--- title: "Instrumentl Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is Instrumentl the right Grant Management solution for you? Explore 192 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/233384/Instrumentl/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" publication_date: "2026-09-29" --- Instrumentl 5 (192) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/233384/Instrumentl/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated September 29th, 2026 # Reviews of Instrumentl Ease of use 4.8 Customer Service 5.0 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews TW Tina W Grants ManagerIndividual & Family Services, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “As a part-time grants manager, I have found that it saves an incredible amount of time and helps me be better organized and on top of new opportunities, grant requirements, and deadlines.“ July 20, 2026 CN Cort N Program DirectorNon-Profit Organization Management, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Still find it difficult to narrow searches for our specific need areas - subject, geographic, etc “ July 8, 2026 NB Niki B Director of PhilanthropyPerforming Arts, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “It centralizes our funder searches, document storage, and deadline tracking so our team can stay on the same page in one place.“ January 23, 2026 CS Caroline S Dual Director, Advocacy and Grants ManagementHospital & Health Care, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “some limitations such as currently no interface with our accounting software.“ June 10, 2026 DB David B Grants and Development ManagerHealth, Wellness and Fitness, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I've relied on Instrumentl.com for the last 5 years to help boost overall grant funding for a wide variety of nonprofit missions including arts & culture, basic needs, environmental, food security, and Native American services. While I've primarily served Utah nonprofits, Instrumentl.com has helped support my small business in which I provide grant support in Colorado, California, and New York.“ November 14, 2025 CG Cole G Director of Special Projects and GrantsHealth, Wellness and Fitness, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “I wish I could refine my matches a bit more to more accurately reflect my projects (this could be user error).“ October 6, 2025 Cindy S Development and Outreach OfficerIndividual & Family Services, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “Between its powerful features, exceptional support, and educational resources, I believe it offers tremendous value and has become an essential part of my grant-writing workflow.“ July 17, 2026 KB Kelly B Prospect Research StrategistEducation Management, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “You can abandon it but it will still show. If you delete it, then it won't show any other grant information for that project.“ February 10, 2025 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 192 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Cristi D. Executive Director Philanthropy Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A One-Woman Show’s Most Valuable Instrument" September 28, 2026 5.0 My overall experience with Instrumentl has been excellent. As the Executive Director of a small nonprofit without a dedicated grant writer, I use it constantly. It has made our grant process significantly more organized and manageable, from identifying new funding opportunities to researching funders, tracking deadlines and managing our pipeline. What I appreciate most is the amount of time it saves me. Instead of searching across multiple websites and trying to keep everything organized separately, I can do the majority of my grant research and tracking in one place. I can also easily pull reports to update our founder, prepare information for board meetings and give leadership a clear picture of our grant activity and results. Instrumentl has also helped us uncover funding opportunities I likely would not have found otherwise. It has become one of those tools that I genuinely rely on, and I would absolutely recommend it to other small nonprofits looking to build or strengthen their grant program. Pros Instrumentl has completely changed the way I manage our grant program. As the Executive Director of a small nonprofit, I don’t have a dedicated grant team, so having one place where I can research opportunities, track deadlines, manage submissions and keep notes has been incredibly valuable. The search and matching functionality is probably what I appreciate most. I’ve found funding opportunities through Instrumentl that I’m confident I would never have found on my own, and I can quickly determine whether a funder is worth pursuing before spending hours researching them. I also love how easy it is to track our entire grant pipeline. I can see what we’re researching, what’s in progress, what we’ve submitted, upcoming deadlines and results all in one place. The interface is intuitive, and I didn’t need extensive training to start using it effectively. For a small nonprofit with limited staff and a growing grants program, Instrumentl has saved me an enormous amount of time and helped me be much more strategic about where I focus my efforts. Cons My biggest frustration is with the new funder match notifications. Sometimes Instrumentl will indicate that there are new matches, but once I go in and apply the filters we already have established, there really aren’t any new relevant opportunities. I also occasionally see funders I’ve previously hidden show up again in the results. Neither is a major issue, but it can create a little extra work when you’re trying to quickly identify what is truly new and worth reviewing. Alternatives considered [Candid](https://www.capterra.com/p/237107/Candid/) Reason for choosing Instrumentl I looked at Candid and considered a few different options, but Instrumentl felt like the best fit for how I actually work. I didn't just need a database where I could search for funders. I wanted a tool that would help me discover