Grant tracker spreadsheets for nonprofits and researchers
A missed deadline or a forgotten report costs more than any spreadsheet. This page explains what to track at each stage of a grant, shows two tracker layouts you can copy for free, and says which of three paid trackers fits which stage.
Track by stage
- Before you apply. Opportunity name, funder, deadline, amount requested, who owns it and its status.
- After you apply. Date submitted, decision date, amount awarded and what you learned if it was declined.
- After you win. Reporting deadlines, budget against actual spending, reimbursement requests, match or cost share, amendments and closeout.
Whatever you use, read the current notice of funding opportunity on the funder's own page before you apply. Amounts, windows and eligibility change from one funding cycle to the next, and a tracker is only as current as what you type into it.
Free sample: two layouts to copy
Download the free sample (PDF, 1 page)
The Active Applications and Awards Tracker layouts from Federal Grant Tracker Pro, with the made-up example rows that ship in the file. Copy the columns into any spreadsheet. It shows two tabs, not the whole workbook.
Which tracker fits
Grant Application Tracker (pipeline). For keeping up to 200 applications in order. Five connected tabs: Application Tracker, Deadline Calendar, Budget Summary, Funder Directory and Reporting. It comes with 20 pre-loaded US federal programs. The file says each award range, deadline and eligibility note was checked against the agency's program page, the funding notice or the Grants.gov record on 2026-09-24, and a Sources tab lists the page used for each. That date matters: federal figures change every cycle, so read the current notice before you rely on any of them. Works in Excel and Google Sheets, no macros.
Federal Grant Tracker Pro (federal applications). Ten tabs, including Active Applications, Federal Sponsors (50 sponsors), CFDA Codes (75 codes), PI Effort Projection, Deadline Calendar, Awards Tracker, Budget Builder and Drawdown Schedule. It is version 1.0, released 2026-05-27, and its reference lists are as of that build. Works in Excel 2016 and newer, Microsoft 365 and Google Sheets, and comes with a setup guide PDF.
Grant Award Management and Compliance Pro (after the award). A post-award workbook with 11 tabs: Start Here, Settings, Awards, Budget vs Actual, Reporting Calendar, Reimbursements, Deliverables, Match and Cost Share, Amendments, Closeout and Dashboard. Its notes say it was built and tested in Microsoft Excel 2021 and Microsoft 365 desktop for Windows. Mac Excel and Google Sheets have not been tested and are not supported in this version. It is an operations aid, not an accounting system or an audit certification.
Where to get them
Grant Application Tracker Spreadsheet
Pipeline tracker with 20 pre-loaded federal programs and a deadline calendar.
Federal Grant Tracker Pro
Ten-tab workbook for federal applications, with sponsor and CFDA reference lists.
Grant Management Spreadsheet for Nonprofits
Post-award compliance tracker: reporting calendar, budget vs actual, reimbursements and closeout. Excel for Windows.
Prices change. The price on the Etsy listing is the one that counts. Educational tools, not legal, financial or grants management advice.