Exporting Data to Excel and CSV

GrantLink has two current data-export paths:

1. Ask the assistant for a scoped data export, then download the result as .xlsx or .csv.
2. Export a budget-versus-actual workbook directly from the budget matrix.

These exports are snapshots of GrantLink data. Downloading one does not change GrantLink or QuickBooks.

Before You Start

Confirm that:

• You are signed in to the correct organization.
• QuickBooks has synced recently enough for the period you are reporting.
• Allocations, budget-line categories, receipts, and other GrantLink decisions included in the export have been reviewed.
• You know the grant, funder, initiative, date range, and level of detail you need.
• You have a member or admin role if you are using chat. The Viewer role is read-only and cannot open chat or create a new export request.

Export Data Through Chat

1. In the sidebar, open Chats > New Chat.
2. Ask for the data and scope you need. Name the output as Excel or CSV if one is preferred.
3. Review the result card before downloading. It shows the proposed file name, row count, column count, and number of applied filters.
4. Select Download .xlsx or Download .csv.

The Excel download contains one worksheet named Export. Numeric currency, number, and percent fields remain numeric cells so you can total or chart them. The CSV contains displayed values; currency and percent fields are formatted as text such as $1,250.00 or 12.5%. Both file names include the download date.

Current chat exports include grant summaries, budget actuals and budget workbooks, grant class breakdowns, transaction detail, allocations, funders, unallocated activity, initiative spending, reporting calendars, and fund receipts. A custom export can combine a specifically requested set of columns when the underlying data is available.

Write a precise request

Include:

• Scope: organization, grant, funder, or initiative
• Period: exact start and end dates, fiscal year, or all time
• Rows: transaction detail or summarized totals
• Columns: for example date, vendor, account, grant, budget line, amount, or allocation status
• Filters: for example only approved allocations or only unallocated expenses over a threshold

For example:

Export transaction detail for the Community Health grant from January 1 through March 31. Include transaction date, vendor, account, budget line, allocated amount, and allocation status.

Do not assume that a broad request such as “export everything” includes every GrantLink record or attachment. Review the displayed filters and columns, then revise the request if anything is missing.

Export Budget Versus Actual Directly

Use the direct workbook when you need the current budget matrix rather than a custom row export.

One grant

1. Open the grant and its Budget area.
2. Open the budget matrix.
3. Select Export to Excel.

The workbook is named from the grant and contains a Budget vs Actual sheet. It includes Budget, Actual, and Variance for each configured period and totals. Nonzero undated or outside-schedule actuals appear in separate columns. Posted indirect costs and uncategorized allocations appear separately when present.

All funds

1. Open Grants > Budget vs Actual.
2. Choose the fund or month view you want to review.
3. Select Excel.

The fund view downloads all-funds-budget-vs-actual.xlsx with one grant per column group. The month view downloads the selected grant-style monthly matrix. The workbook is a snapshot; changing it does not update GrantLink.

Use a Sponsor Workbook Template

A sponsor template is different from a raw export. Use it when a grant requires its own Excel form.

1. Open the grant's Details tab.
2. Under Excel templates, select Upload.
3. Choose an .xlsx, .xls, or .xlsm file.
4. After upload, start Chats > New Chat and ask GrantLink to complete the sponsor workbook for that grant.

GrantLink stores the uploaded file with that grant. The assistant gives an active stored template priority over a generic export for a grant-specific sponsor workbook and generates a copy rather than overwriting the stored template. Archive an obsolete template from the same Excel templates area.

Password-protected workbook uploads are not supported. Remove the workbook password in Excel before uploading. Always inspect formulas, formatting, hidden sheets, required narrative fields, and sponsor-specific instructions in the generated copy.

Verify the Download

Before sharing an export:

1. Compare its scope and filters with the request.
2. Reconcile totals to the relevant GrantLink view and, when appropriate, QuickBooks.
3. Check for uncategorized, unallocated, undated, or outside-schedule rows.
4. Confirm that dates and numeric cells opened as expected in your spreadsheet application.
5. Remove columns the recipient does not need.

Exports can contain vendor names, transaction detail, grant terms, and internal classification decisions. They are ordinary downloaded files, not permission-controlled links. Store and transmit them under your organization's data-handling policy.

GrantLink records an export activity event with the export type, row count, filters, snapshot time, and a source revision. An audit-log failure does not block an otherwise completed download, so retain the delivered file and your review evidence when the export is part of a formal reporting process.

Edge Cases

• A zero-row result may mean the filters are too narrow, the requested period has no matching data, or current data has not synced.
• The assistant can only export records available to the active organization and supported tools; it cannot export another organization's data.
• A later sync or allocation change does not update a file already downloaded. Generate a new export.
• Chat export Excel files have a single generic sheet. Use the direct budget matrix export or a sponsor template when workbook layout matters.
• Dashboard charts do not currently have a direct chart-download action.