opportunities, research funders, manage applications, track deadlines and results, and easily report on our entire grant program in one place. Instrumentl gave me that combination without feeling overly complicated or requiring a huge learning curve. For a one-person grant team wearing many other hats, that made the decision pretty easy. Review Source JB Julia B. Manager of Grants and Capacity Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "We love Instrumentl!! Best customer service ever!" June 10, 2026 5.0 I have been with Instrumentl for over 7 years and have been continually impressed with the product, the ease of the user interface, the plethora of features they offer (which keeps growing!), and the friendliness and responsiveness of their staff. Pros Instrumentl's customer service is stellar! They are very responsive and often take suggestions forward to their development team. Cons It can be a bit expensive; however, the value of the product is worth it if you can afford it. We have made it a priority in our budget. Alternatives considered [Blackbaud Grantmaking](https://www.capterra.com/p/242266/Blackbaud-Grantmaking/)[Grant Lifecycle Manager](https://www.capterra.com/p/122147/Grant-Lifecycle-Manager/) Reason for choosing Instrumentl Customer service, user-friendly interface, and ease of use. Review Source Response from Instrumentl June 12, 2026 Hi Julia, Seven years! That genuinely means so much to us. Thank you for growing with us and for taking the time to share this. It's been a pleasure having you as part of the Instrumentl community, and reviews like yours are a great reminder of why we care so much about getting the details right: the interface, the features, the support experience. We'll keep working to make it worth your budget line. Thanks again for the kind words and for sticking with us all this time! MR Marcia R. Project Manager Individual & Family Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Well Worth the Investment" March 3, 2023 4.0 Pros We've discovered grants we would never have found without Instrumentl. The ease of reviewing digitized 990s makes this product well worth the investment. The time we save with Instrumentl has already offset our investment in the subscription. Customer support is excellent. I never wait more than 24 hours for a response. Cons The app is complex because of its rich features. It took us a few weeks to learn how to use it effectively. The tutorials are helpful, but they are only accessible once you subscribe. My best advice for trial users is don't pick too many areas of focus when setting up your projects. Review Source Response from Instrumentl April 3, 2023 Marcia, thanks for the kind words! It's incredible to hear about the new funders you have found using Instrumentl. I'm glad those 990 insights are saving you research time. :) We appreciate your recommendation to trial users! I am sending your feedback on to the rest of the team now. Thanks again for taking the time to write this review! ~Rebecca MP Maurice P. President Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The Smartest Approach to Managing the Entire Grant Management Process" June 19, 2026 5.0 Extremely positive. I greatly appreciate the caliber of the support team at Instrumentl. Their knowledge of the tool set and responsiveness could not be better. Pros Our nonprofit organization has been making use of Instrumentl since December, 2023. What we found most helpful: - Excellent ROI - In our first year of utilizing, we uncovered a number of foundations that prior to Instrumentl went unnoticed. In our first year, the return on investment for Instrumentl was over 500% Cons It took a bit of time to become fully knowledgeable about utilizing the core functionality of Instrumentl. Switched from [Candid](https://www.capterra.com/p/237107/Candid/) The other platforms were not near as robust as Instrumentl with respect to their functionality. Review Source Response from Instrumentl June 29, 2026 Hi Maurice! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. A 500% ROI in your first year is remarkable, and we're so glad Instrumentl helped you uncover foundations that had previously slipped through the cracks. That's exactly what we're here for. We appreciate your patience through the initial learning curve as well. Getting fully up to speed on a new platform takes time, and we're always working to make that onboarding experience smoother. Please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team at anytime, we're always happy to help. Thank you for choosing Instrumentl, and for the kind words about our support team. We're proud to work with organizations like yours and look forward to continuing to support your grant work! CS Caroline S. Dual Director, Advocacy and Grants Management Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Catching Up to Current Grants Management Practices is Simple with Instrumentl" June 10, 2026 5.0 From learning about the product from a company rep to implimentation and staff training, the Instrumentl team has been there, approachable, and easy to work with. We have had suggestions and questions from the start and they've listened, followed-up and followed through. As the only person in our 250+ staff organization who's roles specifically includes grants management, a system like this is vital to success. I've been able to narrow the time it takes for management, research, submission, and reporting by more than half. The cost of the system has already been covered through additional grants found and won through the Instrumentl system. Pros There is so much to like, but I think the usability of the system is what sold us. Adding in our organizational data was easy, training staff to use the system quick, and understanding and utilizing the features daily a no-brainer. We have for so many years relied on disconnected and antiquated processes for grants management and frankly, couldn't continue on that path. Insturmentl helped us get caught up so seamlessly and has worked through all of the questions, barriers, and bumps along the way. Cons some limitations such as currently no interface with our