How to Manage Grant Proposals With ClickUp

Using ClickUp to plan, draft, and track your grant proposals helps non-profits stay organized, meet deadlines, and present stronger applications to funders.

This step-by-step guide is based on the workflows and templates highlighted in the ClickUp grant proposal templates for non-profit article. Follow along to build a simple but powerful system tailored to your organization.

Step 1: Plan Your Grant Workflow in ClickUp

Before writing, define how grants move from idea to submission. You can set this up as a List or Folder inside ClickUp.

1. Create a space or folder for fundraising
   Organize all grant-related work inside one dedicated area so every proposal and document lives together.

2. Add a List for grant proposals
   Name it something clear like “2025 Grants Pipeline” so your team immediately understands its purpose.

3. Define your stages
   Use statuses that mirror the lifecycle of a grant, such as:

   • Researching opportunities
   • Qualified leads
   • Drafting proposal
   • Internal review
   • Waiting on documents
   • Submitted
   • Awarded
   • Declined

This workflow gives your team a shared view of where each opportunity stands without hunting through email threads or spreadsheets.

Step 2: Set Up ClickUp Custom Fields for Grants

Custom Fields in ClickUp help you store essential grant details in one structured place and report on them later.

Add fields to each grant task such as:

• Funder name
• Grant program name
• Maximum award amount
• Match requirement (Yes/No)
• Grant type (program, operating, capital, capacity-building)
• Geographic focus
• Letter of intent deadline
• Full proposal deadline
• Expected decision date

With these fields in ClickUp, you can quickly filter for grants with upcoming due dates, identify high-value opportunities, or focus on a particular region or program area.

Step 3: Use ClickUp Tasks to Track Each Grant Proposal

Treat each grant opportunity as a single task inside ClickUp to centralize communication and responsibilities.

1. Create one task per grant
   Title examples:

   • “ABC Foundation – Youth Mentoring Grant 2025”
   • “Community Health Fund – Operating Support”

2. Assign an owner
   Assign the task to the main grant writer or development lead responsible for the submission.

3. Set key dates
   Use start and due dates for milestones like LOI and full proposal deadlines. Add reminders so your team never misses a date.

4. Track subtasks
   Break work into subtasks such as:

   • Review guidelines
   • Confirm organizational eligibility
   • Gather financial statements
   • Draft narrative
   • Collect letters of support
   • Compile attachments
   • Final internal review
   • Submit via portal or email

Each subtask can be assigned, dated, and commented on directly within the ClickUp task, keeping the entire team on the same page.

Step 4: Draft Your Narrative in ClickUp Docs

ClickUp Docs let you write, format, and collaborate on your proposal narrative without leaving your workspace.

1. Create a Doc for each proposal
   From the task, attach or create a new Doc titled with the funder and year so it is easy to find later.

2. Use a consistent structure
   Borrow the core sections highlighted in non-profit grant templates:

   • Executive summary
   • Organization background
   • Statement of need
   • Program description
   • Goals and objectives
   • Methods and activities
   • Evaluation plan
   • Sustainability
   • Budget narrative

3. Collaborate in real time
   Invite teammates to comment, suggest edits, and tag colleagues for specific sections like evaluation or finance using comments.

4. Version and reuse content
   Duplicate successful narratives in ClickUp Docs and tailor them for new funders instead of rewriting from scratch.

Step 5: Organize Attachments in ClickUp

Grant proposals usually require supporting documents. Using ClickUp to store these items ensures no file is lost at the last minute.

Attach or link files such as:

• IRS determination letter
• Board list
• Organizational budget
• Program budget
• Recent financial statements or audits
• Logic models or theory of change diagrams
• Letters of support or MOUs

Upload them directly to the proposal task or to a central Docs and resources folder, then link them into each task as needed.

Step 6: Use ClickUp Views to Monitor Your Pipeline

Different views in ClickUp make it easier for leaders, development staff, and program teams to see the information they care about.

Board View in ClickUp for Status Tracking

Use a Kanban-style Board where columns are your grant statuses. Drag tasks across columns as each opportunity progresses from research to award.

This gives an instant snapshot of:

• How many grants are in drafting versus review
• What is ready to submit
• Which proposals were successful or declined

List and Table Views in ClickUp for Reporting

List or Table views let you sort and filter by Custom Fields. You can quickly answer questions like:

• Which grants are due in the next 30 days?
• What is the total potential award for all open proposals?
• Which funders support a specific program area?

Save these views and share them with leadership for easy reporting.

Calendar View in ClickUp for Deadlines

Calendar view shows all LOI and proposal due dates laid out by month. This helps prevent deadline clusters that can overwhelm your small team.

Step 7: Standardize With ClickUp Templates

Templates make your process repeatable so each new opportunity starts from a proven structure.

1. Create a task template
   Build an ideal grant task in ClickUp with:

   • All subtasks
   • Custom Fields filled with example data
   • Attached Docs and checklists

   Save it as a template and apply it whenever you add a new grant.

2. Create Doc templates
   Turn your favorite narrative layouts into reusable Doc templates with section headings and guidance notes for staff.

The original blog showcases how non-profits can rely on these templates to speed up proposal creation and maintain quality.

Step 8: Coordinate Teamwork and Reviews in ClickUp

Grant writing is collaborative. Use ClickUp features to keep feedback structured and timely.

• Comments and mentions – Tag finance for budget review or programs staff for outcomes and evaluation language.
• Checklists – Create pre-submission checklists to confirm eligibility, attachments, and formatting.
• Automations – Automatically move a task to “Internal review” when all drafting subtasks are complete.
• Notifications – Ensure reviewers receive alerts when they are assigned a subtask or mentioned in a comment.

This structured collaboration helps non-profits reduce errors and submit polished, on-time applications.

Step 9: Analyze Results and Improve in ClickUp

After decisions arrive, track outcomes so your team can continuously refine its strategy.

1. Update task status
   Move proposals to “Awarded” or “Declined” and record the decision date.

2. Log award amounts
   Use a currency Custom Field to record the amount granted versus requested.

3. Capture lessons learned
   In the task description or a linked Doc, summarize feedback from funders and internal reflections.

Over time, this data inside ClickUp becomes a learning library that guides future funding strategies.

Next Steps: Scale Your Grant Management

By combining workflows, custom fields, Docs, templates, and views, ClickUp turns a complex grant process into a clear, repeatable system your entire non-profit can follow.

If you want expert help designing advanced non-profit workspaces, automations, or AI-driven content workflows, you can explore consulting services at Consultevo.

Start with a simple pipeline, standardize your narrative and documentation, then expand your ClickUp workspace as your grant portfolio grows.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

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