Question 1

What is GrantLink?

Accepted Answer

GrantLink is a post-award grant management system for nonprofits using QuickBooks Online. It adds grant budgets, allocations, restricted-fund visibility, and funder reporting without replacing your accounting system.

Question 2

What grant management software works with QuickBooks Online for nonprofits?

Accepted Answer

If your team wants to keep QuickBooks Online for bookkeeping, look for grant management software that adds grant budgets, restricted-fund visibility, allocations, and funder-ready reporting without forcing a migration. GrantLink is built for nonprofits that want that QuickBooks-plus-grants workflow. Explore GrantLink’s grant management software for QuickBooks Online.

Question 3

How do nonprofits track restricted funds in QuickBooks Online?

Accepted Answer

Many nonprofits start with classes, customers, projects, or departments in QuickBooks Online, but those workarounds usually break down once you need grant balances, shared-cost allocations, and funder-ready reporting. GrantLink keeps QuickBooks as the bookkeeping source of truth while adding restricted-fund visibility and cleaner grant reporting workflows on top. For a deeper walkthrough, read our restricted funds in QuickBooks guide.

Question 4

Should I use classes, customers, or projects for grant tracking in QuickBooks?

Accepted Answer

It depends on how your nonprofit reports by grant, program, and funder. Classes, customers, projects, and departments can all help, but the wrong setup creates cleanup work later. GrantLink helps teams map that structure more intentionally and ties it to grant budgets, allocations, and reporting instead of relying on spreadsheet patches. If you are weighing those tradeoffs, start with our classes vs customers guide.

Question 5

Can QuickBooks handle grant management on its own?

Accepted Answer

QuickBooks Online can handle the bookkeeping layer, but most nonprofits still need spreadsheets or extra cleanup for grant budgets, restricted funds, shared-cost allocations, and funder-ready reporting. GrantLink adds that grant-management layer without asking your team to replace QuickBooks. If you want a closer look at where those handoffs usually break, start with our grant budget vs actual guide.

Question 6

Can I do grant management in QuickBooks Online?

Accepted Answer

You can start grant management in QuickBooks Online with classes, projects, customers, or departments, but QuickBooks is not built to show every grant budget, remaining balance, restriction, allocation, and funder report in one place. GrantLink keeps QuickBooks as the accounting system and adds the grant-management layer around it. If you are choosing a setup pattern, compare the classes vs customers guide and explore GrantLink’s QuickBooks grant management software.

Question 7

How do I track grant budget vs actual in QuickBooks?

Accepted Answer

Most nonprofits can export transactions from QuickBooks, but budget-versus-actual by grant usually turns into a spreadsheet workflow unless someone keeps the mapping and cleanup current. GrantLink keeps QuickBooks as the source of truth while adding live grant budgets, spending visibility, and cleaner reporting on top. For the detailed workflow, read our grant budget vs actual guide.

Question 8

What is the best way to track grant budgets in QuickBooks?

Accepted Answer

The cleanest approach is to map each grant to a consistent QuickBooks tracking pattern first, then connect that pattern to a budget view that can handle funder categories, reporting periods, remaining balances, and variance notes. QuickBooks can hold the accounting data, but most nonprofits need a grant layer like GrantLink to keep budget tracking usable month after month.

Question 9

Can QuickBooks create funder-ready grant reports?

Accepted Answer

QuickBooks can export useful accounting data, but funder-ready grant reports usually need budget context, restricted-fund status, allocation support, narrative updates, and period-specific formatting. GrantLink uses synced QuickBooks data to produce those reporting workflows without rebuilding each report by hand.

Question 10

How does GrantLink work with QuickBooks Online?

Accepted Answer

GrantLink connects directly to your existing QuickBooks Online account through Intuit OAuth. There's no migration required - we read your financial data from QuickBooks and keep it current through webhook-triggered and scheduled incremental syncs, then add a grant management layer on top, including allocation tracking, budget monitoring, and compliance reporting.

Question 11

Do I need to migrate away from QuickBooks?

Accepted Answer

No. GrantLink works alongside QuickBooks Online, not as a replacement. QuickBooks remains the accounting system while GrantLink adds grant tracking and reporting workflows.