accounting software. There are some features we'd love to see, but also know that improvements to the system as always on-going, including adding more accounting software and productivity platforms everyday. Alternatives considered [Sage Intacct](https://www.capterra.com/p/76/Intacct/)[Good Grants](https://www.capterra.com/p/206672/Good-Grants/) Reason for choosing Instrumentl We looked at a ton of systems but only a few really met the full spectrum of needs. We needed research, writing, tracking, reporting, management, and budget pieces and so few grantee systems are out there. Most were for grantors. Switched from [GEMS Grant Easy Management Software](https://www.capterra.com/p/264602/GEMS-Grant-Easy-Management-Software/) Instrumentl was far more intiutive in design. It also included grants research and writing support. Uploading documents and information was much easier with Instrumentl. Review Source Response from Instrumentl June 12, 2026 Hi Caroline, Thank you so much for this review and for sharing details about your experience. It really means a lot to our team! Cutting grants management time by more than half as a team of one supporting a 250+ person organization is no small thing. That's exactly the kind of impact we're building towards, and we're so glad Instrumentl has been a reliable partner through that transition. The accounting software integration is great feedback. It's something the team is actively working to expand. Really appreciate your patience there, and your confidence that we'll get there. Thanks again for trusting us with something so central to your work. We don't take that lightly! MC Monica C. Director of Grant Strategy Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Instrumentl is legit my favorite platform" June 18, 2026 5.0 I accidently stumbled across Instrumentl when looking for free trainings for my interns (which they do have). After trying it out, I used every persuasive skill I had to convince my supervisor to get it! It has saved me SO MUCH time researching, prospecting, and tracking grants! Pros To start: as someone who has worked in grants for 20 years, this is, by far, my favorite platform. From grant prospecting to tracking, Instrumentl has it all. The user interface is very easy to use, and searching for what you need is a breeze! And if you can't figure something out, their customer service is amazing. They also have loads of free trainings and articles about various grant topics. It works great for those with multiple people on your team as well. I honestly cannot say enough about the platform. I geek out about it! Cons For small shops,. the price can be a bit daunting. BUT -- it will pay for itself over time with how much $$ you save with your time searching and building a pipeline. Switched from [Candid](https://www.capterra.com/p/237107/Candid/) At my last job, we had FoundationSearch, which I didn't care for...so we switched to Candid, which I knew from a previous role. After trying Instrumentl, I stated "This is like Candid, but on steroids!" Review Source Response from Instrumentl June 29, 2026 Hi Monica! Thank you so much for this review, it genuinely means a lot to our team! Hearing that Instrumentl has become your favorite platform after 20 years in grants is about the highest compliment we could receive. We're so glad it's been worth the investment for your team, that's what we love to hear! Thanks for being such a champion for Instrumentl. We're thrilled to have you with us! SH Sarah H. Development Operations and Grants Manager Performing Arts Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Save Time & Raise More Funds with Instrumentl" June 9, 2026 5.0 Instrumentl has helped my grant writing tremendously at my organization. With their tools I was able to find several new funders for my organization (some becoming repeat contributors) as well as gain more insight into some of our current funders. With the 990 analysis they provided, I learned that a funder we thought only would support one of our education programs often funded operating support. With that new found knowledge, I applied for operating support and we got the full amount we asked for! The 990 analysis Instrumentl does is what sets them a part from other grant search databases. It has saved me so much time being able to fine tune my applications as well as save me from pursuing potential funders who did not align with my organization's mission and goals. Within my first year subscribing to Instrumentl, I received $41,500 in grant funding from new funders. That more than paid for the annual subscription! I tell everyone I know who works in grants that Instrumentl is amazing and so worth the price! Pros I love the 990 analysis that Instrumentl does for you. It saves me so much time I would have spent researching whether a foundation is a good alignment with my organization. Being able to see a summary of who a foundation supports, at what level, and percentage of new vs. repeat grantees is so valuable! Cons I wish I could search more easily among type of grantee. I can see a summary of the Arts & Culture grantees a funder gives to, but I would love to be able to search by that genre in addition to state/year that we currently can search. Alternatives considered [GRANTSEEKER](https://www.capterra.com/p/10011350/GRANTSEEKER/)[Candid](https://www.capterra.com/p/237107/Candid/) Reason for choosing Instrumentl The 990 analysis was so useful to me during the free trial and the other products didn't have as robust information as Instrumentl had. Review Source Response from Instrumentl June 12, 2026 Hi Sarah, Wow, thank you so much for this review and congratulations on $41,500 in new grant funding in your first year! That's the kind of outcome we work hard to make possible, so hearing it laid out like that is truly exciting for our whole team. The 990 analysis is one of our favorite things about Instrumentl too, and your example of discovering a funder's openness to operating support (and getting the full ask!) is exactly the kind of insight it's built to surface. Really glad it paid off. Your feedback on searching by grantee type is