Grant management software comparison: choose the best solution for your nonprofit

Grant management software is a niche solution that supports the processes of applying for Google Ad Grants, while enabling you to manage campaigns and report on them.

With Google Ad Grants providing over £7,500 per month for free, it’s in a nonprofit’s best interest that they’re able to attain this grant. 

Grant management software can therefore make it much simpler for nonprofits to secure this funding, and going on to successfully manage their day-to-day paid advertising campaigns that lead to greater visibility on search engines such as Google.

By applying this solution, either you or your software provider can manage key areas including:

• Ad grant applications
• Day-to-day campaign management
• Live-data reporting

Read our definitive guide to Google Ad Grants

The best grant management software for nonprofits should provide you with certain key features that support you in successfully attaining a Google Ad Grant, while also being able to manage your paid advertising campaigns. Whether you choose to manage Google Ad Grants yourself or delegate to your software provider, we've picked out the three must-haves for your charity.

Ad Grant application 

Time and knowledge is very much a factor where Google Ad Grants are concerned, meaning that you may opt to delegate this area to an expert from your software provider. If so, this delegated expert will be able to have a sound understanding of application deadlines and what information will be required in order for your application to be successful.

Campaign management 

Delegating this task to your software provider can be a wise decision. If you choose to do so, their experts will be able to continually monitor and optimise your Ad Grants campaigns, ensuring to maximise their performance and visibility. In turn, this will lead to increased donations and the peace of mind that you can maintain your Google Ad Grant.

In order to do this, they will manage every aspect of your campaigns; from keyword strategy and ad copy to bidding tactics and detailed reporting.

Live dashboards and performance reports 

A live dashboard provides you with the essential insights into your campaigns which can be measured against KPI metrics. The best grant management software should consist of a dashboard that is clear and simple to read, ensuring that you can decipher this data with ease.

Whether this is something you or your software provider analyse, these details can be put into a post-campaign report which measures your performance against key metrics to ensure they are performing as desired. 
 

The key features outlined in the previous section are essential to managing your Google Ad Grants activities successfully. In doing so, you will experience tangible benefits that will not only support the development of your campaigns but your organisation more generally.

Higher rate of application success

Whether you use the software to support your application process or opt to delegate this task to a professional, it will support your Google Ad Grants application being a success. The smart option is to lean on an expert, as they will be fully versed on how to apply for a Google Ad Grant, following the key steps which include:

1. Ensuring you are eligible
2. Applying for ‘Google for Nonprofits’
3. Completing the Ad Grants pre-qualification requirements
4. Creating your account
5. Submitting your account for review

Find out if your organisation is eligible for Google Ad Grants

Save valuable time

Let’s face it, running a charity is time-consuming – and managing Google Ad Grants may be the last thing on your mind. Thankfully, the best grant management software for nonprofits will provide the option to delegate key tasks to support you. Not only will this mean that actions such as the application process and keyword management be completed swiftly, but it also frees up valuable time that you can focus elsewhere.

Increased website traffic

Managing your campaigns effectively can ensure that your webpages reach peak visibility on search engines, making them more accessible to your supporters. This will inevitably lead to increased website traffic, making it more likely for those who click on your pages to:

• Make a donation
• Sign up for an event
• Become a volunteer
• Purchase from your online charity shop

Make informed decisions

Developing your campaigns is an ongoing process. And whether it is you or a software supplier who manages them, key insights from dashboards allows for post-campaign reports to be created which provide details of how successful the respective campaign was.

Based on this information, you can gain a sound idea of what went well, and what improvements can be made; making your future campaigns even more successful.

If you’re in the market for the best grant management software, it’s important to take a few fundamental steps before you make a purchase. Making a rushed decision can potentially lead to investing in a product that is unsuitable for your organisation – instead, we strongly recommend that you tick off the following actions.

1. Consider your nonprofit's needs

Before you even consider reaching out to a software provider, the first step is to understand your organisation’s requirements. Such factors can include:

• Budget
• Team size
• Specific grant-seeking needs
• Desired level of automation

Once you have a clear idea of your requirements, you can then reach out to software providers.

2. Speak to several software providers

We would encourage you to speak to more than one software provider in order to compare their respective offerings and make an informed decision around which one meets your requirements.

At this point, you can ask key questions such as:

• Can you apply for and manage our Google Ad Grants on our behalf?
• Do you work with not for profit organisations?
• Are you recognised as a UK Google Partner?
• Which tasks can your software automate?
• What is your pricing structure?

Why not get the ball rolling? Speak to one of our experts today!

3. See the software in action: free trials and demos 

Once your questions have been answered and you wish to find out more about the software, the next step is to engage with free trials and demos. By doing this, you will experience first-hand how the software operates – allowing you to make a decision on whether it meets your expectations in terms of user-friendliness.

Schedule a live demo of Access Charity Ad Grants

4. Read user reviews and testimonials 

So, you’re happy with the answers from a certain software provider and you’ve been impressed with their demo. But what do their customers have to say about them?

Customer feedback is a trust signal you must consider. When looking into this, look at neutral sources such as:

• Google Reviews
• Trustpilot
• Industry magazines and surveys

If the respective software provider score reasonably well with feedback to support this, it can make your decision to invest much easier!

When weighing up your options, it’s important to remember that different grant management software providers don’t just offer tools – many also offer professional services designed to support organisations through the full grant lifecycle. 

When comparing software providers, you should consider whether they provide the following services.

End-to-end grant lifecycle support

• Grant application planning - help with preparing and submitting grant applications
• Workflow setup - custom configuration of approval processes and task delegation
• Deadline management - automated reminders and calendars to avoid missed opportunities
• Renewal tracking - tools to manage recurring or multi-year grants

Tailored onboarding and training

• Implementation services - setup assistance including data migration, form customisation, and user access roles
• User training - sessions for staff on how to use the platform effectively
• Dedicated support contacts - some offer nonprofit-specific customer success teams
• Regular system audits - ensuring data accuracy and optimal system performance over time

Compliance and risk management services

• Policy and process consulting - aligning your workflows with funder/government regulations (e.g., GDPR, 2 CFR Part 200, Google Ad Grant rules)
• Monitoring for non-compliance - alerts, reports, and audit prep to prevent funding loss
• Security audits - ensuring data protection and meeting cybersecurity standards

Application and grant writing support

• Grant opportunity sourcing - research and matching services to identify relevant grants
• Professional grant writing - full-service writing or support with language, strategy, and submission
• Proposal review and editing - expert feedback before submission to increase likelihood of success

Reporting and evaluation services

• Custom dashboard design - visualisation tools for funders, board members, or stakeholders
• Outcome and impact reporting - assistance with logic models, qualitative/quantitative analysis, and storytelling
• Funder-specific report templates - automating reports tailored to major funders’ formats 

CRM and fundraising integration

• Sync with donor management tools
• Connect grant data to donor records and fundraising campaigns
• Unified dashboards for managing relationships and funding streams

Are you in the market for the best grant management software?

Our purpose-built grant management software for nonprofits makes it easier for donors, supporters, and volunteers to discover your organisation. With 20 years’ experience working with charities in a number of sectors, our experts can successfully manage your paid advertising campaigns and continuously track performance to maximise impact.

Our key highlights include:

• Combined accounts consisting of approximately $120 million of Ad Grants spend
• Ads being seen over half a billion times
• Generated over 3.5 million conversion for our clients

Speak to a member of the team today and become our latest success story!