A Foundation Directory Online alternative that actually helps you win more grants while saving time

Instrumentl brings grant & foundation discovery, tracking, reporting, and collaboration to one place to be your institutional fundraising platform.

Organizing grant records

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Everything Foundation Directory Online has, with active RFPs, tracking, collaboration & user-friendly design.

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Finding new RFPs & funders

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Limited "Philanthropy News Digest"

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Tracking prospect research & submissions

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Limited

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo
Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Collaboration & reporting

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Limited

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

No
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Overall

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Yes
Yes
Limited functionalityNo

Pricing

Starts at $195/mo

$219.99/mo

Here's why nonprofits choose Instrumentl over
Foundation Directory Online
Try us free for 14-days

3 reasons Instrumentl is the best Foundation Directory Online alternative

Smart matching to grant RFPs and foundation profiles

  • Build your grant shortlist in minutes: FDO puts the onus on you to identify active funding opportunities that match. Instrumentl curates good fit funders for you based on your organization and programs.
  • Filter through active grant RFPs faster: Foundation Directory Online doesn't help you differentiate between active and inactive opportunities. Instrumentl sorts these out for you in your Opportunity Matches tab.
  • Never miss a new funding opportunity: With Foundation Directory Online, you have to keep restarting your search. Once you create your project on Instrumentl, we're always looking for new good fit matches to put on your radar.
Smart matching to grant RFPs and foundation profiles
Robust grant tracking and management

Robust grant tracking and management

  • Organize your grant fundraising from start to finish: On FDO, it's difficult to zoom out and see the big picture. With Instrumentl, you can see your entire grant pipeline by year, application stage, and project.
  • Always submit proposals on time: Instrumentl's intelligent deadline system magically stays up-to-date. Get notified on all your upcoming deadlines whenever funders change priority or submission requirements for opportunities you've saved. FDO can't do this.
  • Save useful notes and create tasks: FDO limits notes and tasks at the proposal level. On Instrumentl, you can store notes at the prospect level, and create tasks for your team's milestones such as reporting deadlines or draft due dates. Get task and deadlines rolled up into a weekly summary to stay on track.

Easy collaboration across multiple users and projects

  • Invite every team member: On Instrumentl, there's room for everyone. Work with multiple team members. FDO is limited to a single user on one account.
  • Store documents in one place: FDO has no place to keep your grant proposals organized. On Instrument, you can organize all grants related files with our Document Library.
  • Become an expert fast: Instrumentl's modern user interface makes it easy for anyone to learn in one hour or less.
Easy collaboration across multiple users and projects

How to switch from Foundation Directory Online to Instrumentl

Want to move over from FDO to Instrumentl? Here's what you need to know.

Two coworkers discovering a cool new tool called Instrumentl

Start your 14-day free trial:

This will give you personalized grant recommendations for your nonprofit. There's no card required and you'll immediately see why Instrumentl is the best FDO alternative.

Import your existing grants tracker:

Download our Grants Template, input your existing grants and sit back as our team imports the first ten grants in your tracker to help you visualize how your tracker may look in Instrumentl.

Explore all Instrumentl has to offer:

Check out our unique features such as Advanced Funder Insights, Foundation Discovery, and more to ensure Instrumentl is right for you.

Try us free for 14-days

FAQ

Is it easy to switch?
Open and close answer

Switching to Instrumentl is easy! Start by creating a 14-day free trial on Instrumentl. Then, simply log into your old grant tool's account and export your previously saved funders and upload these into your Instrumentl Tracker by clicking Add New -> Upload Many. Our team will do the heavy lifting for you from here. You can reference our Grants Template here.

Can I see a demo?
Open and close answer

Of course! You can watch a quick video demo of Instrumentl here. And if you'd like to book a time, you'll be able to do so once you create your 14-day trial to connect with a member of our team!

Who does Instrumentl work best for?
Open and close answer

Instrumentl works best for organizations based in the United States with at least $90K in operating revenue and 501c3 status, or for grant writers / consultancies that serve clients that meet these criteria. For any nonprofits that meet these criteria, we can serve you well! Our customers range from animal shelters to hospital systems, and you can watch and read more of their stories here.

