Instrumentl’s AI-powered Apply tool streamlines grant writing by surfacing your strongest past work, then helps you refine and align responses to funder expectations — all without leaving the platform.
Apply pulls refined language directly from your past proposals and documents to help you craft answers in your own authentic voice. Then, Advisor steps in as your intelligent co-pilot — delivering real-time, funder-aligned suggestions based on 10+ years of Instrumentl data and 990 insights.
Watch the video below for a walkthrough, or follow the steps in the sections below to get started!
This feature is currently available to new customers or existing accounts upgrading to the Professional Plan, Advanced Plan, and custom Enterprise plans. The application is currently not yet available on University Plans.
Nonprofits: Professional Plan & above.
Consultants: To ensure your account is set up for success, please contact Instrumentl Customer Support prior to selecting an eligible plan to learn how to use Apply with client profiles!
The Professional Plan includes three AI-enabled client profiles.
The Advanced Plan includes ten AI-enabled client profiles.
Customizable # of AI-enabled client profiles available.
Please note: AI-enabled client profiles are those for which Apply can be used. You will still have unlimited regular client profiles.
Note: Free trial accounts do not include the Apply + Advisor feature by default. See full feature availability for all plans here!
Reach out to our Customer Support team for more information about Apply functionality or AI-enabled client profiles for consultants!
AI-Powered Grants Are Here ✨
91% of orgs managing $2M+ in grants now rely on AI — and now you can, too.
With Instrumentl Pro, you get brand-new, AI-powered:
💡 Apply – Funder-aligned suggestions, in your voice
📑 Award Review Assistant – Auto-extract tasks from grant agreements
Explore how you can streamline your entire grant workflow — with AI built for nonprofit grant writing refinement.
1. Access your Application Form
If your account includes Apply, follow the steps below to get started with submissions using your AI grant-writing tool!
Update Your Opportunity Status
Once you've found an open grant* you'd like to apply to, move your opportunity's Status from Researching to Planned, or to another grant Status, to view the available next steps for your application.
*Note:
For invite-only funders or custom grants not listed in Instrumentl, you can manually add a custom grant via your Tracker, or from a Funder's 990 Report using the +Add button.
Government grants are not available for use with Apply.
Request or Start Applications
First, open the grant in your tracker and navigate to the Funding Opportunity tab.
Depending on whether our team has already created & uploaded an application, you’ll see one of the following three options: Request Application, Start Application, or Continue Application:
Request Application
If the application is not already created, you can click the Request spplication button to request it. Our team will upload it directly from the funder within two business days — no copying and pasting required.
We'll notify you once the application is uploaded, and then you can select "Start Application" to begin writing. Our AI Support Team will follow up with you directly if any additional clarification is necessary.
Start Application
This means the application is uploaded and ready to go! Click Start applicatin to begin drafting.
Continue Application
If you’ve already started an application, you can click Continue application to pick up right where you left off.
Note: By clicking the Request Application button, you'll automatically receive a confirmation when your application is created. All follow-up communications related to application requests will come directly from our dedicated AI Support Team.
2. Upload Your Past Proposals
To get the best results from the AI Grant Writing assistant, we recommend uploading at least five past proposals for each program or project, in question-and-answer format. The documents must be in .doc, .docx, or .PDF format to be searchable by our AI.
To add documents:
Select existing documents from your Document Library using the checkboxes, and use the search bar to quickly find specific uploads.
Or, click Upload Additional Documents right from the application interface.
When selecting documents for the Apply, please note that our AI tool will use these files as references to generate tailored recommendations for the grant application process. Be sure to review the relevance and content of these documents to maximize the quality of your AI suggestions!
Apply will then scan your selected documents and begin generating suggestions tailored to each question.
3. Start Writing
Use Answer Snippets and Advisor to define, refine, and align your application to prioritize your organization's goals and funder preferences.
Answer Snippets
Use Answer Snippets to Build Your Draft
Once Apply has processed your documents, you’ll see the application and "Answer Snippets" side-by-side on your screen:
The Application Form is displayed on the left (including questions, word counts, and required attachments).
Answer Snippets show up on the right-hand side. Once you click on a question, you'll see personalized, document-based suggestions tailored to the specific question you’re working on.
