The short answer
A donor award is an operational lifecycle, not just an accounting entry. GrantFlow 365 follows a grant from the funding opportunity through award setup and execution to a closeout checklist, inside Business Central, so business development, programme, procurement and finance work from one record.
An international donor award runs for years and involves business development, programme managers, procurement and finance, under firm contractual terms. When an NGO relies on disconnected tools, such as a CRM for proposals, spreadsheets for budgets and basic software for the ledger, data silos lead to missed donor milestones and late closeouts.
It describes a grant lifecycle management process and an NGO grant tracking system, as grant management software for NGOs built on Business Central.
Stage 1: Pre-award pipeline and proposal tracking
Effective grant management begins before any money reaches the bank.
Opportunity pipeline
Track each funding opportunity from first contact to award.
- Opportunity type, donor, back donor, likelihood, proposal date and contract dates
- Contract value and currency, with a breakdown by financial year
Concept note and proposal budgets
Budget lines are drafted before the award.
- Concept note budget lines and proposal budget lines with totals
- Co-applicants and the funding mechanism recorded
Eligibility and review
Decide whether to pursue before effort is spent.
- Eligibility checked, with screening notes
- Internal review approval through a workflow
- Lost and abandonment reasons kept for learning
- A won opportunity links to the grant award
Dynamics 365 Sales alongside
Proposal pipelines can live in Sales.
- Business Central connects to Dynamics 365 Sales through Microsoft's standard, out-of-the-box integration
- Business development can work in Sales while finance works in Business Central
- How a Sales opportunity relates to a GrantFlow 365 opportunity is agreed in design
Stage 2: Award setup and financial architecture
When the agreement is signed, its terms become an operational structure.
Guided award setup
A wizard and checkpoint walk finance through setup.
- Award header, award lines and the donor
- A setup checklist that shows what is still open
Budgets and control
The approved budget becomes the baseline for control.
- Grant budgets and budget lines by category
- Funding components for tranches or workstreams
- Contract versions and amendments kept as controlled records
Partners and sub-awards
Pass-through money follows an agreement.
- Partner agreements with disbursement and accountability
- Due diligence status held against implementing partners
Stage 3: Execution and monitoring
Execution is the longest stage and needs constant control over procurement, people and burn rate.
- RequestRequisitions, journals or timesheets raise spend against a grant.
- CheckCommitment control tests the available budget.
- DecideA hard stop blocks, approval is required, or a warning is shown.
- PostApproved spend posts to the grant ledger.
Commitment control
Budget is checked as spend is raised.
- Purchase requisitions and purchase orders recorded as commitments
- Spend from purchases, payables, journals, time sheets and expenses recorded on the grant
Milestones and alerts
Dates are visible before they are missed.
- Grant milestones and reporting periods
- Grant alerts with a lead time, and a digest that can be emailed
- Own-share and cost-share settings
Stage 4: Closeout and audit readiness
Closeout is where late discoveries become clawbacks and disallowances, so GrantFlow 365 turns it into a checklist.
- ReportAll reporting periods are submitted to the donor, or waived under policy.
- InvoiceInvoices are linked where invoicing follows submission.
- PostDraft receipts and disbursements are posted or removed.
- SettleThe closeout document is created and any refund is posted.
- ComplyCompliance requirements are met or waived.
- CloseThe grant is closed and blocked for new transactions.
A closeout hub lists open items and documents so they can be resolved first. Fixed assets carry the grant they were bought under. Disposition rules for equipment, indirect cost true-up and donor-specific closeout statements depend on the agreement and are confirmed in design.
Impact across the lifecycle
| Stage | Risk with spreadsheets | With GrantFlow 365 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-award | Proposal data held apart from finance | A pipeline with budgets and a link to the award |
| Award setup | Manual setup, many entry errors | A guided setup with a checklist |
| Execution | Overruns found after the vendor is paid | Commitment control and alerts |
| Closeout | End-of-grant reconciliations | A readiness checklist and a closed, blocked grant |
To see the lifecycle on one of your own grants, book a GrantFlow 365 demo or read the GrantFlow 365 product page.
Keep reading
Commitment accounting for NGOs
Stop overruns before a vendor is committed. Read the guide
Salesforce to Business Central
A one-way proposal sync into the grant contract. Read the guide
Business Central for NGOs
The core guide to fund accounting, grants and multi-currency control. Read the guide
Frequently asked questions
What are the stages of the grant lifecycle?
Pre-award (opportunity and proposal), award setup, execution and monitoring, and closeout. GrantFlow 365 supports each stage inside Business Central.
Can GrantFlow 365 track grant proposals?
Yes. It holds opportunities with status, likelihood, donor, contract dates and value, concept note and proposal budgets, eligibility and screening notes, and links a won opportunity to the grant award.
What happens at grant closeout?
A readiness checklist covers reporting periods, invoices, draft receipts and disbursements, the closeout document and any refund. The closed grant is blocked for new transactions.