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10 Best Grants Management Tools in 2026

By Toolradar Team · Updated February 2026

Grant application and management

Key Takeaways
  • Cartegraph is our #1 pick for grants management in 2026.
  • We analyzed 28 grants management tools to create this ranking.
  • 2 tools offer free plans, perfect for getting started.
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Cartegraph logo

Cartegraph

Manage and optimize public infrastructure assets with integrated government solutions.

Paid

Cartegraph, now part of the OpenGov Cloud, provides comprehensive asset management software specifically designed for government agencies. It enables organizations to efficiently track, manage, and maintain their public infrastructure assets, including roads, utilities, parks, and facilities. By integrating with the broader OpenGov platform, it offers a unified approach to government operations. The software is tailored for public sector entities looking to improve operational efficiency, extend asset lifespans, and make data-driven decisions regarding their infrastructure investments. It helps reduce costs, enhance service delivery, and ensure compliance by providing tools for inventory management, work order processing, preventive maintenance scheduling, and performance analytics.

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GrantHub logo

GrantHub

Grant management software for nonprofits, designed to streamline grantseeking and reporting.

Paid

GrantHub was a grant management software specifically developed to assist nonprofits in their grantseeking efforts. It aimed to simplify the process of finding, applying for, and managing grants, thereby helping organizations build stronger relationships with funders and maximize their community impact. The software provided tools to organize grant information, track application statuses, and manage reporting requirements, reducing the administrative burden on grantseekers. However, GrantHub and GrantHub Pro are being sunset on January 31, 2026. While the software itself will no longer be available, the parent company, Foundant, will continue to offer educational resources, including periodic and on-demand webinars, and ongoing content focused on grantseeking and nonprofit best practices. This strategic shift allows Foundant to concentrate its efforts on developing solutions for funders, aiming to alleviate burdens on grantseekers by improving the grant-making and reporting processes from the funder's side.

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CiviCRM logo

CiviCRM

Open source constituent relationship management for non-profits, NGOs, and advocacy organizations.

Freemium

CiviCRM is a powerful, web-based, and highly customizable open-source Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) software specifically designed for nonprofit and civic sector organizations. It enables these organizations to centralize constituent communications, build and manage donor bases and memberships, and automate administrative tasks related to fundraising, event management, and contact interactions. The software is released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3, ensuring it is freely available for use and improvement. CiviCRM provides a comprehensive suite of tools for managing contacts, processing donations, organizing events, and facilitating peer-to-peer fundraising. It offers detailed reporting capabilities to track performance and inform decision-making. The platform is designed to be flexible, allowing for integration with popular content management systems like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and Backdrop, or it can run standalone. Organizations can choose from various deployment options, including self-hosting, cloud hosting, or utilizing CiviCRM Spark for a quick start, with extensive community and partner support available.

4
ClearGov logo

ClearGov

Modernize local government budgeting, planning, and community engagement.

Paid

ClearGov is an all-in-one platform designed specifically for local governments and school districts to manage their entire budget cycle. It streamlines the process of building annual capital, personnel, and operating budgets, replacing manual data entry and document chasing with efficient, collaborative workflows. The platform helps public servants create, track, and present strategic and capital project plans, ensuring financial alignment with community goals. Beyond internal management, ClearGov empowers organizations to effectively communicate their financial story and progress to constituents. It transforms complex budget data into clear, interactive, and ADA-compliant online documents and reports, fostering transparency and trust. The platform also includes tools for community engagement, providing 24/7 access to financial information, performance metrics, and online forms, thereby freeing up staff from routine inquiries and allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives. ClearGov is purpose-built for the public sector, integrating best practices and workflows tailored to local government and school operations.

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Instrumentl logo

Instrumentl

Discover best-fit grants, craft winning proposals, and manage your grants all in one complete platform.

