Short answer
Board Packet Composer turns live GrantPipe records into a board-ready PDF. Pick the date. Pick the sections. GrantPipe pulls giving, grants, fund balances, and due dates.
The problem
Board prep should not start with a blank slide deck.
Yet that is how many teams work. A finance lead pulls fund balances. A grants manager pulls grant dates. A giving lead sends donor totals. Someone pastes it all into one packet.
That packet can go stale fast. One gift changes the fundraising total. One posted expense changes a fund balance. One grant report moves from pending to overdue. Now the board packet and the product record disagree.
The National Council of Nonprofits says boards need current financial information to make good decisions. BoardSource also frames financial oversight as part of a board’s fiduciary role. GrantPipe cannot make those choices for a board. It can make the packet easier to trust.
How GrantPipe solves it
Board Packet Composer creates a board-ready PDF from GrantPipe records. Open Reports. Choose the board fiscal year. Add a meeting date. Pick a cadence. Choose the sections you want.
GrantPipe then builds the packet from live data. Fundraising totals come from donor and donation records. Grant pipeline totals come from grant records. Fund balances come from fund allocations and expenses. Deadline rows come from grant application dates and open reporting requirements.
The PDF sits in the same report library as audit and IRS 990 prep. It also sits with grant compliance and gift letters. Staff can preview it. They can download it from the report list.
What the packet includes
The default packet includes five sections:
- Executive snapshot
- Fundraising
- Grant pipeline
- Fund balances
- Compliance deadlines
You can remove a section before you make the PDF. A finance packet may keep fund balances and due dates. A giving-heavy board meeting may keep fundraising and pipeline.
GrantPipe saves the selected sections in report metadata. It also saves the meeting date and cadence. Staff can see what the packet was meant to cover.
How it works
- Open Reports
- Find Board Packet Composer
- Enter the fiscal year
- Add the meeting date
- Pick one-time, monthly, or quarterly
- Check the sections you want
- Generate the PDF
- Preview or download it from the report list
The composer does not need a separate setup step. It reads from records your team already keeps in GrantPipe.
Who it’s for
This is for leaders and finance leads. It is also for grants staff who prepare board packets.
The director wants one clean view before the meeting. The finance lead wants fund balances to match the ledger. The grants manager wants open reports and grant dates visible.
Board Packet Composer helps those roles start from one source. It is not legal or accounting advice. It makes the source data easier to gather and review.
What it does not do
Board Packet Composer is not a board portal. It creates the PDF packet. If a board member needs app access, use roles or scoped reviewer access.
It also does not email the packet or auto-schedule delivery in this release. Staff still review the PDF before they share it. That review matters. The packet can carry data forward, but the team still owns the message and the governance context.
Why GrantPipe built it this way
Board reporting is a monthly ritual. It should reuse the same records staff trust during the rest of the month.
That is why the packet reads from donor history. It also reads grants, funds, expenses, and due dates. Staff do not retype the same numbers.
The section picker keeps the output focused. A board meeting does not need every work detail. It needs the few views that help people ask the next question.
What it replaces
- The copied board slide that no longer matches the app
- The spreadsheet of fund balances sent around before each meeting
- The separate donor report pasted into a packet by hand
- The grant deadline list that lives outside the board materials
- The late search for the number behind a board question
For retention numbers that feed the packet, see Donor Retention Reporting. For fund balance detail, see Restricted Fund Tracking. For the deadline list behind the packet, see Compliance Deadline Radar.
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Q&A
What is Board Packet Composer?
Board Packet Composer makes a board packet PDF from live GrantPipe records. Staff pick the year, date, cadence, and sections.
Q&A
Why does board reporting need live records?
Board members need current money and work data. A copied slide can drift from the donor report. It can drift from the grant list too. A packet built from records cuts that drift.
Q&A
Which GrantPipe records does the packet read?
The packet reads gifts, grants, funds, expenses, and due dates. The report stores the chosen sections in metadata.
Frequently asked