How to use GrantParty

What you get: One account per organization. Everyone you invite works from the same profile, searches and drafts.

1. If GrantParty set up your account for you, open the email from sg@capstonetech.co and click the link to set your password. The link works once and expires after one hour. If it has expired, go to grantparty.com/forgot-password and enter your email.
2. To sign up yourself, go to grantparty.com/register. Under "What are you pursuing?" choose "Grants" or "Government contracts", fill in your name, organization and email, and click "Create account".
3. On the next page, choose the 30-day pilot ($100, one payment) or a monthly plan. Payment runs through Stripe.
4. After that, log in at grantparty.com/login with your email and password.

What you get: Every search, match score and draft reads this profile. A complete profile gets better matches and drafts that need fewer edits.

1. After payment you land on "Welcome to GrantParty". You can come back to it any time from the "Auto-fill my profile" button on the Dashboard, or from the auto-fill card at the top of "Organization Profile".
2. Enter your EIN. This is the most useful single field: it lets GrantParty find nonprofits like yours and the funders who paid them.
3. Add your website address. Upload documents if you have them: an annual report, a recent Form 990 or a case statement, as PDF or Word.
4. Click "Scan and fill".
5. Review each field. Each one shows where it came from and how confident the reading is. Uncheck anything that is wrong.
6. Click "Apply selected". Nothing is saved until you do.
7. Open "Organization Profile" in the sidebar and fill the gaps on each tab: "Basic Information", "Organization", "Programs", "Financials" and "Team". Click "Save Changes" when you finish. Programs and team members you add are not saved until you do.

How long: An EIN alone fills in instantly. A website scan takes one to two minutes.

What you get: Your matches stay inside the places you serve.

1. Open the detailed profile at grantparty.com/organization-profile. You also reach it from the "Edit profile" button on the Grants page.
2. Click the "Grant Search" tab.
3. Tick the states you serve, or pick a region under "Quick Select by Region".
4. Click "Save Settings".

What you get: The writer drafts from your own material. The more it has, the fewer questions it asks and the less you rewrite.

1. In the detailed profile (grantparty.com/organization-profile), open the "Documents" tab and click "Add Document".
2. Upload your IRS determination letter and your latest audit or Form 990.
3. Upload any of the three documents the writer reads directly: "Program Design Brief", "Draft Budget" and "Prior Application".
4. Open "Saved Content" in the sidebar and click "Add Content". Save the sections you reuse: mission, need statement, evaluation plan, organizational history and the like.
5. Mark the best version of each section as the default with "Set as default".

What you get: A short list of open grants your organization is eligible for, each with its funder, amount and deadline, plus the grants that were left out and why.

1. Open "Grants" in the sidebar. Click "Find Matches", then "Find Matches" again to confirm.
2. Watch the progress bar, or leave the page. The search keeps running, and a badge at the top of every page shows its progress.
3. Read the results on the "Matches" tab. Each card shows the funder, the amount, the deadline, the funding level and a match score, and "Why it fits" gives the reason, eligibility and where the grant came from.
4. Narrow the list with "Filters": grant amount, funding level (Federal, State or local government, Foundation, Community foundation, Corporate) and focus area. Type in the search box to filter by keyword.
5. Click "Save" on the grants you plan to pursue. The "Saved" tab lists them, and saved grants get deadline reminders. Grants you start an application for move to "Applied".
6. Rate grants with the thumbs up or thumbs down and pick a reason. The next search uses your ratings.
7. Click "Dismiss" on a grant you will never apply for. It will not come back.
8. Open "Left out of your matches, and why" to see each grant that was rejected and the reason: not eligible, closed or not a fit.
9. Grants you add with "Add Grant" or import appear on the "Your grants" tab.

How long: About five minutes.

What you get: A ranked list of the funders that paid nonprofits doing your work in your state, with typical grant sizes, including funders you have not approached yet.