Paid

Instrumentl is a comprehensive grant management platform designed to help nonprofits, grant consultants, and development directors streamline their entire grant lifecycle. It provides tools for discovering relevant funding opportunities, crafting high-quality proposals, and managing post-award activities. The platform offers access to a vast database of over 400,000 funders and 20,000 expert-curated grants, with features like Peer Prospecting and a Prospecting Assistant to quickly identify best-fit opportunities. For proposal writing, it includes an Apply Advisor with AI recommendations, Application Snippets to reuse content, and in-app access to private grant application forms. Post-award, Instrumentl simplifies management with automated deadlines, task tracking, spend-down tracking, and an Awards Assistant that extracts details from grant agreements, ensuring compliance and efficient reporting. It aims to centralize all grant-related work, reduce research time, and improve success rates for organizations seeking funding.

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EveryAction logo

EveryAction

Uniting nonprofits, funders, and corporations with powerful social good technology for measurable impact.

Freemium

Bonterra EveryAction is a comprehensive social good technology platform designed to empower mission-driven organizations. It provides end-to-end tools for fundraising, corporate social responsibility (CSR), grantmaking, and case management, enabling nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and corporations to amplify their impact and streamline operations. The platform leverages a vast data network and includes an agentic AI, Bonterra Que, to deliver tailored insights and recommend actions, all under human guidance. This software is built for a diverse range of users within the social good sector. Nonprofits can deepen supporter engagement and manage their missions more effectively, while foundations can strengthen grantmaking processes and clarify data for measurable progress. Government entities can deliver life-changing services with secure case management, and corporations can drive greater impact through CSR and grantmaking initiatives that engage employees and strengthen partnerships. The goal is to transform isolated efforts into shared progress and meaningful change.

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Foundant GLM logo

Foundant GLM

Comprehensive cloud-based solutions for grantmaking, scholarship, and financial management for social good organizations.

Paid

Foundant GLM (Grant Lifecycle Manager) is an all-in-one cloud-based solution designed to securely manage the entire grantmaking process for foundations and social good organizations. It provides unlimited user access for applicants, reviewers, grant recipients, staff, and board members, ensuring flexibility and accessibility throughout the grant lifecycle. The platform is user-configurable, allowing organizations to tailor it to their unique needs while offering insights into historical funding and impact. Foundant Technologies, through its combined offerings including CommunitySuite, Scholarship Lifecycle Manager, SmartSimple Cloud, and GivingData, aims to streamline workflows and maximize the impact of social good organizations. These solutions address various needs from fund accounting, CRM, fundraising, and event management to comprehensive scholarship program administration. The goal is to reduce manual tasks, eliminate cumbersome spreadsheets, and improve communication and collaboration across all stakeholders, ultimately empowering organizations to focus on their core mission and drive greater philanthropic impact. Foundant's suite of products is built on years of experience understanding the core functions of non-profit organizations, providing robust tools that scale with organizations regardless of their size or complexity. The unified platform, which now includes SmartSimple and GivingData, represents a commitment to collective innovation, offering more powerful tools for grants management, AI, CRM, fund accounting, and insights, all backed by dedicated support.

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Submittable logo

Submittable

Run grant and CSR programs efficiently without compromising on people or processes.

Paid

Submittable provides comprehensive giving and granting software designed to streamline the management of grant programs and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. It caters to a diverse range of organizations including governments, foundations, non-profits, and corporations, enabling them to launch, manage, and measure their programs effectively. The platform offers tools for the entire lifecycle of a program, from building application forms with no coding required and conducting eligibility checks, to managing multi-stage reviews, preventing fraud with identity verification, and customizing award agreements. It also includes robust financial tracking, real-time budget oversight, and dynamic reporting capabilities to track impact across programs. Submittable aims to reduce administrative burden, improve applicant experience, and provide clear insights into program performance, allowing teams to focus on strategic work rather than manual processes. For corporations, it specifically supports employee giving, employee resource groups, impact reporting, and volunteering experiences, fostering a culture of philanthropy. For grantmakers, it ensures an equitable and secure program that is easy for both applicants and internal teams to navigate, with quick launch times and top-tier support.

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CommunityForce logo

CommunityForce

AI-powered platform for end-to-end awards lifecycle management, from application to compliance.

