reactively becomes the default. You're responding to what's due, chasing down what's missing, and reconstructing what should already be in one place.
And the costs of a reactive grants strategy can add up faster than most organizations recognize.
⚠️ Pitfall: When the grant pro is also the infrastructure
The average grant professional relies on 3-4 informal, manually created and maintained systems.
- The deadline exists because you put it in your calendar. If you're out, it doesn't exist.
- The funder relationship is documented because it lives in your memory. When you go, that history goes with you.
- The budget vs actuals for restricted grants is accurate because you’re working hand-in-hand with finance to painstakingly update a spreadsheet.
The shadow work economy isn't the problem of any one grant pro. It's what happens when the sector's infrastructure has failed to keep pace with its demands. And the first step out of it is being able to see the current gaps clearly.
💡 Pointer: Audit where your current grants management system relies on manual workarounds or “shadow work”
Before you can build something more efficient and effective, you need to see clearly what you're actually working with.
Start by mapping your grants operation across the full grant lifecycle: prospecting, drafting applications, and managing awarded grants:
- What tools are you using to move grants through each stage? Make a list of every tool, folder structure, personal spreadsheet, email thread, and calendar reminder that touches your grant work.
- What is automated, and what do you have to complete manually?
- Which handoffs between tools or team members create the most friction?
- Which parts of your process would stop working if you were out for two weeks?
- Where are you the only person who knows how something works?
- Which handoffs between tools or teams create the most friction?
You can't build something better until you can see clearly what you're working with. Start there. Once the gaps are visible, it’s much easier to take steps forward to build a more efficient, effective system to fix them.
Expert Perspectives
🏆 Rachel Werner on the infrastructure gap holding grant pros back
When we set out to understand the scope of shadow work in the grant sector, we heard a consistent message from experienced practitioners: the problem isn't the people. It's the infrastructure.
Rachel Werner, Principal at MyFedTrainer, sees it play out in how grant pros manage their time:
"When everything is treated as urgent, it leads to burnout. Start with a task audit: list all your weekly activities and prioritize them based on time investment and importance.
Then, layer on the outcomes tied to your role. What were you hired to do? What did it say on your job description? You can use this to guide your own decision making — or to get buy-in from leadership for more time or resources."
The task audit Rachel describes is a version of the same exercise we outlined in this week's Pitfalls and Pointers. Start by seeing clearly what you're actually working with.
Once you can name where your time is going, you can start making the case for something better.
Opportunities Spotlight
Connecting Joy Grant
Who It’s For: Children’s hospital, general hospital with dedicated pediatric department, or nonprofit organization serving children battling illness within geographic proximity to Dunkin’ locations.
Next Deadline: June 4, 2026
Grant Amount: Grant amounts vary but typically range from $25,000-$65,000 per year. Grants are structured for single- or multi-year programming (not to exceed three years).
The Details:
The Dunkin’ Connecting Joy program helps bring comprehensive gaming programs to hospitals.
Organizations can apply for a variety of support including:
- Pediatric Gaming Technology Specialist
- Systems and connectivity
- Virtual programming that connects pediatric and teen patients with other patients their age
Journey for Good Grant
Who It’s For: 501c3 nonprofit organizations across North America
Next Deadline: May 15, 2026 or September 15, 2026
Grant Amount: Median grant size of $20,000
The Details:
Avolta is uniquely positioned to give back to the communities in North America in which it operates by combating the cycle of poverty at the local level. It is Journey For Good Foundation’s mission to fight poverty with food, shelter, education, and workforce development opportunities by directing our charitable investments based on our pillars of giving:
- Relieve hunger and promote nutritional wellness
- Combat homelessness through access to safe housing, furnishings, clothing, and stable employment
- Educational access to education and training
- Economic empowerment through hospitality industry training and placement
- Honor our veterans and their families by supporting programs that meet their needs for food, shelter, medical care, and job training and placement
Ready to find even more good-fit opportunities?
🔍 Explore thousands of other grant opportunities now!
Networking Nook
💻 Instrumentl Spring Launch: The first operating system for grants
April 30, 2026 | 1:00 PM ET
Join co-founders Gauri Manglik and Angela Braren as they introduce Instrumentl’s new ear as the first Grant Operating System, where every stage of the grant lifecycle connects, and each stage makes the next one smarter.
You’ll get a live look at our brand new product release: Instrumentl Spenddown. Drag and drop your funder-approved budget, auto-sync expenses from your accounting tool, and give your whole team real-time visibility into grant spend.
🎁Attendee Giveaway: Two $500 TaskRabbit credits are up for grabs for two lucky attendees who join us LIVE. Instrumentl exists to take things off your very full plate. Might as well start with your actual to-do list!
💻 Starting Your Grant Project on the Right Foot with The Grant Plant
June 17, 2026 | 2:30 PM ET
Strong proposals start long before you write the first sentence. In this practical session with The Grant Plant led by grant expert Aly Sanchez, you’ll learn how to use project and budget mapping tools to bring clarity to your ideas—what you’ll do, who’s involved, what it costs, and how it all fits together. By the end, you’ll have a solid foundation for writing a focused, fundable proposal that reflects your organization’s capacity and vision.
To check out more recent and upcoming live events, go here.
Read Instrumentl’s Full Shadow Report
📑 Report: Beyond Shadow Work: What 1,000+ Grant Professionals Told Us About the Work That's Holding Them Back
We surveyed over 1,000 grant professionals to measure the scale and cost of shadow work — the invisible, manual labor that fills the gaps between the systems organizations provide and the work grant professionals are actually hired to do. The findings are stark: 96% rely on at least one informal workaround, 87% have walked away from a grant because of operational burden, and only 18% can answer a basic budget question within minutes.
This report puts numbers to the gap, and offers tangible advice grant professionals can act on to reclaim their time and grow their influence.
Ready to Stop Guessing?
….and start making smarter, more strategic funding decisions? With Instrumentl, you’ll get access to real-time funding opportunities, expert insights, and the tools you need to build a more sustainable grant strategy.
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