Grant management demo script for nonprofits

A grant management demo can look good while proving very little. Vendors know how to show dashboards, filters, and polished sample records. Your team needs to see whether the system can handle your grant work.

Use this script for final vendor demos. Pair it with the software selection committee guide and the grant calendar requirements guide.

Before the demo

Choose one realistic award. Remove sensitive names if needed, but keep the shape of the work.

Prepare:

• funder type
• award amount
• award period
• approved budget
• restriction terms
• reporting dates
• one budget change
• three sample expenses
• one required document
• one board question
• one auditor request

Send the scenario to each vendor before the demo. Ask them to follow it in the product.

Scene 1: create the funder and award

Ask the vendor to create or open the funder record. Then ask them to add the award.

They should enter the grant name, funder, amount, award period, program, owner, approved budget, payment schedule, and restriction terms.

Watch for shortcuts. If the vendor stores the award as a generic opportunity or note, ask how finance and audit staff will find it later.

Scene 2: show restricted fund status

Ask the vendor to show the current restricted balance. Then ask how the balance changes when expenses are added or imported.

This matters because FASB nonprofit reporting separates donor-restricted resources from unrestricted resources. For federal awards, 2 CFR 200.302 also requires records that identify source and use of funds.

The system does not need to replace your accounting platform. It does need a clear way to show grant status without a stale spreadsheet.

Scene 3: enter expenses and evidence

Give the vendor three sample expenses. Include one payroll cost, one vendor invoice, and one shared cost. Ask where the support lives.

They should show invoice files, approval, allocation notes, and the link to the award or budget category. If a cost needs review, ask how the system flags it.

Scene 4: build the reporting calendar

Ask the vendor to enter an interim report, final report, and closeout deadline. Each item should show due date, owner, status, required files, and internal review date.

2 CFR 200.329 covers federal reporting duties. Many foundations use custom portals and dates. The software should handle both without hiding work in a personal calendar.

Scene 5: answer a board question

Ask: “How much of this grant is left, what is due next, and what might be late?”

The vendor should answer from the system. If the answer requires an export and a manual pivot table, note that clearly.

Scene 6: answer an auditor request

Ask the vendor to give read-only access or a review packet for one sampled cost. The packet should include award terms, budget category, approval, invoice, payment proof, and related report if applicable.

Use the auditor read-only access guide for deeper review. The main demo question is simple: can an outside reviewer see what they need without edit rights?

Scene 7: close the grant

Ask the vendor to close the award. They should show final report status, final balance, unresolved items, document retention, and archive access.

Federal records are generally retained for three years after final report submission under 2 CFR 200.334, with exceptions. A useful system should preserve that timeline.

Score the demo

Use a simple score after each scene:

• 0 means not shown
• 1 means shown with manual workaround
• 2 means shown in the product
• 3 means shown clearly with audit support

Do not score based on charm or polish. Score the work.

Ask what happens after launch

A demo should also cover the first 90 days after launch. Ask who imports data, who trains staff, who fixes mistakes, and how support works when a report is due.

Ask the vendor to explain how your team would add a new budget category, change a report date, close a grant, remove a user, and export records if you leave later. These are normal operating tasks. They should not require a custom project every time.

This part of the demo protects the committee from buying a product that looks good once but feels hard every month.

Use one follow-up exercise

After the demo, send one extra request. Ask the vendor to show a short video or written steps for one workflow that was unclear. Good vendors can answer directly. Weak answers often reveal that the demo skipped a hard part.

Where GrantPipe fits

GrantPipe can be tested with this same script if your team wants donor records, grant tracking, reporting dates, restricted funds, and evidence in one workflow. Do not skip the test. A good fit should show up in your own scenario.

DEFINITION

Demo script

A set of required vendor tasks that each product must show during a software demo.

DEFINITION

Award setup

The first step after grant approval, when staff enter the award, terms, budget, dates, restrictions, owners, and files.