Tools We Trust: 5 Software Platforms That Power Our Work
At The Grant Plant, we’re always looking for ways to work smarter, not harder — and to help our clients and partners do the same. Over the years, we’ve tested countless tools to support our grant research, writing, project management, and team operations.
Today, we’re kicking off a 3-part series sharing our favorite resources — starting with the software platforms we actually use every day. These are the tools we rely on to save time, stay organized, and do our best work.
Here are five we genuinely love and recommend:
Instrumentl — Grants Prospecting Made Simple
What it is:
Instrumentl is an all-in-one grants platform that helps nonprofits and consultants discover funding opportunities, track applications, and manage deadlines in one intuitive workspace.
Why we love it:
Its clean interface, smart search filters, and personalized funding matches have transformed how we approach prospect research. The built-in grant tracking and calendar features keep our team organized and on schedule — and the constantly updated funder data means we always have fresh leads.
Why we recommend it:
If you’re a nonprofit leader, grant writer, or consultant who needs to find and manage multiple funding opportunities, Instrumentl is worth exploring. It can save you hours every week — and help you find funding you might have missed otherwise.
Use this link for $50 off!
Trainual — Your Processes, Documented
What it is:
Trainual helps businesses and nonprofits document their processes, train team members, and scale operations efficiently. Think of it as “training + manual” — all in one.
Why we love it:
As we grow, Trainual helps us onboard new staff, standardize workflows, and keep institutional knowledge alive. As you can imagine, over the course of 22 years we have developed and refined various processes, policies, and systems. Trainual makes it easy to have one place to look for these. The templates make it easy to build out modules quickly — plus, we love adding GIFs to keep things fun and engaging!
Why we recommend it:
If you want to professionalize your operations and build systems that grow with you, Trainual is a game-changer. Their onboarding and support team make sure you get the most out of the platform.
Fun Fact: Trainual was founded by co-owners & brothers Chris and Jonathan Ronzio. Read Tara’s blog article about running a sibling business here!
PeopleKeep — Employee Benefits
What it is:
PeopleKeep makes it easy for small businesses to offer flexible employee benefits through Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). Employers reimburse employees for healthcare costs — tax-free — without the complexity of traditional group plans.
Why we love it:
It lets us offer meaningful benefits that fit our budget and our team’s diverse needs. Plus, their platform is simple and their customer service is helpful.
Why we recommend it:
If you’re a small business looking to offer health benefits in a flexible, budget-friendly way, PeopleKeep is a great solution. Their blog is also an excellent resource for understanding HRAs and how they can work for you.
Thinkific — Create and Deliver Online Courses
What it is:
Thinkific is an online platform for creating, marketing, and selling courses. It’s ideal for anyone — experts, educators, or organizations — looking to share knowledge and expand their reach.
Why we love it:
We use Thinkific to host our training programs and workshops. It’s user-friendly and integrates smoothly with our other tools for content and communication.
Why we recommend it:
Whether you’re offering free or paid courses, Thinkific gives you the tools you need to deliver high-quality, accessible training. We are excited about re-launching our training offerings during 2025 and feel this is a strong platform that manages our content and orders well.
Use this link for a free 30-day trial!
Grasshopper — Stay Connected
What it is:
Grasshopper is a virtual phone system that lets you give out one standard business number. Calls route to your cell phones through the Grasshopper app.
Why we love it:
We wanted a simple way to stay reachable to clients and partners without juggling multiple phone lines and giving our team members discretion if they do (or don’t) want to hand out personal numbers. Grasshopper gives us a central number that feels professional and keeps our team mobile and responsive.
Why we recommend it:
If you’re a small business or consulting firm that wants to offer reliable phone access without investing in traditional phone systems, Grasshopper is a great solution. It’s flexible, affordable, and easy to set up.
Use this link for $15 off!
Wrapping Up
We hope these tools give you a head start in finding software that supports your organization and your team.
Keep an eye out for Part 2 of our resource series, where we’ll share our favorite books for grant professionals and nonprofit leaders.
In the meantime, you can explore even more resources on our Resources Page. Have a resource to add? Let us know! Email us at mail@thegrantplantnm.com.
Happy grant writing and happy growing!
This post was filed under: Inside TGP