The Grant Writer's Toolkit: 20 Essential Resources
Professional grant writers don't start from scratch every time. They've built toolkits of resources, templates, and systems that make quality applications faster and more consistent.
Funder Research Tools
1. 360Giving GrantNav (Free)
Search 1.8M+ UK grant records. Find who funds what, typical grant sizes, success stories.
Best for: Discovering new funders, researching grant history, understanding funder patterns
2. Charity Commission Register (Free)
Official database of all UK charities. Essential for due diligence on partners and researching similar organisations.
Best for: Checking charity status, accessing annual accounts, researching competitors
3. Directory of Social Change Funds Database (Paid)
£100+/year. Comprehensive UK trusts and foundations database with detailed eligibility criteria.
Best for: Systematic funder research, filtering by geography/cause, detailed eligibility matching
Writing and Editing Tools
4. Grammarly (Freemium)
Real-time writing assistance. Catches errors, suggests clarity improvements, checks tone.
Free version adequate for most needs; premium adds plagiarism detection
5. Hemingway Editor (Free/£20)
Identifies complex sentences, passive voice, difficult words. Makes writing clearer and more accessible.
Web version free; desktop app £20 one-time purchase
6. Google Docs with Version History (Free)
Collaborative writing with automatic saving. Track changes, comment functionality, works everywhere.
Essential for team applications and stakeholder reviews
Data and Evidence Resources
7. Office for National Statistics (Free)
Authoritative UK statistics on demographics, economy, health, employment.
Essential for needs assessment and problem statements
8. Local Authority Data Portals (Free)
Council-specific data on local issues, demographics, deprivation indices.
Google "[your area] data portal" or "JSNA" (Joint Strategic Needs Assessment)
9. Google Scholar (Free)
Academic research to support evidence-based approaches and methodology.
Look for recent systematic reviews in your field
Budget and Financial Tools
10. Excel/Google Sheets Budget Templates (Free)
Build library of budget templates for common project types. Saves hours of formatting.
Include formulas for automatic calculations and standard on-cost multipliers
11. Full Cost Recovery Calculator (Free - various)
ACEVO, NCVO, others provide free FCR calculators and templates.
Calculate your organisational overhead rate annually
Project Management Tools
12. Trello/Asana (Freemium)
Track multiple grant applications through pipeline stages. Visual, collaborative, deadline reminders.
Free tiers sufficient for most small-medium organisations
13. Google Calendar (Free)
Dedicated calendar for grant deadlines, funder meeting dates, reporting schedules.
Set reminders 6 weeks, 4 weeks, 2 weeks, 1 week before deadlines
Templates and Frameworks
14. Answer Library
Document answering common questions: organisational history, governance structure, safeguarding policies, evaluation approaches.
Update annually; adapt rather than copy-paste
15. Case Study Bank
Maintain 10-15 beneficiary case studies, tagged by theme, demographic, outcome.
See our case study guide
16. Supporting Documents Folder
Latest accounts, governing document, safeguarding policy, insurance certificate, charity registration.
Keep PDF versions ready to attach instantly
Learning and Development Resources
17. Funder Websites and Guidance (Free)
Most funders publish detailed guidance, FAQs, examples of funded projects.
Read EVERYTHING a funder publishes before applying
18. NCVO KnowHow (Free membership)
Practical guidance on charity management, fundraising, governance. Huge resource library.
Free for NCVO members; worth the membership fee
19. LinkedIn Grant Writing Groups (Free)
Peer learning communities. Ask questions, share experiences, spot opportunities.
UK Grant Funding, Charity Fundraising, ACEVO groups are active
AI and Automation (Use Carefully)
20. AI Writing Assistants
Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, etc. can help with ideation, drafting, editing.
Critical caveats:
- • Never copy-paste AI output directly into applications
- • Always fact-check—AI invents plausible-sounding falsehoods
- • Use for brainstorming and editing, not wholesale generation
- • Check funder policies on AI use (some prohibit it)
- • AI-generated text is often detectable and damages credibility
Building Your Personal Toolkit
Don't try to implement all 20 resources immediately. Build systematically:
| Priority | Start With |
|---|---|
| Month 1 | 360Giving, Grammarly, Google Docs, calendar system |
| Month 2-3 | Budget templates, answer library, supporting docs folder |
| Month 4-6 | Case study bank, project management tool, data sources |
| Ongoing | Paid subscriptions, professional development, networking |
Conclusion
Professional grant writers succeed not through superhuman talent but through systematic use of quality resources. Build your toolkit, maintain it, and your efficiency and success rates will both improve.
TL;DR: Essential Toolkit Components
- ✓ Funder research tools (360Giving, Charity Commission, DSC)
- ✓ Writing aids (Grammarly, Hemingway, Google Docs)
- ✓ Data sources (ONS, local authority data, Google Scholar)
- ✓ Budget templates and FCR calculators
- ✓ Project management (Trello, calendars)
- ✓ Answer library, case studies, supporting docs
- ✓ Continuous learning resources (funder guidance, NCVO, networks)
Your Complete Grant Writing Toolkit
Crafty combines many of these essential resources into one platform—funder matching, application templates, evidence libraries, and AI-assisted writing that maintains your authentic voice.
Try Crafty Free