a great one. Being able to filter by something like Arts & Culture alongside state and year would make that data even more actionable. I've passed it along to our team. Thank you for telling everyone you know. It means the world to us! Andy L. Planner Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Instrumentl maps out the complex terrain of grant-writing" September 22, 2026 5.0 Instrumentl has greatly facilitated my work in grant-seeking, grant-writing and collaborating with my team, not because it takes over or replaces any of the crucial functions of these tasks, but because it organizes and visualizes the complexities of the work. Its great benefit is in offering an external version of the mental map of the planner. Pros Instrumentl's interface is ideally arranged ideally to help our team keep track of our ongoing grant-based projects, from end to end. It appears as running tab of our tasks and interactions and the search function has never failed. Cons There are a few exceedingly minor points of usage that I would note: in particular the row- and column-scrolling system can leave piece of information covered, though usually only when the sidebar is open. I have no better alternative to the current Instrumentl format, but I have wrestled occasionally with the selection of visible fiscal years. Review Source Response from Instrumentl September 25, 2026 Hi Andy, Thank you so much for this thoughtful review! We love the way you put it: an external version of the planner's mental map. That's exactly what we hope Instrumentl can be for grant professionals, and it means a lot to hear that it supports your team's work from end to end rather than trying to replace the expertise you bring to it. We also appreciate you flagging the scrolling issue when the sidebar is open, and the friction with selecting visible fiscal years. Small details like these matter in tools you use every day, and I've shared both with our product team. Thanks again for being part of the Instrumentl community! BB Becki B. Grant Strategist Fund-Raising Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "So Much More Than A Grant Database!" August 18, 2026 5.0 Instrumentl has an AMAZING team, customer service, and training program that goes WAY beyond just learning how to use the platform. It is so much more than a grant database! Pros Value for money. Instrumentl does the work that would normally cost much more of your precious time! Prospecting grants is just the beginning! It's your grant tracker, your calendar, your task master, your best grant bestie! Cons It can be a bit overwhelming for first-time users because there are so many amazing features! But the 101 and 102 trainings are great, and you will be up and rolling faster than you think! Review Source Response from Instrumentl September 22, 2026 Hi Becki, thank you for taking the time to write this feedback! "Your grant bestie" we love that, thank you! It really captures what we're going for: not just a database, but a true partner across prospecting, tracking, and task management. We're so glad it's been saving you time and keeping everything in one place. You're so right that there's a lot to explore when you're new to the platform and are glad the 101/102 trainings helped you get up and rolling quickly! Our team puts a lot into making sure support and training go beyond just "how do I click this button," so it means a lot to hear that come through. Thank you for such a warm review, we're lucky to have customers like you! CC Cherise C. Director of Operations and Programming Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Definitely worth the investment!" August 8, 2026 5.0 Pros I was skeptical at first because the sales pitch seemed to good to be true and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something that was only okay. But man, I am glad I tried it! Within the first week, I was able to find another 15 grants I had never heard of that specifically tie to my work and the grant writing assistance saved me so much time in digging back through my old applications wondering "where did I write about this before?!". The website is super easy to navigate and when I couldn't figure something out, I was quickly able to get support. In fact, I waited until the last minute to work on a grant only to find that it wasn't available through the system (boo!), but I sent a request and the support people were back to me in the same day and I was able to get it done! Can't recommend enough. Cons Can't think of anything right now! I've really enjoyed it over the first few months I've worked with it. Review Source Response from Instrumentl September 22, 2026 Hi Cherise, we love this, thank you for sharing your feedback! It's great to hear that early skepticism turned into finding 15 new grant matches in your first week alone, and that the grant writing assistant saved you from digging back through old applications trying to remember where you'd written what before. That's exactly the kind of time savings we're aiming for. :) Thanks for sharing the story about your support request, we're glad our team could turn that around same-day and help you get your application in under the wire! Thanks again for such a generous review! We're so glad to have you as part of the Instrumentl community and that you gave us a shot! JM Jennifer M. Director of Programs Civic & Social Organization Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Instrumentl Rocks!" July 10, 2025 5.0 I've been very happy with Instrumentl, we really need to grow our grant funding and it's helping me find new opportunities. Even if I don't have time to reach out to the funder before applying, I've at least applied and can do the diligence and reaching out before the next cycle starts. I've actually shared our account with others at our company so they can grow their own programs and departments as well! Pros Simple, but thoughtfully laid out and organized Helps find and keep new and current grant applications and tasks on track Cons I'm still new, so I forget I have to switch between my project and matches to continue to research new opportunities sometimes. Once