Grant management software that can grow with you
Whether you’re a research funder running formal peer review, a community foundation managing funds on behalf of donors, or a government agency administering grant programs with strict audit trails, Foundant has a grant management solution sized for the work you do.
Trusted by foundations, governments, corporations, research, and education funders worldwide
Free guide
How to choose the best grant management software
A side-by-side framework for foundations and funders comparing grant management systems.
Signs you’ve outgrown manual grant processes
The right applicants are getting lost in the noise
Long forms and manual screening don’t filter for fit. The applicants you most want to fund face the same friction as the ones you’d screen out anyway.
Reporting takes weeks, not minutes
Boards expect real-time visibility into grant performance. Rebuilding reports from spreadsheets every cycle costs the wrong kind of staff time.
Applicants are dropping out of the process
Long forms, manual workflows, and email-based back-and-forth shrink the qualified applicant pool every funder is trying to grow.
What the right system actually does
Replaces the manual stack
One configurable platform that handles application intake, review, decisions, payments, multi-year tracking, and follow-up reporting. No more spreadsheets, shared inboxes, or PDF chains.
Connects applicants, and reviewers
A single grant management system where applicants apply, reviewers score, and staff manage decisions. Everyone works from the same record at the same time.
Captures the data your board and auditors need
A single grant management system where applicants apply, reviewers score, and staff manage decisions. Everyone works from the same record at the same time.
Built for every kind of funder
Private and family foundations
Mission-driven giving, rooted in family legacy and personal values. Foundations awarding grants to nonprofits and individuals, often alongside endowment management and multi-year program reporting for governance.
Community foundations
Funds managed on behalf of donors, grants to local nonprofits and beyond, scholarships, events, and fundraising.
Education foundations
School, college, and higher ed foundations awarding scholarships, funding educational programs, and managing endowments alongside donor relationships and student constituent portals.
Faith-based foundations
Foundations anchored in religious mission, serving parishes, dioceses, congregations, and broader faith communities. Donor-advised funds, competitive grantmaking, and fundraising, often all in one organization.
Healthcare foundations
Independent health foundations, hospital-embedded foundations, and health system philanthropic arms managing community benefit obligations, population health outcomes, and HIPAA-sensitive grantmaking data.
Government agencies
Central, local, foundations and councils, administering grant programs with strict audit trails, configurable compliance reporting, and public-facing application portals. Security and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable.
Research funders
Independent research funders, university research offices, and scientific foundations running formal peer review panels, multi-phase awards, and multi-year budgets with research-grade compliance and reporting.
Corporate giving and CSR
Corporate foundations and CSR teams running matching gifts, employee volunteering, ESG reporting, and community investment programs. Fast-moving buyers with brand alignment and robust security as primary drivers.
Operating across borders?
Foundant serves funders in Ireland, the UK, Spain, Denmark, Australia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and more, with multi-currency and multi-language support sized to your scope.
How to evaluate grant management software
Match the system to your scale
Smaller grant programs, mid-size foundations, and sophisticated or robust grantmakers have different needs. The right system fits the work, not the other way around.
Confirm the integrations before you sign
Get the integration list in writing, including what’s native versus what requires a middleware tool. The right question isn’t how many integrations a platform offers. It’s whether it connects to the systems you already run on.
Ask what support actually includes
Support tiers vary widely, and the gaps show up after you’ve signed. Ask whether support is unlimited or capped, whether you get a dedicated team or a ticket queue, and whether there’s a peer community to learn from. The best providers don’t meter help by how much you pay.
Find the grant management solution for your organization
Foundant offers three grant management solutions, each built for a different scale of grantmaker. Use the framing below to find the one most likely to fit, then talk to us about specifics.
Grant Lifecycle Manager
Best for Grantmakers with straightforward processes and measurement
For foundations and funders running straightforward grant programs that needs a system to launch quickly and stays easy to operate. Predictable published pricing, configurable without IT, and the fastest path from spreadsheets to a real grant management platform.
Excels at:
- Speed to implementation
- Published pricing
- Ease of use
GivingData
Best for grantmakers with relationships at the core
For private and family foundations with established programs that need stronger CRM, multi-year forecasting, and trust-based grantmaking workflows. Built for funders scaling toward bigger portfolio decisions.
Excels at:
- Grantee CRM
- Portfolio planning
- Trust-based grantmaking
SmartSimple
Best for sophisticated grantmakers
For governments, large research funders, corporate giving programs, and sophisticated grantmaking operations that need comprehensive configurability, multi-language and multi-currency support, and deep integration into existing tech stacks.
