Grant Management Kanban Boards: Visualizing Your Application Pipeline
Learn how to use Kanban-style visual workflows to manage grant applications from discovery to award—with templates and best practices from successful nonprofits.
What is Kanban for Grant Management?
Kanban is a visual workflow system where tasks move across columns representing different stages. Originally developed for manufacturing by Toyota, it's now used by tech companies, marketing teams—and smart nonprofits managing grant pipelines.
Why Kanban Works for Grants:
Standard Grant Kanban Columns
Most nonprofits use a 5-7 column structure that mirrors the grant application lifecycle:
1. Prospect / Research
Purpose: Foundations you're evaluating but haven't decided to apply to yet
Cards here: "Smith Foundation - $50K STEM education," "Jones Trust - exploring fit"
2. Qualified / Approved to Apply
Purpose: Grants you've decided to pursue and leadership has approved
Cards here: Opportunities that passed your internal vetting process
3. In Progress / Writing
Purpose: Proposals actively being written or reviewed
Cards here: Drafts in development, waiting for budget, under internal review
4. Submitted / Under Review
Purpose: Applications submitted and waiting for funder decision
Cards here: Proposals sent, follow-up pending, site visits scheduled
5. Awarded / Active
Purpose: Grants you won that are now in implementation/reporting phase
Cards here: Active grants requiring reports, tracking, stewardship
6. Declined / Closed
Purpose: Applications that were rejected or grants that have closed out
Cards here: Track rejection reasons, plan reapplication strategy
What Information Goes on Each Card?
Essential Card Elements:
Foundation Name (Card Title)
e.g., "Smith Family Foundation"
Grant Amount
Requested amount: "$50,000" • Display prominently
Application Deadline
Due date: "March 15, 2025" • Color-code urgency (red = <7 days)
Assigned To
Owner: "Sarah Johnson" • Shows accountability
Project/Program
What you're seeking funding for: "After-School STEM Program"
Tags/Labels
Category tags: "Education," "Youth," "STEM," "Local Foundation"
Priority Flag
High/Medium/Low indicator based on strategic importance
Best Practices for Grant Kanban Boards
DO: Update in Real-Time
Move cards immediately when status changes. Don't let your board become outdated—that defeats the purpose of visual management.
DO: Hold Weekly Pipeline Reviews
Spend 15 minutes as a team reviewing the board. Ask: "What's stuck?" "What needs help?" "What's moving too slow?"
DO: Limit Work-in-Progress
Don't have 20 grants simultaneously in "Writing" stage with a 2-person team. Set WIP limits (e.g., max 5 in Writing at once) to maintain quality and prevent burnout.
DO: Archive Completed Grants
Once a grant closes out (final report submitted, relationship complete), archive the card to keep your board clean. You can always search archives later.
✗ DON'T: Let Cards Stagnate
If a card sits in one column for 30+ days with no activity, either move it forward, move it back, or remove it. Stale cards clutter your view and hide real priorities.
✗ DON'T: Overcomplicate with Too Many Columns
More than 7-8 columns becomes overwhelming. Keep it simple. If you need more granularity, use status labels within cards instead of additional columns.
Sample Workflow: Grant Through the Pipeline
Following "Smith Foundation - $50K STEM" Card
Week 1: Research
Card created in "Prospect" column. Development coordinator researches 990 data, reviews past grantees, confirms geographic and mission fit.
Week 2: Internal Approval
Presents to Executive Director. Gets approved. Card moves to "Qualified" column. Assigned to Sarah (grant writer).
Week 3-5: Writing
Card moves to "In Progress." Sarah drafts proposal using AI assistant, gathers budget from finance team, collects supporting documents. Card shows 65% progress bar.
Week 6: Submitted
Proposal submitted on March 15 (deadline). Card moves to "Submitted" column. Sarah adds note: "Follow-up call scheduled April 10."
Week 10: Decision Notification
Foundation emails: "Congratulations, $50,000 awarded!" Card moves to "Awarded" column. 🎉 Celebration happens.
Month 6: Interim Report Due
Card stays in "Awarded" with reminder set for interim report deadline. Sarah submits report, updates card with link to submitted document.
Month 12: Final Report & Closeout
Final report submitted. Grant complete. Card archived with outcome notes: "100% funds spent, program exceeded goals, excellent relationship for renewal next year."
Advanced Kanban Features
Color-Coded Priority Tags
Use visual indicators to spot high-stakes grants instantly:
Deadline Urgency Indicators
Automatically highlight cards based on deadline proximity: Red border = <7 days, Yellow = 7-14 days, Green = 14+ days
Dollar Amount Badges
Display requested amount prominently so team can prioritize high-value opportunities: "$250K" badge stands out more than "$5K"
Assignment Avatars
Show team member photos/initials on cards so everyone knows who's responsible at a glance
Kanban Metrics to Track
Pipeline Health Indicators:
Tools That Support Grant Kanban
Expirely
BEST VALUE$49/month • Built-in Kanban specifically designed for grants • Automatic deadline alerts • 41,000+ foundation database integrated
✓ Only platform combining Kanban + Discovery + AI Writing in one affordable tool
Trello (Generic Kanban)
Free-$10/user/month • Flexible board creation • Manual setup required • No grant-specific features
✓ Good free option if budget is extremely tight, but lacks automation and grant database
Asana / Monday.com
$10-24/user/month • Powerful project management • Generic (not grant-specific) • Requires customization
✓ Works if you already use these for other projects, but no foundation database
Start Using Kanban for Grants Today
Expirely includes grant-specific Kanban boards + 41,000 foundations + AI writing tools for just $49/month.