I've hidden an opportunity- usually it doesn't apply to us- it keeps reappearing on my matches so I often feel like I'm looking at the same opportunities. Switched from [CommunitySuite](https://www.capterra.com/p/171719/CommunitySuite/) They were going out of business. We were not using it prior to the switch, but we lost a team member and I was suddenly managing her grants along with mine and I needed more help managing them all, so we got started with Instrumentl. Review Source Response from Instrumentl August 15, 2025 Hi Jennifer, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave an honest review of our platform. I'm so glad to see that you find the product simple and well organized for you to discover and track funding opportunities. I totally hear you in reference to forgetting to return to your Matches to prospect further opportunities/funders. It's easy to get boggled down in the tracking, applying and reporting steps of the grant lifecycle! We do send out a weekly New Matches email digest; hopefully this is a helpful reminder for you to continually check new funding opportunities as they go live. If you're not receiving those, please reach out to us at hello@instrumentl.com. You mentioned you're seeing previously-hidden opportunities among your Matches. That is definitely possible if the 'show previously hidden opportunities' filter is enabled. If you don't wish to see opportunities that you've hidden from other projects, then you can toggle that filter off :) Thank you so much again! CL Cindy L. Specialist, Grants and Government Relations Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Exceeded all of my expectations!" March 5, 2025 5.0 Staff were super supportive during my initial inquiries about becoming a customer, then through the onboarding experience. Exceeded all of my expectations! Pros I attended free subject matter webinars for a year. Our previous platform wasn't meeting our organizational needs, and then I also attended webinars specific to Instrumentl's platform demonstrating how to use, integrate, and implement. I was so impressed that I convinced my organization to make the switch! I've discovered so many new funding opportunities, love that I can easily access 990s, and even peer institutions! I love the email reminders, notices of new matches, and the ease of using the platform. Cons I haven't found a downside. So far, it is exceeding my expectations. Reason for choosing Instrumentl I had a one year free trial of the product. While it is a good product, I was more drawn to Instrumentl after a 2-week trial period. Switched from [Metabase](https://www.capterra.com/p/176651/Metabase/) The former product I used, FoundationSearch, is not listed. The question is forcing an incorrect response. FoundationSearch by Metasoft did not meet my needs for management or even prospecting. It was also expensive. Review Source Response from Instrumentl March 10, 2025 Hey Cindy :) Your words jump off the page to me--I can feel the excitement and relief you must feel in being able to discover several new funding opportunities and peer institutions. I know what it's like going from one platform that didn't quite meet my needs (and was expensive) then discovering an alternative that just straight-up delivered (and saved me money). We want to be that for you and all nonprofits looking for funding. Any feedback that comes to mind along your journey we are stoked to hear! Your experience is not only what care about when building our features, but also what we depend on to make it better. Anyways, I send my utmost gratitude on behalf of our whole team here for your review. May you continue to discover great-fit grants and win them to fund the awesome work you do! Warmly, Nate KB Kelly B. Prospect Research Strategist Education Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "High Praise for Instrumentl" February 10, 2025 5.0 It has been amazing. I can't tell you the hours I have saved with this product. I finally am able to see a concrete picture of everything our Corporate and Foundation Relations Department has going on in our fundraising space. Pros Instrumentl is basically one-stop shopping. I can do everything in this one product that I used to do in multiple spreadsheets and three different products. It has saved me countless hours of cutting and pasting into excel spreadsheets, sending emails about opportunities. Our team is spread out and with this product we can all work seamlessly. On top of that, Instrumentl is reasonably priced and we have canceled 3 subscriptions and just use Instrumentl now. I would highly recommend checking it out to anyone who is working in the Corporate/Foundation grant space - it is a timesaver and lifesaver for me. Cons The only thing that bothers me is that if I find a grant and save to a project, and the officer decides not to apply, there's no way to just remove the grant. You can abandon it but it will still show. If you delete it, then it won't show any other grant information for that project. Switched from [Candid](https://www.capterra.com/p/237107/Candid/) Those products did not offer what Instrumentl does - so we canceled those and just use Instrumentl now. Review Source Response from Instrumentl February 21, 2025 Hi Kelly, Thanks for your elaborative and honest review! It is so cool and rewarding for our team to learn of your testimony - getting rid of several platform subscriptions to have all you need in one place, hopefully saving you money on top of time and hassle! I totally hear you regarding what you said about grants you decide not to apply for. Apart from hiding the opportunity from a given project, you can indeed change its status to 'Abandoned'. If you don't want to have it showing on your Tracker, you can filter your Project Tracker to only include opportunities with statuses other than 'Abandoned'. I hope this makes it easier for you! I'll pass on this feedback to our Product team regardless ;) Appreciate you again for sharing your Instrumentl experience with others! ~Nate SB Stephan B. Grant Writer Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The best of the best" May 