Missing a grant deadline can mean missing out on thousands of dollars in funding. Nonprofits rely on grants to fuel their missions, but with so many deadlines and requirements to track, it’s easy to fall behind.
That’s where a grant calendar template comes in. A well-organized grant calendar keeps your funding opportunities, deadlines, and follow-ups in one place so you stay proactive rather than scrambling at the last minute.
In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to create your own grant calendar template—a customizable tool you can use to stay on top of every opportunity.
You’ll also learn:
By the end, you’ll walk away with a ready-to-use framework that helps you meet deadlines, stay organized, and secure more funding.
Let’s dive in!
A grant calendar is a planning tool that helps nonprofit grant professionals track grant opportunities, application deadlines, and key follow-up dates in one organized system.
Think of it as a roadmap for your grant strategy, ensuring you never miss an important deadline or overlook a funding opportunity.
By maintaining a structured grant calendar, nonprofits can:
Whether managed in a spreadsheet, project management tool, or dedicated grant software, a grant calendar is essential for keeping your funding pipeline on track.
Tracking grants in a calendar isn’t just about staying organized—it’s about maximizing funding opportunities and reducing stress (burnout is real!) Without a system in place, deadlines can slip through the cracks, leading to lost funding and wasted effort.
Here’s why a grant calendar is essential:
A grant calendar template is a pre-structured framework that helps nonprofits track grant deadlines, application statuses, and reporting requirements in a consistent and organized way.
Instead of starting from scratch each time, a template provides a reliable system to manage multiple grants efficiently.
Using a template:
Pro Tip: While spreadsheets may work well for tracking a few grants, organizations managing multiple opportunities may benefit from a grant management platform with built-in tracking and automation. Stay tuned; we’ll cover this in more detail later.
A well-organized grant calendar should include key details that help you stay on top of deadlines, manage your application pipeline, and track important follow-ups.
Here are the essential elements to include in your template:
1. Grant Name: This is the official name of the grant opportunity. Consistent, clear naming conventions help avoid confusion when managing multiple applications.
2. Funder Name and Contact Info: List the organization providing the grant, along with any relevant contacts. Quick access to program officers and their details makes it easier to ask questions and build relationships.
3. Application Due Dates: Include the exact dates when applications are accepted. Many grants have strict deadlines, so setting reminders ensures you don’t miss out.
4. Pre-Submission Tasks and Milestones: Break the proposal process into key steps—like scheduling a kickoff meeting, drafting narratives, getting internal approvals, or preparing the budget—and assign due dates to each. These are the real make-or-break moments that determine whether you submit on time.
5. Funding Amount and Type: Track how much is available and whether the grant is one-time or renewable. This helps you prioritize your efforts.
7. Decision Notification Date: Make note of when you expect to hear back; this helps with planning and timely follow-ups.
8. Reporting or Renewal Deadlines: Post-award milestones like interim reports, final reports, or reapplication dates are essential for managing long-term relationships with funders.
Focusing on these core elements will create a calendar that is practical, usable, and tailored to the way grant work actually happens.
Creating a grant calendar template starts with laying out the core details you need to track.
But just as important as what you track is how you track it. The format you choose—whether it’s Excel, Google Sheets, or a grant management platform—can make a big difference in your calendar's effectiveness.
For example, here’s a downloadable grant calendar template from grant expert and consultant Amaya Howard that you can adapt to your nonprofit’s specific needs.
If you’re working solo, a simple spreadsheet like this might be enough. However, for most teams, collaboration is key. You’ll want a format that multiple people can access, update, and comment on without version control issues. That’s why many organizations choose cloud-based tools like Instrumentl which allows for real-time updates, automatic reminders, and clear task ownership.
Instrumentl offers a comprehensive grant calendar designed to streamline your workflow and ensure you never miss a deadline. Here's how it works:
Calendar Integration: Instrumentl supports one-way synchronization with external calendars like Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Outlook. By integrating your grant calendar with these platforms, you can view all your grant-related deadlines alongside other commitments, providing a holistic view of your schedule. Any updates made in Instrumentl are reflected in your external calendar, ensuring consistency across platforms.
Customizable Views and Filters: The platform offers flexible viewing options, allowing you to filter and customize the calendar based on projects, task assignees, task types, grant owners, and submission deadlines. This adaptability lets you focus on specific aspects of your grant pipeline and tailor the display to your organization's needs.
By leveraging Instrumentl's grant calendar and its suite of features, your organization can enhance efficiency, improve team collaboration, and increase the likelihood of securing funding. The automation and integration capabilities reduce administrative burdens, allowing you to focus more on crafting compelling grant proposals and advancing your mission.
Staying organized is the key to successfully managing multiple grants. Industry experts agree that a structured system—whether it’s a tracking sheet, calendar, or grant management platform—can prevent missed deadlines, reduce overwhelm, and improve funding outcomes.
Here’s what seasoned grant professionals recommend:
Use a Tracking System to Stay on Top of Deadlines
A well-structured grant calendar helps nonprofits avoid last-minute scrambles and lost opportunities. Grant Specialist Erin Sekerak shares:
“Stay organized with tracking sheets and calendars. It’s the only way you won’t miss a deadline or get off track. Missing a deadline could cost the organization thousands for their mission.”
Backdate Your Deadlines for Better Time Management
Breaking down the grant process into manageable deadlines—such as drafting, revisions, and approvals—helps prevent last-minute rushes and improves proposal quality.
Matt Hugg, CEO and Founder of Nonprofit.Courses, shares his insight:
“A dedicated calendar is an essential proposal writing tool, even if it’s as simple as setting up a shared Google calendar. Then ‘backdate’ - start with the submission date, then work backward, setting deadlines for each part of the proposal.”
Don’t Let Disorganization Lead to Missed Opportunities
Arnisha T. Johnson, CEO and Lead Grant Writer, shares insights about mistakes she’s seen nonprofits make in the past:
“The biggest mistake I’ve seen organizations make when managing several grants is letting important tasks fall through the cracks. This can easily happen due to overload or overwhelm. These tasks could be deadlines, documents, follow-ups, or late reports - all things that can cause missed funding opportunities.”
If keeping track of multiple grants feels overwhelming, consider investing in a system like Instrumentl to set you up for success.
Sarah B. Lange, LSW and renowned fundraiser, echoes this point.
“If you don’t already have systems in place to keep you organized, invest the time and energy (and money!) to set them up. This will make your grant writing efforts infinitely more efficient!”
In short, putting the right systems in place now can save you time, stress, and lost funding opportunities down the line.
Staying on top of grant deadlines is critical for securing funding and keeping your nonprofit’s mission on track. A grant calendar template helps you organize key information—like due dates, reporting requirements, and submission methods—in one place so nothing slips through the cracks.
While spreadsheets can work for managing a few grants, they become more challenging to maintain as your pipeline grows. That’s when having a more robust, automated system becomes essential.
Instrumentl’s grant calendar is built to streamline your workflow, reduce manual tasks, and give you a clear view of every opportunity in your pipeline. Start your 14-day free trial with Instrumentl and see how much easier it is to manage, track, and win more funding.
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