GrantStation’s New Website: What’s New and What’s Next

GrantStation has unveiled a major refresh of its website, bringing with it a new look and a suite of upgraded tools that make searching for grant opportunities faster, easier, and more insightful than ever before. With feedback from Members playing a key role in guiding these updates, the site’s latest iteration is focused on what matters most: helping users find the right funders, efficiently and effectively.

Whether you’re just starting a grantseeking journey or managing multiple active projects, here’s what you can expect from the new GrantStation experience.

A Fresh Look That Works Harder

While the most visible change is the website’s new, modern design, this refresh is more than just cosmetic. Working with a professional designer, GrantStation prioritized readability, navigation, and overall usability, resulting in a platform that feels more contemporary and much easier to use. This redesign served as a foundation for deeper structural changes that enhance the day-to-day functionality of the platform.

As David Preis, who oversees both technology and customer service at GrantStation, explains:

“The redesign gave us a chance to rethink how the site works for our Members. It’s not just about how it looks—it’s about how it works.”

Smarter, More Responsive Search

At the heart of GrantStation is its robust search tool, and this is where some of the most exciting updates have taken place. The new search experience is designed to help Members zero in on the most relevant funding opportunities, while filtering out those that don’t fit.

Key improvements include:

• Richer search results: Members can now see more details up front in their search results, helping them assess potential funders more quickly—without needing to click into every profile.
• Save or mark as “Not Applicable”: As users review search results, they can instantly save promising leads or mark others as not relevant. They can even filter those out in order to review new leads. This simple functionality helps users keep their lists clean and focused. This feature was implemented following a phone call with a Member who suggested it—underscoring GrantStation’s commitment to acting on Member feedback.
• Search logic toggle: Members can now choose whether they want to search for funders that match all of their search terms or any of them. This new toggle makes it easy to broaden or narrow a search with just one click.
• Sort by deadline: A much-requested feature, the ability to sort opportunities by upcoming deadlines, has now been added. This allows users to prioritize time-sensitive opportunities more effectively.

These updates are all aimed at streamlining the grantseeking process and allowing Members to spend more time pursuing promising leads—and less time weeding through irrelevant ones.

More Insightful Funder Profiles

Beyond the search experience, GrantStation has significantly expanded the amount of information available in each funder profile. These updates are designed to provide both historical and forward-looking insights in one centralized location.

New features include:

• IRS Form 990 data mining: For private foundations, profiles now include data pulled directly from IRS tax filings. Members can easily view:
  - Lists of past grant recipients
  - Grant amounts and totals
  - Annual giving trends
  - Average and median grant sizes
  - Visual charts illustrating year-over-year patterns
• Forward-looking analysis: Alongside this historical data, researcher-written summaries still provide valuable insights into where each funder is headed—based on information from annual reports, websites, and other public sources.

Previously, Members had to download and analyze tax documents themselves to gather this kind of context. Now, it’s available directly on the site—making it easier than ever to assess a funder’s potential fit.

What’s Coming Next

Several new features are in development, all designed to further support Members in planning and managing their grantseeking efforts.

One major upcoming enhancement is project-based funder matching. Members will soon be able to fill out a simple form describing a project—its purpose, geography, population served, and areas of focus—and receive an automatically generated list of potential funders. This lead list is drawn from GrantStation’s existing database and tailored specifically to the project’s criteria.

Once generated, this list will offer the same features as the main search results:

• Save or mark funders as “Not Applicable”
• Filter and sort based on key criteria
• Prioritize top funders and flag others for future consideration

Additionally, work is underway to expand the tax data mining project to include community foundations, allowing Members to view historical giving trends and recipient lists from those sources as well.

Member Feedback Is Driving Change

A consistent theme throughout these updates is GrantStation’s commitment to listening to its Members. Many of the new features—from geographic filtering to improved funder profiles—originated from real conversations with users.

“I get to see firsthand how our Members are using the site and what they need,” David says. “Even if someone doesn’t directly suggest a new feature, just talking with them often sparks ideas that end up benefiting everyone.”

To keep that feedback loop open, GrantStation has even created a small “super user” group—trusted Members who provide input on new features before they launch. But all Members are encouraged to reach out with suggestions or ideas at any time.

The Bottom Line

This latest round of improvements marks a significant step forward in making GrantStation a smarter, faster, and more intuitive tool for grantseekers. Whether you’re looking for your first funder or your fiftieth, the redesigned site makes it easier to find the right opportunities, understand funders more deeply, and prioritize your outreach with confidence.

Have an idea for how GrantStation can be even better? The team is always listening. Reach out—and your feedback might just shape the next big feature.