22, 2026 5.0 Best grant writing and management tool I had so far. The AI interface for customer support is accurate and loads quickly, I get my answers in the time I need to be a proficient grant writer. Pros Instrumentl keeps info up to date. Other grant writing tools do not. The dashboard is user friendly. Deadline emails are handy to stay up to task. Cons There should be a project module where i can upload documents about a certain company for whom i write a grant without having to go through the questionnaire. Review Source Response from Instrumentl June 12, 2026 Hey Stephan, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review, it genuinely means a lot to us! We're really glad Instrumentl has been a reliable part of your grant writing workflow. Keeping data up to date is something our content team works hard on, so it's great to hear that's making a difference for you day-to-day. Your feedback about a project document module is really valuable. Being able to upload org-specific materials without going through the full questionnaire each time makes a lot of sense, especially for consultants juggling multiple clients. I've passed this along to our team. Thanks again for the kind words and for being part of the Instrumentl community! DB David B. Grants and Development Manager Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "An Effective Grant Researching Tool with Endless ROI" November 14, 2025 5.0 I've relied on Instrumentl.com for the last 5 years to help boost overall grant funding for a wide variety of nonprofit missions including arts & culture, basic needs, environmental, food security, and Native American services. While I've primarily served Utah nonprofits, Instrumentl.com has helped support my small business in which I provide grant support in Colorado, California, and New York. Pros I like how in-depth I'm able to research a funder before I even attempt an outreach, allowing me to best utilize my time and resources to ensure that I am making the most of all grant/stewardship opportunities. Because of Instrumentl, I've been able to impress donors with an in-depth knowledge of their funding priorities, history of giving, and preferred geographic range. I also enjoy the "Funder Matches" section because it helps spot many local opportunities that may not seem obvious at first glance. While many funders have direct websites, grant portals, and deadlines - Funder Matches helps to locate family foundations that often require more personal engagement. Cons All of the nonprofits I've worked at/collaborate with already have their own internal system for following and tracking grants, in which I've actually never had to use any of the grant management tools on Instrumentl. I'm sure it's a great management tool, but we've always tried to maintain our grants on an organizational Drive rather than 3rd party software. Review Source Response from Instrumentl December 15, 2025 Hello David, Than you for leaving this review. It's amazing to hear you've been with us now for 5 years, and you've continued to derive value from our platform to boost your consultant business with nonprofit clients in several states around the US! It's wonderful that you have impressed funders with in-depth knowledge gleaned from our database. I especially love reading about how the Funder Matches have been so impactful on your prospecting. Thanks for your perspective with clients who have their own unique grants tracking systems. I can see how our Tracker may seem unnecessary when your clients prefer their own internal system. There's precedent for nonprofit clients adopting Instrumentl and adding consultants like yourself as freelancer user, but I know this isn't always feasible with client preferences. We're committed to helping you make the most out of our platform regardless of your clients' tracking system! Thanks again, David :) We're here for you if anything comes up! DS David S. Assistant Professor Medical Practice Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Instrumentl has been great to work with" November 19, 2025 5.0 Pros Our institution needed help finding available grant funding, primarily for smaller grants than those traditionally available through the National Institute of Health. Instrumentl finds grants from many routes that newer institutions qualify for. We have had many users across our institution use Instrumentl to apply for several grants over the past two years. The price for this service was far lower than their competitors. Cons Different users can see your searches for grants. While this is beneficial to ensure you are not overlapping grant submissions (the likely reason this feature was implemented), it is possible to mistake which one is your query and edit someone else's by mistake. Review Source Response from Instrumentl December 15, 2025 Hey David :) We can't thank you enough for the time you took to write about your experience using our platform. I'm thankful to hear your org has been able to find grants from new funders and pathways. It's great that so so many team members applied for grants found in Instrumentl the last couple years. We really appreciate your feedback around the collaborative aspect of the platform. I can see how it may be confusing or frustrating when making changes to a different user's saved funding opportunity by mistake. Did you know that you can actually assign opportunities to team members? In the top-right-hand corner of the saved grant page, you can open a dropdown menu and assign the grant to a user on the account. This may help prevent those accidental edits. Filtering your Tracker by Opportunity Owner is one way to only see those that you own :) If more questions or feedback come to mind, please let me know! CH Caron H. Grants Compliance Manager Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Instrumentl -- what you need for prospecting and tracking your grants" April 18, 2025 5.0 I've been working in grants since 2004, and in my time using different software, this is the most intuitive and easy-to-use grants prospecting and tracking program I have encountered. Pros The ease with which I can conduct