1. Open "Competitive Analysis" in the sidebar and click "Run the analysis".
2. When it finishes, read "Funders to approach". Each row shows how many similar organizations the funder paid, the total, the typical grant, the latest year and whether it has an open program.
3. Pick a list and click "Add to list" to keep the funders you want to work on.
4. Under "Similar organizations", open any peer to see its programs, leaders and the grants it received.
5. Under "Organizations you know about", add any peer by EIN. It is included in every future analysis.
6. To work your funder lists, click "Funding History" at the top of the page. The "Funder Lists" tab tracks each funder from Researching to Funded. The "Grant History" tab records grants you received, with report due dates and renewals.

How long: About four minutes.

What you get: A complete draft written to the funder's instructions: every section, the budget and the supporting documents, checked against each requirement. It asks you for facts it does not have and never makes them up.

1. Open "Applications" in the sidebar, or use the upload card at the top of the Dashboard.
2. Under "Start a new application", add the funding announcement: the NOFO, RFP or guidelines, as PDF or Word. This one is required.
3. Add your program plan if you have one. Rough notes are fine. Add a draft budget if you have one, as Word, PDF, Excel or CSV.
4. Click "Start my application" and keep the page open until the upload finishes.
5. A few minutes in, the writer asks up to eight questions. Each one says why it matters and what happens if you skip it. Answer what you can and click "Send answers". Anything you skip becomes a labeled blank in the draft.
6. The writer finishes on its own, and you get an email when the draft is ready. You can close the page in the meantime.
7. To change anything, type it in the message box, for example "Tighten the need statement to 400 words".

How long: About 40 minutes. The questions arrive about 10 minutes in, and the clock pauses while it waits for your answers. If no draft has run for a while, the first one takes about a minute longer to start.

What you get: A clear list of what to fix before you submit, a budget you can adjust, and a clean copy ready for the funder's portal.

1. Read the tiles at the top of the application: the quality score, "Must fix before submitting", "Worth a look" and "Blanks for you to fill in".
2. Open "Quality" for the reviewer score of each section, with strengths and weaknesses. Click "Apply this feedback" to have the writer revise a section.
3. Open "Checklist" for the deadlines, every item in the submission package, open questions and the fields you still need to fill.
4. Open "Budget" to check each line. Change an assumption and the lines recalculate.
5. Open "Sources" to check each fact and where it came from.
6. Open "Decisions" and accept or reject any proposed changes to your program design. Nothing changes until you accept.
7. Click "Download" and choose "Word (.docx), submission copy" or "PDF, submission copy". The versions "with review pages" add the checklist, sources and budget assumptions for your team.
8. Submit through the funder's own portal, then click "Mark as Submitted".

What you get: A letter of inquiry written to the funder's priorities, for funders who ask for one before a full application.

1. Open the application and its "Letter of inquiry" tab ("LOI Drafter" before a draft exists).
2. Enter the project name, a description and the amount requested, then click "Continue".
3. Pick a template: Standard, Brief, Corporate Giving or Government. Click "Generate LOI".
4. Edit the letter, then click "Copy" or "Export". It is saved with the application.

What you get: The funder's priorities, typical grant range and contacts in one place, with every call and meeting on record for whoever picks up the relationship next.

1. Open the application and its "Funder" tab ("GRM" before a draft exists).
2. Click "Research Funder" for the funder's priorities, recent activity, typical grant range and letter of inquiry requirements.
3. Click "Find Contacts", or "Add Contact" for people you already know.
4. Click "Log Interaction" after each call, meeting or email, and "Add Note" for anything else.

What you get: Spending, compliance items, reports and outcomes for each award in one place, ready for the funder's reports and your renewal.

1. Open the application and its "Post Award" tab. Click "Mark as Awarded & Start Tracking".
2. Record expenses against the award budget as you spend, then click "Approve" on each one. Approved expenses count toward the budget bar.
3. Build the compliance checklist with "Auto-Generate", or start from the federal, state, foundation or corporate template.
4. Add each report and its due date in "Reporting Calendar" with "Schedule Report".
5. Record outcomes and attach documents as the work happens.
6. Click "Full View" to see all of your awards together.