Suggestions may include direct quotes from your documents, AI-refined content, or a mix of both! If multiple recommendations are available, you can use the arrows at the top of the screen to easily browse through your suggested answer snippets.
Click +Start with this to drop a snippet directly into your draft. Your work saves automatically, so you can exit and return at any time.
Advisor
Refine and Align Answers with Advisor
Need to polish an answer or align it to a specific funder? That’s where Advisor comes in.
Advisor uses AI, alongside Instrumentl data and Form 990s, to suggest edits with context and rationale without sacrificing your personal voice and style. It follows the question you’re working on, tracks the conversation, and saves your chat history as you go.
Right inside the application, beneath your Answer Snippets, you can type requests such as:
Align this answer to the funder priorities
Make this more compelling (or more professional, more concise, friendlier —whatever tone you need)
Focus more on our housing initiative
Replace the word "innovative."
Or anything else to help you refine your answers!
Then drag and drop the revised answer directly into the question field, or copy/paste to add or replace content in your draft.
As you fill in your answers, you’ll also see smart writing prompts like Meet Word Count, Simplify, or Shorten when you hover over the question to help fine-tune your draft to meet formatting requirements.
At any point, you can select Manage Content at the top-right-hand corner of the screen to change your recommendations by selecting or adding additional documents for the AI to bring up results from.
4. Finalize and Submit to Funder
Once you've added in your responses, you can download your application using the Download button at the top right of the application page. Share it with colleagues to continue collaborating, make final edits, and submit it on the funder's website with any attachments specified in the application!
Please note: Instrumentl does not submit applications to funders directly. You must still download your application and submit the final version directly to the funder per their instructions. Generally, this is done via the funder's grant application portal.
Use Your Proposal for Future Applications
Now that you've officially submitted your proposal to the funder, congratulate yourself!
As the final step, be sure to upload your application and attachments to your Instrumentl Document Library or opportunity.
This way, your submission will help power & continue to improve your future applications written with Apply. Uploading your final applications also ensures the AI tool pulls from your up-to-date organization information.
FAQs
How do I begin an application?
How do I begin an application?
Open the Opportunity in your Tracker
Updated your opportunity's Status to Planned or later
Navigate to the Funding Opportunity tab, and click Request Application, Start Application or Continue Application.
For more details, refer to the section above, titled Request or Start Application.
Can you retrieve applications that are invite-only or password-protected?
Can you retrieve applications that are invite-only or password-protected?
Yes! We will contact the funder directly to obtain access. If there are restrictions to obtaining the application, we will reach out to notify you. If you already have an official copy, please send it to us, and we'll prepare it for you.
What if I already have an application from the funder?
What if I already have an application from the funder?
If you already have the application directly from the funder or funder portal, great! You'll still select Request Application so our AI Support Team can build it —
However, you can contact our AI Support team to provide it as an attachment & let us know whether you already have an application ready (e.g., invite-only).
When our AI Support team follows up to confirm your application, you can also notify them if you've uploaded it & attached the document directly to the opportunity for reference. You can address any specific caveats as needed.
Are there any types of grants that the AI grant-writing tool is not compatible with?
Are there any types of grants that the AI grant-writing tool is not compatible with?
Please note that Government grant applications (i.e., public State and Federal grants) are not available for use with Apply AI recommendations.
Can I shorten answers by word count or character count?
Can I shorten answers by word count or character count?
When our team builds your application, we'll use the funder's listed requirements. E.g., If the funder has a character-based limit, then you'll have the option to shorten by characters.
Does Instrumentl send my Apply submissions to the funder?
Does Instrumentl send my Apply submissions to the funder?
No — While Instrumentl Apply makes it easy to draft your work, users must still submit all final applications directly to the funder. Once you complete your application with Apply, you can download the document and submit it per the funder's instructions.
However, Instrumentl makes the organization process easier by allowing you to store your funder portal credentials and save work in the Document Library!
Instrumentl's sought-after AI grant-writing assistant is new and continually improving. These are just the nascent stages — Stay tuned to see how Apply continues to strengthen your submissions!
Contact Us 
Email our AI Support team at ai-support@instrumentl.com with any questions around specific grant applications in Apply.
Otherwise, feel free to contact our Support team with any general questions about the Apply feature! Message us via your account's chat messenger, or email us at hello@instrumentl.com.