Grant Lantern / Guides

How to keep a grant calendar for a small nonprofit

Small nonprofits rarely lose grants because the proposal was weak. They lose them because they found out too late. A grant calendar fixes that: one list, sorted by date, checked once a week.

Last checked November 14, 2026.

The eight columns

1. Funder and the name of the grant program.
2. Link to the funder's own page for that program.
3. Who it is for: the rules that decide whether you qualify, such as location, budget size or cause.
4. Amount or range.
5. The first date that matters: a letter of inquiry, a registration or an account you must set up.
6. The final deadline, with the time and time zone.
7. Status: researching, drafting, submitted, awarded or declined.
8. Date last checked against the funder's page.

Four kinds of funders to watch

• State agencies, which post grant programs on their own sites.
• Community foundations, which usually fund a city, county or region.
• Corporate giving programs, often tied to where the company has staff or stores.
• Federal programs open to small nonprofits.

Deadline traps

• "Rolling" is not "any time." Many funders accept applications all year but decide at set board meetings, so there is still a date to hit for each meeting.
• The step before the deadline. Some funders require a registration, a call or a letter of inquiry days or weeks before the proposal is due.
• Dates move. Funders change deadlines and close programs. Confirm on the funder's page before you start writing.
• Tentative dates. If the funder says a date is tentative, write "tentative" in your calendar too.

A weekly habit

Pick one day. Sort the calendar by the first date that matters, look at the next 60 days, and decide for each grant: apply, skip, or check again next week. Fifteen minutes is enough.