What you get: You hear about new matches and closing deadlines without logging in every day.

1. The Dashboard shows your recent applications, the grants with the soonest deadlines, and how complete your profile is.
2. The bell at the top of every page shows your latest notifications. Click "View all notifications" for the full list.
3. By email you get a weekly summary of new grant matches, a reminder when a saved or applied grant closes within 14 days, and a message when a draft is ready.
4. Each day GrantParty also reminds the right people about tasks due or overdue, funder follow-ups, award reports and compliance items.
5. The badge at the top of every page shows searches and drafts that are still running. Click it to jump to one.

What you get: Your funding history in one place, with renewal and report dates, and context for the writer.

1. Open "Import Data" in the sidebar.
2. Choose "Historical Grants" for grants you received, or "Grant Opportunities" for a list of grants you track.
3. Click "Download Template", fill it in, and drop the file on the page (CSV or XLSX, up to 10 MB).
4. Check how your columns were matched under "Map Columns", review the preview, then click "Import".
5. To pull grants out of documents instead (funder lists, award letters, newsletters), use "Classify Documents", upload them, tick the rows to keep in the preview, and import them.

What you get: GrantParty learns your NAICS codes and certifications, which decide every notice you see and every set-aside you can bid on.

1. After payment you land on "Welcome to GrantParty". Later, the "Set up my company" button on the Dashboard brings you back.
2. Under "Your company", confirm your legal business name and fill in your business size, home state and SAM.gov UEI.
3. Under "What you do", enter your website and click "Scan website". Tick the suggested NAICS codes that fit and edit the capabilities statement.
4. Under "Certifications you hold", tick each one you hold: 8(a), WOSB, EDWOSB, SDVOSB, VOSB, HUBZone and the others listed.
5. Click "Save and find solicitations".

How long: The website scan takes up to a minute.

What you get: Searches cover every line of work you do, and proposals name your real people and past contracts.

1. Open "Company Profile" in the sidebar.
2. Under "Federal Identity", add your UEI, CAGE code and every NAICS code you work under. Use "Suggest from website" for more. The search covers every code listed, so a missing code means notices you never see.
3. Add keywords for your work, comma separated, and the states you serve under "Opportunity discovery".
4. Under "Certifications", add each certification with its issuing authority and expiry date. Expired certifications are ignored.
5. Use "Research my company" to pull capabilities, key personnel and past performance from your website, then click "Add to profile".
6. Fill in "Key Personnel" and "Past Performance" with real contracts, values, periods and references.
7. Click "Save profile".

What you get: The open federal notices for your NAICS codes that you are eligible for and that fit your work, each with a one-line reason, plus the ones left out and why.

1. Open "Solicitations" in the sidebar and click "Find opportunities (SAM.gov)".
2. Watch the progress, or leave the page. The badge at the top of every page tracks it.
3. Read the list. Each row shows the agency, notice type, NAICS code, set-aside, due date and a "Strong fit" or "Possible fit" label with the reason.
4. Click "Details" for the place of performance, contact, description and attachments.
5. Click "Save" on the notices you are pursuing. GrantParty watches saved notices for amendments.
6. Click "Hide" on a notice you will not bid on. It will not come back.
7. Open "Left out of the last search, and why" to see notices set aside for programs you are not in, or outside your work.
8. For state and county bids, click "Portals". Under "Add a portal", enter a name, the address of the page that lists open bids, and the state, then click "Add portal". Click "Scan portals" to read them now. In DC, Maryland and Virginia, "Add DMV starter set" adds workforce and human services bid pages.
9. Click "Saved" above the list to see the notices you saved, including closed ones.
10. In "Details", enter the incumbent if you know it. "Incumbent" then shows that company's federal award history.

How long: About two minutes. A portal scan takes about four.

What you get: A full proposal written against the solicitation's evaluation criteria: every volume and section, the pricing and the supporting documents, with a compliance matrix showing where each requirement is answered.

