Grant Administration

Every grant,
from recommendation
to check.

End-to-end grant lifecycle management — donor recommendations, competitive programs, scholarships, and discretionary grantmaking — all with institutional-grade controls, full audit trail, and a complete disbursement rail.

🤝
Donor-Advised Grants
Donor recommendations vetted, approved, and disbursed through the full advisory workflow.
Core
🏆
Competitive Grants
Online applications, review panels, LOI-to-proposal workflow, and payment scheduling.
Full Cycle
🎓
Scholarship Programs
Student or institution payee, joint checks, custom notifications, and institution records.
Managed
⚙️
Administrative Payments
Vendor vouchers, recurring expenses, and operational disbursements with EFT or MICR check.
Automated
The Full Lifecycle

Every step, tracked
and auditable

GiftingNetwork manages the complete grant workflow — from the moment a donor submits a recommendation or a grant seeker submits an application through due diligence, approval, and final disbursement. Every action is logged, every status is visible.

STEP 01
Recommendation or Application Received
Donor submits grant recommendation via portal Fund balance & available-to-spend check Anonymous grant option Donor comment captured Online application form published Single-phase or LOI / full proposal Public or restricted access Scholarship application open Staff notified of submission
STEP 02
Grantee Vetting & Due Diligence
IRS 501(c)(3) status verification Ad hoc grantee lookup or record creation Organization profile linked to recommendation Review panel setup Review sheets published to panel Reviewer assigned and notified Review sheet completion and submission LOI status updated — invited or declined
STEP 03
Approval or Decline
Staff approves or declines recommendation Pop-up warning if grant drives fund below minimum Grantee approval notification sent Decline notification with guidance Grant agreement / conditions published Grantee e-signature on conditions (optional) Payment plan configured Fund per payment assigned
STEP 04
Payment & Disbursement
EFT disbursement to grantee MICR check with authorized bitmap signature Branded cover document printed Direct mail or air freight to sponsor for co-sign Scholarship: institution, student, or joint payee Payment confirmation notification GiftingNet updated with payment status Grant payment plan and status visible in portal
Grant Program Types

One platform,
every grant type

Whether you administer a simple donor-advised fund program or a complex competitive scholarship with a multi-stage review, GiftingNetwork handles the full operational layer.

🤝
Donor-Advised Grants
Donor recommends. Staff reviews. GiftingNetwork disburses. The full advisory workflow, built into the platform.
Donor selects from charitable catalog, recommendation lookup list, or enters ad hoc grantee
Available-to-spend balance check with real-time warning
Grant to another component fund as recipient
Anonymous option and donor comment captured
Staff approval triggers EFT or MICR check disbursement
GL integration reflects approved grants in fund accounting
🏆
Competitive Grants
Full program administration — online applications, multi-panel review, conditions management, and payment scheduling.
Configurable application form components published to website
Single-phase or two-phase (LOI then full proposal) process
Open to all registered grant seekers or restricted access
Multiple review panels with custom review sheets
Reviewers notified on assignment; submit sheets online
Grant agreement with conditions, optional e-signature
Multi-payment plan with fund assigned per installment
🎓
Scholarship Programs
Student-facing applications, institution records, flexible payee options, and custom approval notifications.
Self-registration — immediately active for scholars
Scholarship applications published to website
Institution and associated contact records created
Payee: institution, student, or joint check
Custom branded approval notification to recipient
Payment detail synced to GiftingNet via data integration
MICR check printed, branded cover doc, mailed to payee
Compliance & Due Diligence

Every grant checked.
Every approval documented.

GiftingNetwork's due diligence workflow ensures every grant meets IRS requirements before a dollar is disbursed — protecting the sponsor's tax-exempt status and creating a defensible audit trail for every transaction.

1

Organization Verification

Every grantee is verified as a qualifying public charity under IRC Section 170(b)(1)(A). IRS 501(c)(3) status is confirmed before approval. Ad hoc grantees entered by donors are looked up in the database — or a basic org and contact record is created — before the recommendation can proceed to approval.

2

Available-to-Spend Enforcement

Real-time balance checks prevent advisors or staff from approving grants that would drive a fund below its minimum balance threshold. Pop-up warnings fire at both the recommendation stage and the approval stage — two independent checkpoints before disbursement.

3

Staff Approval Authority

All donor-advised grant recommendations require staff approval before disbursement. Sponsors retain discretion over every grant — the platform enforces this by design. Declined recommendations trigger a notification workflow to the primary advisor with staff guidance.

4

Grant Conditions Management

For competitive grants, conditions can be attached to the approval. A PDF grant agreement is optionally published for grantee signature. Payment installments are withheld until conditions are satisfied — staff controls the release of each payment in the schedule.

5

Full Audit Trail

Every recommendation, review, approval, decline, and disbursement is logged with timestamp and user identity. The complete grant history is visible in the donor's fund portal, in the staff administration view, and in reporting exports — creating a permanent, searchable record for IRS compliance and board review.

Compliance at a Glance
Grantee verificationEvery grant
Balance check checkpoints2 independent
Staff approval requiredAlways
Audit trail retentionPermanent
GL integrationReal-time
IRS tax receiptsAuto-generated
Supported Grant Recipient Types
Public charities Component funds Educational institutions Individual scholars Vendors & contractors
Disbursement Rail

Every payment method,
handled end-to-end

GiftingNetwork's disbursement rail supports every payment scenario — from same-day EFT to MICR check printing with branded cover documents, air freight to sponsors for co-signature, and joint scholarship payments to institutions and students.

EFT / ACH
Electronic funds transfer direct to grantee bank account. Fastest path from approval to receipt.
Preferred
📄
MICR Check
Printed with authorized bitmap signature. Branded cover document. Mailed direct to grantee or payee.
Standard
✍️
Co-Sign / Air Freight
MICR check and cover letter air-freighted to sponsoring foundation for authorized signature before forwarding.
Institutional
🎓
Scholarship — Flexible Payee
Institution only, student only, or joint payee. Payment detail synced to GiftingNet via data integration.
Multi-Payee
Platform Controls

Visibility and control
at every stage

Sponsors, donors, advisors, and grant seekers each have role-specific access to the information that matters to them — and none of the information that doesn't.

👁️
Donor Portal Visibility
Donors see fund balance, available-to-spend, pending recommendations, approved grants, and grant detail with status — Pending, Approved, Declined, or Paid — directly in their portal.
🏛️
Staff Administration
Foundation staff have full recommendation worksheet access, approval authority, grant seeker management, and the complete payment order workflow — all in one administration view.
📊
GL Integration
Approved grants and payments flow to GiftingNet via data integration in real time. Fund balances, grant detail, and payment status are always current — no manual reconciliation required.
📋
Grant Seeker Portal
Grant seekers self-register, submit applications, receive status notifications, and track proposal status through every phase — from LOI submission through approval or decline.
📈
Reporting & Exports
Full grant history, payment records, and grantee data available as reports and exports. Supports board reporting, audit preparation, and IRS Form 990 documentation.
🔔
Notification Workflow
Automated email notifications at every status change — recommendation received, reviewer assigned, approval or decline, payment confirmation — keeping every participant informed without staff follow-up.

Ready to modernize
your grant program?

Talk to the GiftingNetwork team about your foundation's grant volume,
program types, and disbursement requirements.

Talk to Our Team ← Back to Platform