Question 12

How long does it take to get set up?

Accepted Answer

Setup time depends on the number of grants and the condition of your QuickBooks tracking structure. GrantLink guides you through connecting QuickBooks, importing grants, and reviewing the mapping before you rely on the results.

Question 13

What is the Smart Allocation Engine?

Accepted Answer

The Smart Allocation Engine applies defined rules to help split shared expenses across grants for review in GrantLink. QuickBooks is read-only by default; specific supported writebacks require explicit permission, and broader write access must be deliberately enabled.

Question 14

How does AI-powered reporting work?

Accepted Answer

The AI Report Builder drafts a funder report from reviewed financial data, grant requirements, and approved outcomes. Your team reviews the source figures and narrative, revises the draft, and approves it before publishing. Reporting AI does not approve or write accounting data.

Question 15

What are shareable funder portals?

Accepted Answer

Instead of emailing PDF attachments, you can send funders a beautiful, interactive web link. They can view financial summaries, drill into spending categories, and download documentation - all from a single shareable URL. You can also track when funders view your reports.

Question 16

Can I track multiple grants at once?

Accepted Answer

Yes! GrantLink is built to handle multiple concurrent grants. You get a unified dashboard showing all active grants, their budgets, spending, and upcoming deadlines. Professional supports up to 25 active grants, while Unlimited has no active-grant limit. Grants in other statuses do not count toward the limit.

Question 17

Does GrantLink support indirect cost rates?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can configure custom indirect cost rates (like your federally negotiated rate) and GrantLink will automatically calculate and apply them to eligible expenses.

Question 18

How much does GrantLink cost?

Accepted Answer

GrantLink offers three pricing tiers: Starter at $25/month for up to 5 active grants, Professional at $75/month for up to 25 active grants, and Unlimited at $150/month with no active-grant limit. Grants in other statuses do not count toward the limit, and every plan includes unlimited team members. Lock in today’s price while GrantLink is in Early Access.

Question 19

Is there a free trial?

Accepted Answer

Yes. GrantLink offers a 14-day free trial so you can evaluate the product with your QuickBooks data. No credit card is required. During an active trial of a paid plan, active grants and funders have no plan cap. Other plan limits still apply. After the trial, normal plan limits apply. Add a payment method before the trial ends to keep your plan; otherwise, you move to the free plan without a charge.

Question 20

Are there any per-grant fees?

Accepted Answer

No. Your plan only limits how many grants can be active at once; grants in other statuses do not count toward that limit. There are no hidden per-grant fees, transaction fees, or surprise charges.

Question 21

Is my financial data secure?

Accepted Answer

QuickBooks connects through Intuit OAuth, so GrantLink does not store your QuickBooks password. Review the vendor-risk FAQ for current details about data handling and access controls.

Question 22

Who can access my data?

Accepted Answer

Organization access is managed through invited users and their assigned roles. Review the vendor-risk FAQ for current details about service providers, AI data handling, and access controls.

Question 23

Can GrantLink change data in QuickBooks?

Accepted Answer

QuickBooks connections are read-only by default. Your organization can grant permission for specific supported writebacks or explicitly enable broader write access. Reporting AI does not approve or write accounting data.

Question 24

Do you have a board or vendor-risk FAQ?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We maintain a concise FAQ that covers AI data handling, QuickBooks OAuth permissions, read-only mode, writeback controls, export options, and exit planning for board and vendor-review conversations. Read the AI, security, and vendor-risk FAQ.

Question 25

Does GrantLink help with audit preparation?

Accepted Answer

GrantLink keeps allocation and transaction context available for review and reporting, which can help teams organize support for grant audits and funder reviews. For the workflow, read our audit prep guide.

Question 26

What kind of support do you offer?

Accepted Answer

GrantLink provides self-service documentation and email support. Contact the team to discuss onboarding needs for your organization.

Question 27

Can I schedule a demo?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We'd love to show you how GrantLink works. Visit Contact Us to request a demo, and we'll walk you through the platform with your specific use case in mind.

Question 28

Do you offer training for my team?

Accepted Answer

GrantLink provides self-service documentation and email support. Contact the team to discuss onboarding needs for your organization.

QuickBooks grant management questions, answered plainly.

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