Excels at:
- Configurability
- Robust integrations
- Multi-language and multi-currency
CommunitySuite
Best for philanthropic organizations with fund accounting, CRM, and fee management activities
Break down silos by managing your overall financials, fund accounting, CRM, fundraising, events, and online donor and nonprofit portal activities in a single, intuitive solution. Created and continually updated with your unique needs in mind so you can build strong connections and maximize your impact.
Scholarship Lifecycle Manager
Best for funders with scholarship programs
Designed to organize, manage, and streamline your scholarship or bursary workflow in one easy-to-use, cloud-based solution so you can free up time to focus on student success. Unlimited users can access the system anytime, anywhere. SLM saves time for applicants, reviewers, and administrators.
Not sure where to start?
Find the right solution for your organization.
Tell us about your work and we will point you in the right direction
Not sure which one fits? Our team will help you decide.
what people are saying
Funders, in their words
What’s unique to our foundation is the decisions are made by our Ben and Jerry’s employees, so the committees are everywhere and what we like about Foundant is that it can be accessed online. It has helped us in making our processes more efficient. We love what Foundant can offer with all their customer service.”
Dana Jeffery- Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
We have successfully reduced review time from two weeks to two days on applications after implementing SmartSimple.”
Kellie Duhon, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana
Talk to the team
Not sure which solution is right for you?
Our team will help you figure out which Foundant grant management solution fits your organization’s size, sophistication, and goals.
FAQs
What is grant management software?
Grant management software is a category of platform that handles the full grant lifecycle for funders, from application intake through review, decision, payment, and follow-up reporting. It replaces the spreadsheets, shared inboxes, and standalone tools most funders use when manual processes start costing more than software would.
Who needs grant management software?
Any organization that issues grants and is starting to feel the limits of manual processes. That includes private foundations, community foundations, government agencies, school districts, hospital foundations, research funders, and corporate giving programs. The trigger isn’t usually grant volume; it’s the moment manual review starts costing more than software would.
What’s the difference between grant management software, grantmaking software, and grant management platforms?
They’re the same category, used interchangeably across the industry. Some vendors prefer “grantmaking” to emphasize the funder’s perspective; others use “platform” or “system” to emphasize the broader operating environment. Buyers should evaluate based on capabilities and fit, not on terminology.
How do I choose the right grant management software for my organization?
Match the system to your scale (small, mid, robust), confirm the pricing model is published or predictable, evaluate the support model and peer community, and verify integrations with your existing accounting, CRM, and identity systems. The Foundant evaluation guide walks through the framework most foundations use; it’s linked higher up on this page.
What’s the difference between Foundant’s three grant management products?
Grant Lifecycle Manager is built for smaller and typical grantmakers who need a fast, easy, predictably priced grant management system. GivingData is built for mid-size foundations with more sophisticated needs around CRM, portfolio planning, and trust-based grantmaking. SmartSimple Cloud is built for robust grantmakers (governments, large research funders, corporate giving programs) that need deep configurability, multi-language and multi-currency support, and sophisticated integrations.
What capabilities should grant management software include?
At minimum: configurable application forms, online review and payment scheduling, follow-up tracking, real-time reporting, and integration with your accounting system. Mid-market platforms add CRM, multi-year planning, and stronger compliance tooling. Sophisticated grant management platforms add multi-language support, highly configurable workflows, and deep integration into existing tech stacks.
How long does grant management software take to implement?
Some systems can be live in weeks. Implementations typically run two to three months depending on the organization. Sophisticated implementations can run three to six months or more, depending on complexity, integrations, and the number of programs being migrated.
Does grant management software work for nonprofits?
It depends on which side of the grant relationship you’re on. Nonprofits that issue grants (foundations, intermediaries, fiscal sponsors) use the same grant management software funders do. Nonprofits applying for grants from external funders use a different category of tool, often called grant tracking software or grant management software for grantees.
Is grant management software secure?
Reputable platforms include single sign-on, role-based permissions, encryption in transit and at rest, accessibility compliance (VPAT, WCAG 2.1, Section 508), and audit trail capabilities. Robust systems add SOC 2 certification, data residency controls, and configurable compliance frameworks. Security posture should be a procurement-screen question for any funder evaluating grant management software.
Can I migrate my existing data into grant management software?
Yes. Most grant management platforms support data migration from spreadsheets, legacy systems, and other tools. Migration complexity depends on data quality and program structure; reputable vendors include migration support as part of implementation rather than charging for it as an add-on.