What customer service is available?
Open and close answer

Lots! We have an extensive Help Center full of useful tutorials here. Whether you're a free or paying user, you can always feel free to contact us at [email protected], or log into your account and chat with us in the bottom right corner. Every week, we also host a small group live demo and Q&A that you can register for here. Lastly, if you ever need a personal walkthrough or review of your account, simply reach out via the chat and we'll find time that works with your schedule!

What's included in pricing?
Open and close answer

We go in-depth on everything included with our different plans on our pricing page here.

I still have questions, help!
Open and close answer

Awesome! Our team is here for you. Just email us at [email protected] to connect with a real person on our team. No chat bots here :)

FAQ

Is it easy to switch?
Open and close answer

Switching to Instrumentl is simple. Simply create a 14-day free account to start a unique grant search for your nonprofit, and then you're good to go! If you're looking to bring a grant tracker of yours into Instrumentl, simply click Add New -> Upload Many from your project's Tracker. Our team will take care of you from there. You can get started with your transfer by referencing our Grants Template here.

Can I see a demo?
Open and close answer

Of course! You can watch a quick video demo of Instrumentl here. If you'd prefer a personal walkthrough, create your 14-day trial and then schedule a time to connect with a member of our team!

Who does Instrumentl work best for?
Open and close answer

We serve customers from nonprofits of all sizes. Typically, we work best for organizations based in the United States with 501c3 status and at least $90K in operating revenue, or for grant writers / consultancies that match these criteria. You can watch and read more about the customers we serve here.

What customer service is available?
Open and close answer

Customers love us because we are so available! To start, we keep an updated Help Center full of useful guides here. You can also always contact us either by emailing [email protected], or logging into your account and chatting with us in the bottom right corner. Every week, we host an intimate live demo and Q&A session to ensure you're set up for success in getting the most out of all of Instrumentl's features. You can register for our next session here. Lastly, if you ever need a personal walkthrough or review of how your account is set up, reach out via the chat and we'll find time that works with your schedule.

What's included in pricing?
Open and close answer

You can learn more about our plans on our pricing page here.

I still have questions, help!
Open and close answer

We'd love to! Our team is here for you. Just email us at [email protected] to connect with a person on our team. We don't use chat bots here :)

FAQ

Is it easy to switch?
Open and close answer

Switching to Instrumentl is fast and easy. Simply start your 14-day free trial to begin receiving personalized grant results for your organization, and then you're good to go! If you'd like to bring a grant tracker into Instrumentl, just click Add New -> Upload Many from the Instrumentl Tracker view. Our team will handle the rest for you. You can start working on your spreadsheet transfer by downloading our Grants Template here.

Can I see a demo?
Open and close answer

Of course! You can watch a quick video demo of Instrumentl here. And if you'd like to book a time, you'll be able to do so once you create your 14-day trial to connect with a member of our team!

Who does Instrumentl work best for?
Open and close answer

We work best for organizations based in the United States, with 501c3 status and an operating revenue of at least $90K, or for grant writers / consultancies that serve these sorts of organizations. Instrumentl excels when helping organizations looking to scale their grant strategy who have already begun to realize the value of grants in their fundraising strategy. You can learn more about the customers we serve here.

What customer service is available?
Open and close answer

Our customers say we have first rate exceptional customer support and the reason why is because we make sure you're set up for success. We have a comprehensive Help Center to getting started. You can always email us at [email protected] if you have a question, or log into your account and contact us via the chat bubble in the bottom right corner. Additionally, every week we host small group live demo and Q&A sessions that you register for here. And lastly, if you want a personal walkthrough or review of your account, you can contact us via chat so we can schedule a time that works with your schedule.

What's included in pricing?
Open and close answer

Check out our pricing page for more details on our different plans!

I still have questions, help!
Open and close answer

No problem. We're here for you - just email us at [email protected] to connect with a warm and friendly person on our team.

Ready to give Instrumentl a try?

See for yourself why nonprofits love Instrumentl.
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