prospect research, track opportunities through moves management, and pull reports to keep my boss in the know. Cons At first, it's almost overwhelming the amount of matches you can get, but once you learn to filter you can drill down and get to the best prospects. Review Source Response from Instrumentl April 21, 2025 Hi Caron, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this candid review of your experience using Instrumentl! It makes our team so happy to see you've been able to prospect successfully and keep your boss up to date using the reporting features. We're humbled by your words, knowing that in the 20+ years you've been working in grants, our platform is the most intuitive you've used. We're all ears for any feedback or ideas you have down the line. We appreciate you! <3 Best, Nate LL Laura L. Director of Development Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Instrumentl is a game changer for grant writers! " June 13, 2025 5.0 Our overall experience with Instrumentl has been excellent. The platform helped us identify and successfully acquire new funders, streamlining our grant research and tracking process. It’s user-friendly, efficient, and a valuable tool for growing funding. Pros It makes grant research and tracking very streamlined! It is easy to navigate and set up several program projects to isolate research and tracking. Cons There are no complaints about Instrumentl—It has been a very helpful tool! The only thing to make it better would be if it were free! But, nothing worthwhile is free! Review Source Response from Instrumentl June 20, 2025 Hey Laura, Thank you so much for writing this review! It's humbling to see you benefit so much from our platform in organizing funding efforts in different projects. Yes, free everything would be great! Maybe someday... Congrats on identifying and acquiring new funders!! It makes our day to hear such impact stories from our customers. It's a reminder of our mission: to be a force-multiplier for nonprofits... to do the amazing work you do! As always, we are here to listen to your feedback, offer assistance when needed, and cheer you on as you shape the world for the better! Warmly, Nate KK Kelly K. Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Instrumentl Rocks" March 4, 2025 5.0 I started using Instrumentl in 2019 at The Open Door in Gloucester MA. I was blown away with the ease of using it. And staff are so willing to listen to feedback to improve the system. Pros The ease of researching new grant possibilities. In a short while, it is easy to determine if the grant maker's funding history is a match for our organization. Cons I really never warmed up to the AI feature. Review Source Response from Instrumentl March 10, 2025 Hi Kelly! Thank you so much for writing this review - time is precious so using yours to share about your experience with others here on Capterra means a lot to our team. It's awesome to see you find it easy on our platform for you to discern a funder's fit! Prospecting or grant discovery can be overwhelming an inefficient, so it's all the more impactful to know you're finding this grant life cycle stage to be made easier from our product. We really appreciate your feedback around your experience using our AI grant-writing tool, 'Apply'. It's still in Beta, as you probably know. Our team is constantly working to improve it by real-time feedback from customers like you! We look forward to hearing more feedback from you, namely around the 'Apply' AI tool so we can make our platform better for you and others in the nonprofit space <3 Best, Nate TK Tracy K. Owner Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "What Did I Do Before Instrumentl?" February 17, 2025 5.0 Very positive. Customer service and teachings offered are excellent! Pros Having all the critical data about a grantor in one place. Information that would have taken many hours to find prior. Cons It's tricky to filter down opportunities. Review Source Response from Instrumentl February 21, 2025 Hey Tracy, On behalf of all of us at Instrumentl, thank you so much for taking the time to leave an honest review of our platform. Amazing to see you're saving hours of work by having all the funder data in one place for you :) I'm sorry to learn that our existing filters, sorting and Matching technology are not sufficiently easy or intuitive for you to prospect funding opportunities. Our Product team is actually working on a revamp to how Projects and Matching is configured, so hopefully this will make things much better for you soon! In the meantime, our Customer Success team would love to hop on a call to help you out with filtering your funding opportunities - Office Hours, Trainings or a 1:1 call, just reach out :) Appreciate you again for your candid words and effort to share your experience with others! ~Nate JC Jill C. Client Manager Fund-Raising Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "I love Instrumentl- Its Opens up a World of Possibilities" January 3, 2025 5.0 I use it for searching and learning more about foundations. It's helpful for strategizing. Oh it's great to get contact information and know who the trustees are. Pros I really, really love Instrumentl for creating tailored searches for various foundations. It's so nice to easily access 990s and see an overview of their foundation's giving histories. It's helpful to look at average size grants, funding priorities, funding areas by state, etc. I also love that we can look at other nonprofits and see what grants they have received to discover even more grants. Finally, its really nice that instrumentl has lists of grants for just about anything. Cons I don't have any cons. I think I am attached to my Google Spreadsheets though lol. Review Source Response from Instrumentl February 21, 2025 Hey Jill, I appreciate you so much for sharing about your experience with Instrumentl! It's great to hear that you've been able to leverage the customizable prospecting tools. I love that the Peer Prospecting and Funder Insights (990 reports) have helped you discover, study and strategize around foundations. Also, there's nothing wrong