For micro-nonprofits

Your first grant proposal, built and ready to submit

Structured templates, budget breakdowns, and submission checklists designed for small nonprofits applying for funding without a grant writer.

No grant-writing experience needed.

app.grantleap.co/proposal-builder

PROPOSAL STEPS

1. Organization Info

Complete

2. Needs Statement

In progress

3. Project Goals

4. Budget Narrative

5. Evaluation Plan

SECTION 2 OF 6

Needs Statement

In Progress

Guidance: Describe the specific problem your organization addresses. Use local data and statistics where possible.

Riverside County has seen a 34% increase in families experiencing food insecurity since 2022. Our organization serves over 420 households monthly, yet current funding covers only 60% of demand...
45%

What GrantLeap is

The grant process is designed for organizations with full-time development staff. Most small nonprofits don't have that. GrantLeap fills the gap — giving your 1-to-3-person team the exact structure, language, and checklists a professional grant writer would bring.

Proposal structures

Step-by-step sections with built-in guidance text

Budget templates

Pre-built line items for typical nonprofit costs

Submission checklists

Every required doc tracked, deadline to deadline

The process

From blank page to ready-to-submit in a structured sequence

1

Pick your grant type

5 minutes

Choose the grant category — federal, foundation, corporate, or community. GrantLeap loads the right proposal structure for that funder type, so your application matches what reviewers expect to see.

Templates cover community foundations, federal NOFO format, corporate giving, and small family foundations

2

Fill each section with guidance

1-3 days

Every section — Needs Statement, Goals, Budget Narrative, Evaluation Plan — includes inline guidance text and example language. You're never staring at a blank field wondering what funders want.

Guidance text is written by experienced grant writers — not generated

3

Build your budget

30-60 minutes

The budget template arrives pre-populated with the line items most funders require: personnel, fringe, supplies, travel, indirect costs. Enter your numbers and the totals calculate automatically.

4

Check every box before submitting

Final step

The submission checklist tracks every required attachment, certification, and formatting rule for your specific grant. Mark items complete as you gather them; the deadline countdown keeps the pressure visible.

Proposal Builder

Every section answered, none left to guesswork

The Proposal Builder walks you through each grant section in sequence. Inline guidance written by experienced grant professionals tells you exactly what reviewers look for, and what a strong response sounds like.

  • Organization overview, mission alignment, and capacity statements
  • Needs statement framing with prompts for local data integration
  • Goals, objectives, and SMART outcome language built in
  • Evaluation plan and sustainability section scaffolding
3
Project Goals & Objectives
Section 3 of 6

State 2-3 measurable goals. Each goal should connect directly to the problem described in your Needs Statement and be achievable within the grant period.

By December 2025, provide 500 additional families in Riverside County with monthly food access through our expanded pantry network.
Train 8 volunteer coordinators in food-safe handling by March 2025 to support expanded operations...
2 of 3 objectives complete
Budget Template — Rivers Foundation Grant FY 2025
Line Item Requested Other Funds
Personnel
Program Coordinator (0.5 FTE) $28,000 $14,000
Volunteer Manager (0.25 FTE) $9,500 —
Program Costs
Food procurement $6,400 $3,200
Distribution supplies $1,800 —
Indirect Costs (10%)
Applied to personnel + program $4,570 —
Total Request $50,270 $17,200

Budget Template

A budget reviewers trust, built from the right categories

Most micro-nonprofits lose points on budgets because they're missing expected line items or the indirect cost calculation is wrong. The GrantLeap budget template starts with the categories funders expect and calculates totals as you type.

  • Personnel, fringe, program, travel, indirect — all pre-structured
  • Indirect cost rate automatically applied — no manual calculation
  • Track match / other funds alongside your grant request
  • Export-ready for foundation portals and PDF submissions

Submission Checklist

Nothing missing on the day you submit

Grant applications get rejected for missing attachments, not bad proposals. The submission checklist for each grant tracks every required document, deadline, and formatting rule specific to that application.

  • Per-grant checklist tailored to that funder's requirements
  • Deadline countdown keeps submission dates front of mind
  • Mark items gathered, missing, or not applicable
Rivers Foundation — Community Grant 12 days left
Grant proposal narrative Gathered
Completed budget template Gathered
IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter Gathered
Most recent audited financials Gathered
Board of directors list Missing
Organizational chart Missing
Letters of support (2 required) Missing
Project timeline Not started
4 of 8 items gathered
50%

A different way to work

The old way costs time your mission doesn't have

Without a system

  • Spend days reading RFPs and past grant examples to figure out what sections are needed

  • Build a budget from a blank spreadsheet — miss indirect costs, guess at the right categories

  • Discover a missing attachment at 11pm the night before the deadline

  • Submit without knowing if the narrative actually answers what reviewers are scoring

With GrantLeap

  • Open the right proposal structure immediately — sections already ordered, guidance already written

  • Enter your numbers into a pre-structured budget; indirect costs calculate automatically

  • Track every required attachment from day one — the checklist shows you what's missing in real time

  • Submit knowing each section answered exactly what reviewers score — because the guidance told you

Simple pricing

Built for organizations without a grants budget

One plan that covers everything a micro-nonprofit needs to go from zero to submitted.

What you get

  • Proposal Builder — all 6 sections with inline guidance
  • Budget Template — pre-structured with auto-totaling
  • Submission Checklists — per grant, per funder type
  • Multiple grant applications in parallel
  • PDF and document export for submission portals
  • Community foundation, federal, and corporate templates

Sign up to get started

Grant-ready without the grant-writer price tag

GrantLeap gives small nonprofits the scaffolding that professional grant writers charge thousands for — structured, guided, and ready to use on your timeline.

Start my proposal

Takes you to sign-up — no commitment needed.

Do I need any grant-writing experience?

No. GrantLeap is designed specifically for executive directors and program staff who are new to grant writing. The guidance text explains what each section needs and why.

Is this different from using an AI writing tool?

Yes. AI drafting tools generate text — GrantLeap provides structure, budget math, and checklists. You write your own narrative (which funders prefer) with guidance on what to say.

What kinds of grants does the template cover?

Community foundations, corporate giving programs, small family foundations, and federal NOFO format. Each type loads the right proposal structure automatically.

How long does it take to complete a proposal?

Most users complete their first proposal narrative in 1-3 days of focused work. The budget template and checklist typically take a few hours once the narrative is drafted.

Your mission deserves funding

Grant-ready in days, not months

Your organization is doing important work. GrantLeap gives you the structure to fund it — without waiting on a grant writer, a board member who once wrote grants, or a workshop that only covers the basics.

No grant-writing experience needed.