1. From a notice on Solicitations, click "Start proposal". Choose "RFP", choose whether you are the prime, a sub or a JV member, and click "Create pursuit". GrantParty downloads the notice's documents and starts the writer.
2. Or open "Proposals" in the sidebar and use "Start a new proposal": add the solicitation (required), your capability statement and your pricing or rates, then click "Start my proposal".
3. About 10 minutes in, the writer asks a few questions. Answer what you can and click "Send answers". Anything you skip becomes a labeled blank.
4. The writer finishes on its own. To change anything, type it in the message box, for example "Cut the technical volume to its page limit".

How long: About 45 minutes. The clock pauses while it waits for your answers. If no draft has run for a while, the first one takes about a minute longer to start.

What you get: Proof that every requirement is answered and every price has a source, before an evaluator finds the gap.

1. Read the tiles: quality score, "Must fix before submitting", "Worth a look" and "Blanks for you to fill in". The readiness pills flag sections over their page limits, priced lines with no source and requirements without evidence.
2. Open "Requirements" and "Quality" in the writer panel to see each requirement and each section's score.
3. Click "All tools" for the full workspace. Under "Shape", open "Compliance Matrix" and click "Run evidence audit", then "Run compliance audit". Under "Write", open "Pricing" for "Web price research" and "Federal comps".
4. Under "Capture", open "Bid / No-Bid" and click "Auto-assess from research" for a scored bid decision with risks.
5. Under "Write", open "Pricing" and use the price builder: list labor categories with hours and rates, add other direct costs, and set option years with escalation. Preview the totals by year, then apply them to the proposal.
6. Under "Submit", open "QA / Red Team" and click "Run QA" for a red, yellow or green readiness rating and the top risks to fix.
7. If you are a sub, open "Teaming" and click "Generate packet" for the prime.
8. Click "Download", or "Export Word" or "Export PDF" at the top, for the submission copy.

What you get: Your development staff, program leads and finance person work in one account, on the same profile and drafts.

1. Open "Team" in the sidebar and click "Invite Member".
2. Enter the person's email, pick a role (Admin, Editor or Viewer) and click "Send Invitation".
3. They get an email with a link. It expires after 7 days. They click it, set a name and password, and click "Accept Invite & Create Account".

What you get: One organization can pursue grants and government contracts without losing either profile.

1. Open "Settings" in the sidebar.
2. Under "What this account is for", click "Switch to government contracts" or "Switch to grants".

What you get: A separate workspace for each nonprofit you lead or each client you serve: its own profile, grant search, applications and team, all on one plan and one login.

1. Click your organization's name at the top of any page and choose "Your organizations" ("Client organizations" on the Consultant plan).
2. Enter the organization's name, its EIN if you have it, and whether it needs grants or government contracts, then click "Add organization" ("Add client" for consultants).
3. Click "Set up" for the new organization. GrantParty switches to it and opens the profile auto-fill, so its profile is filled from its own website and IRS records.
4. To move between organizations, click your organization's name at the top of any page and pick one. Everything you see then belongs to that organization.
5. Run "Competitive Analysis" for the new organization, then "Find Matches". Its grant search uses its own analysis and profile, not the main organization's.
6. To bring its staff in, switch to that organization and invite them from "Team". People already on your team join without a new password.

What you get: Every plan includes every feature. Plans differ by who they are for and how many people they include.

1. 30-day pilot: $100, one payment, every feature, up to 3 people. It does not renew, and the $100 counts toward your first month if you stay.
2. Nonprofit: $149 a month or $1,490 a year, one nonprofit, up to 3 people.
3. Contractor: $199 a month, one small business, up to 3 people.
4. Consultant: $399 a month, up to 10 people, with a separate account for each client set up with you on a call.
5. When a pilot or plan ends, you are asked to choose a plan the next time you log in. Your work is saved.
6. Admins see the plan, renewal date and days left in Settings, under "Plan and billing". Click "Change plan" to switch plans, or "Manage billing" to update the card, see invoices or cancel.