with loving your Google Sheets, ha! If you ever have any feedback for us, please don't hesitate to let us know! ~Nate LK Lauryn K. Director of Development Fine Art Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Instrumentl Has Played a Crucial Role in Helping Charleston Stage Discover More Grant Opportunities!" November 11, 2024 5.0 Pros Instrumentl has truly been a game-changer for us in connecting with new grant opportunities. It’s opened up doors to foundations, both local and beyond, that we never knew existed. We’ve been especially excited to discover private foundations in our own community, and the ability to see who they’ve funded in the past gives us valuable insight into how we can approach our proposals and make the most of each opportunity. Cons One challenge we faced when transitioning to Instrumentl was moving our data from a spreadsheet format into the software. Some of the information didn’t transfer exactly as we had hoped, which led to a few hiccups in the process. That said, we were incredibly grateful for Instrumentl’s support team—they were there to help every step of the way and made the troubleshooting process much smoother. Review Source Response from Instrumentl November 18, 2024 Hey Lauryn, So happy to hear you've opened up a world of possibilities with Instrumentl! Our team is always here for you, hiccups and all :) Don't hesitate to reach out anytime -- we'd always love to hear from you! ~Sindhu AS A'Jay S. Director of Grants Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Best New Team Member" November 14, 2024 5.0 I am thrilled our organization chose to invest in this program. We've seen a return on our investment and look forward to continuing our relationship. Pros I love the thoroughness with which each opportunity is researched. So much time was being spent looking for specific information for our niched organization on a weekly basis and now we are able to focus on actually writing proposals. I also like the ability to organize my work on the platform provided. Having everything in one place--AND being able to keep accurate notes, track progress of grant activities and reports conveniently is a win for our development team! Cons There are so many amazing opportunities presented to me every few days, I can hardly keep up. That's actually a good problem to have in the grant world 🙂. Review Source Response from Instrumentl November 21, 2024 Hi A'Jay, Thank you so much for sharing your experience using Instrumentl! We're so glad to hear you're saving valuable time and streamlining your grants process -- that's the goal :) Amazing to hear you've already received an ROI with us as well! Thanks again for using Instrumentl for all your grants needs -- feel free to reach out to us anytime! ~Sindhu ES Erin S. Grants and Experiential Design Specialist Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "High favorable opinion on Instrumentl" November 17, 2023 5.0 It has been a very positive experience. The trainings and workshops provided bring an extra layer of value for the subscription and have helped me in my grant writing professional development. Pros I love being able to look up a foundation I just learned about to check out their funding priorities, giving level, requirements and deadlines. I recommend the platform to anyone looking to break into a grant writing career as well as to organizations who need a grant finding and management platform. Cons For me its just an extra tracking document to update as I am required to track other organizational documents for internal use. Just a little extra work on my part. Review Source Response from Instrumentl November 21, 2023 Erin -- I'm so glad that you like the funder 990 pages and being able to find information on their grants and giving! We'll be in touch to understand how we can better support you to reduce the duplication of work for tracking. It's good to have you onboard! ~Tracie TW Travis W. Grant Writer Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Instrumentl - An Essential Tool for Established and Growing Nonprofits" March 26, 2024 5.0 Pros I have been incredibly impressed with the Instrumentl product and the Instrumentl team. From day one, the service team was attentive and flexible. They actively sought and implemented feedback for product improvements and customization to meet our organization's needs. Aside from the phenomenal customer service, the product is fantastic. By utilizing Instrumentl, our organization was able to streamline and consolidate tools and resources in the development space while optimizing our team's efficiency. The features that have been most helpful have been the grant tracking and the grant research. Instrumentl has kept us on track with deadlines and has made it simple to find strong-fit matches on grant funding opportunities. Instrumentl is a great product at a reasonable price. I would recommend Instrumentl to any nonprofit that is looking to invest in its development team and looking to take the next step to elevate in their grants space. Cons Overall, Instrumentl is a great product. One area where the product is lacking is in the post-grant reporting features. This wasn't imperative for our organization but having features built out to support metrics and reporting for grants have have been won would be a nice upgrade. When discussing this with the Instrumentl team, they said they were already working on such features and hope to release a beta soon. We are very excited to see these features implemented to further enhance an already great platform. Review Source Response from Instrumentl May 2, 2024 Hi Travis -- I'm so glad that you've found that Instrumentl was able to streamline and increase your team's efficiency when both organizing and prospecting for grants! Additional thanks for shouting out our team - they'll be thrilled to hear they've helped you utilize Instrumentl to its fullest :) We are definitely excited for all the work we're doing for post-grant efforts and I'll be sure to mention this to our product team. It's so awesome to have you with us! ~Eric Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.