How to Write a Grant Report
1. What is a grant report?
A grant report helps your nonprofit show a funder how you have put their support to use. Nonprofit organizations in the United States are often required to prepare grant reports to comply with funders’ requirements and to let funders know about the impact of their funding.
- A grant report lets a funder know how a nonprofit used their grant.
- A grant report usually addresses how the grant money was spent, as well as outcomes and impacts of the funded project or organization.
- There are as many types of grant reports as there are funders.
Tip: Keep track of important information like how many people were impacted by the project as well as project expenses as your work progresses to make it easier to complete grant reports.
2. What are the different types of grant reports for nonprofits?
Grant reports come in all shapes and sizes. Some grant reports are brief while others require detailed documentation of expenditures or extensive appendices with things like photos and press clips of media coverage of the funded project.
Larger, staffed foundations generally specify their requirements for grant reports. This may be as detailed as how to format the report, word-count limits for each section, and whether to submit the report via a web portal or an email. Other funders may leave it to the nonprofit to decide how to format the report and what to include.
For large or multiyear grants, there may be a requirement for interim reports as well as a final report.
- Interim Reports: Submitted at specified intervals (e.g., quarterly, semiannually, or annually) to inform the funder about ongoing progress and any adjustments to the project plan. Interim reports are progress reports that update the funder on the activities undertaken, milestones achieved, and any challenges encountered during the grant period.
- Final Reports: Summarize the overall outcomes and impact of the project upon completion, assessing whether the initial objectives were met.
3. What should be included in a grant report?
Funders typically indicate what they want to see included in a grant report. Occasionally, a funder will leave it up to the grantee, but in most cases each funder will clearly specify what to include. It’s important to know early in the grant period, before signing an agreement, what a funder will want in the report at the end of the funding period.
Each grant will have unique reporting requirements specified by the funder, so it’s essential for nonprofits to thoroughly review grant agreements and maintain clear communication with funders to ensure compliance.
Ultimately, effective grant reports show accountability for how funds have been used and, hopefully, help to secure future funding by building trust with funders.
4. Grant Report Narratives
The narrative portion of a grant report is the written text. This can take many different forms, depending on what the funder requests. Some common elements of narrative reports include:
- A summary of what was accomplished with the grant.
- A detailed account of the program, highlighting measurable impacts and lessons learned.
- Analysis of the effectiveness of the project in achieving the goals outlined in the grant proposal, often using metrics and data. What did your project accomplish? What has it yet to accomplish? What did you learn? What were the results and impacts of your project?
- Responses to specific questions, often with required word counts; for example, the funder may ask for a 500-word summary of the funded project, 250 words on measurable impacts of the project, and 250 words on project challenges or lessons learned.
5. Grant Report Financials
Some grant reports also require financial reports. Common elements of financial reporting include:
- Expense Report: A spreadsheet showing how the grant money was spent; if requested, this may entail itemization of all expenditures and/or comparing actual spending against the proposed budget.
- Financial Statements: An overview of the organization’s financial status, such as balance sheets, organizational budget, or audited financials, to demonstrate fiscal responsibility.
6. Grant Report Additional Attachments or Appendices
In addition to narrative and financial reports, some funders require additional attachments or give nonprofits the opportunity to include optional materials with their grant report. This may include things like:
- Photos of the funded project.
- Media coverage of the funded project or organization.
- Donor recognition, such as images of the funder’s name or logo on program materials.
- Testimonials from community members positively impacted by the funded program.
- The nonprofit’s annual report.
Final Tips for Grant Reports
Each funder has different requirements for grant reports. We have outlined some of the common elements you might be asked for in a grant report, but don’t forget to check each funder’s guidelines before writing your grant report. Learn more about the grant process, including how to write a letter of inquiry and how to find grants at Inside Philanthropy’s Learn Center.