Paid

CommunityForce is an AI-powered, comprehensive awards management platform designed to streamline the entire lifecycle of grants, scholarships, fellowships, and research programs. It unifies pre-award management, award management, post-award management, financial management, and compliance and reporting into a single system. The platform is built for federal agencies, universities, and foundations, offering integrated CRM, support, and campaign management tools. This eliminates the need for multiple disparate systems, providing a single source of truth for all awards-related operations, constituent engagement, and program promotion. It has processed over 165 million applications and facilitated more than $569 million in awards, demonstrating its robust capabilities for high-volume and complex programs. CommunityForce is particularly beneficial for organizations seeking to reduce operational costs and integration headaches associated with managing awards through separate platforms for CRM, marketing, and support. It ensures regulatory compliance with standards like FedRAMP, SOC 2, Section 508, PCI-DSS, and FERPA, making it suitable for mission-critical operations.

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SmartSimple logo

SmartSimple

Streamline grants, research, government funding, and CSR operations with AI-enriched workflows.

Paid

SmartSimple provides an all-in-one cloud-based platform designed to manage complex operational processes for organizations involved in grants, research, government funding, and corporate social responsibility. It offers highly flexible solutions tailored to foundations, grantmakers, federal, state, local, and tribal governments, research institutions, and purpose-driven companies. The platform focuses on process automation and customizable workflows to securely control operational data, enhance efficiency, and measure impact throughout the entire lifecycle of grants, funding, and giving efforts. SmartSimple also integrates with existing ERP and CRM systems, including a dedicated SmartSimple Cloud for Salesforce® offering, to optimize an organization's entire technology stack.

Best Grants Management For

What is Grants Management Software?

Grant application and management

According to our analysis of 10+ tools, the grants management software market offers solutions for teams of all sizes, from solo professionals to enterprise organizations. The best grants management tools in 2026 combine powerful features with intuitive interfaces.

Common Features of Grants Management Software

Automation

Automate repetitive grants management tasks to save time

Collaboration

Work together with team members in real-time

Analytics & Reporting

Track progress and measure performance

Security

Protect sensitive data with enterprise-grade security

Who Uses Grants Management Software?

Grants Management software is used by a wide range of professionals and organizations:

Small businesses looking to streamline operations and compete with larger companies
Enterprise teams needing scalable solutions for complex grants management needs
Freelancers and consultants managing multiple clients and projects
Startups seeking cost-effective tools that can grow with them

How to Choose the Right Grants Management Software

When evaluating grants management tools, consider these key factors:

  1. 1Identify your specific needs. What problems are you trying to solve? List your must-have features versus nice-to-haves.
  2. 2Consider your budget. 2 tools in our top 10 offer free plans, including CiviCRM and EveryAction.
  3. 3Evaluate ease of use. A powerful tool is useless if your team won't adopt it. Look for intuitive interfaces and good onboarding.
  4. 4Check integrations. Ensure the tool works with your existing tech stack (CRM, communication tools, etc.).
  5. 5Read real user reviews. Our community reviews provide honest feedback from actual users.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best grants management software in 2026?

Based on our analysis of features, user reviews, and overall value, Cartegraph ranks as the #1 grants management tool in 2026. Other top-rated options include GrantHub and CiviCRM.

Are there free grants management tools available?

Yes! CiviCRM, EveryAction offer free plans. In total, 2 of the top 10 grants management tools have free or freemium pricing options.

How do you rank grants management tools?

Our rankings are based on multiple factors: editorial analysis of features and usability (40%), community reviews and ratings (30%), pricing value (15%), and integration capabilities (15%). We regularly update rankings as tools evolve and new reviews come in.

What should I look for in grants management software?

Key factors to consider include: core features that match your workflow, ease of use and learning curve, pricing that fits your budget, quality of customer support, integrations with your existing tools, and scalability as your needs grow.

Our Ranking Methodology

At Toolradar, we combine editorial expertise with community insights to rank grants management tools:

40%
Editorial Analysis
Features, UX, innovation
30%
User Reviews
Real feedback from verified users
15%
Pricing Value
Cost vs. features offered
15%
Integrations
Ecosystem compatibility

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