Is there a free grant proposal builder?

Yes. The DSG Grant Builder drafts a first grant narrative from your own facts at no cost and needs no card.

What do I need to start a grant proposal?

The funder's questions, your program's basic numbers and about 30 minutes.

Yes. The first draft costs nothing and needs no card.

Does DSG read my draft?

Not in the free version. A human review is a separate, paid step.

Can it find grants for me?

No. It drafts for an opportunity you already have in front of you.

Build My Decision-Ready Grant™

Paste the opportunity. We read what it actually requires.

A grant is one instrument. This builds the architecture around it — the requirements as stated, the evidence you actually hold, the outcome and budget logic together, and an honest list of what to fix before you send it.

This page is the first-draft stage, and it is free to use. The finished, human-reviewed package is a DSG engagement — start that conversation when you are ready.

01What you want
02The opportunity
03Your organization
04Requirements map
05First draft

The Grant Builder runs on your account. Sign in to use it and keep the work with your organization record.

What are you trying to make possible?

Plainly, in your own words. Not the grant language — the actual thing.

What is actually in front of you?

This is not a score. It only decides which path fits the money you are pursuing.

I have a specific foundation opportunity.It is a county, city, or other local opportunity.It is a state opportunity.The opportunity is larger than our current fit or eligibility allows.I have several grants to produce and no team.I do not have an opportunity yet. I need ones worth my time.It is federal, a complex state RFP, a government contract, capital construction, or a joint application.

Write at least 10 characters above to continue (0/10).

You can keep working here either way. This stage is free; the finished, reviewed package is the paid path above.

What happens on this page

Five stations. You can start right now.

You bring the opportunity and what your organization already holds. The builder does the reading, the sorting, and the first draft. A person finishes the work that gets sent.

01 · What you want

You say, in your own words, what you are trying to make possible. Not grant language — the actual thing.

You: Two or three sentences, plus the situation that sounds most like yours.
DSG: Points you at the path that fits, and tells you plainly when a grant is not the right instrument.

02 · The opportunity

You paste the guidelines, RFP, or notice exactly as the funder wrote them.

You: Paste the full text. Nothing is inferred from a link or a summary.
DSG: Works only from what is in front of it, and says so when the source is thin.

03 · Your organization

What you already hold: the work, the numbers you can stand behind, the people who can speak to it.

You: Write what is true. Rough is fine. Do not dress it up.
DSG: Separates what you can evidence from what you believe but cannot yet show.

04 · Requirements map

The opportunity, taken apart: eligibility, restrictions, what is scored, every narrative question and its limit, every attachment.

You: Read it against the source and correct anything we misread.
DSG: Quotes the requirement rather than paraphrasing it, and lists what the source never states.

05 · First draft

Outcome logic and budget logic built together, section drafts in your language, and an honest list of what to fix before you send.

You: Edit it. It is a first draft, not a submission.
DSG: Names the gaps instead of filling them, and flags every claim that needs a person to verify it.

What you leave with

A draft you can argue with, not a blank page.

Requirements map. Every stated eligibility rule, restriction, scoring priority, narrative question with its word or character limit, and required attachment — quoted from your source.
Not stated in the source. The things a reviewer will assume you know that the document never actually says. These become questions for the program officer, not guesses in your draft.
Evidence status. Each claim marked by what carries it: documented fact, community intelligence, inference, or a gap that has to be closed before the claim can be made.
Outcome and budget logic. Built as one thing. Every budget line tied to the outcome it serves, so the numbers and the narrative do not contradict each other.
Before you send this. The specific list of what would make a reviewer hesitate, and what to do about each item.

Nothing here is submission-ready until a person reviews it. Where the evidence does not carry a claim, we name the gap rather than fill it.

Start building Ask about the finished package

This builder, and what the paid levels add

The free builder gets you one working first draft, read only from the opportunity you paste. It is not reviewed, it is not researched, and it does not use a Sprint slot. Every paid level below adds something specific, and the difference is written out rather than implied.

Grant build levels compared by price, coverage, assets, format, human work, your work, corrections, timing and exclusions.
	Grant Builder — first-draft build	Build My Capital™ — Foundation grant, self-directed	Build My Capital™ — Foundation grant, with DSG review	Build My Capital™ — County or local, self-directed	Build My Capital™ — County or local, with DSG review	Build My Capital™ — State opportunity, hybrid	Opportunity Scan	Build My Decision-Ready Grant™ — full service	Grant Build Sprint™ — 3 grants	Grant Build Sprint™ — 6 grants
Price	Free	$350	$425	$475	$575	$750	$350	From $1,500, scoped	$1,500	$2,750
Labour model	You do all of it, in the tool. No DSG person touches it.	You do the work in the tool. DSG built the structure; DSG does not write or read your draft.	You do the work; a Capital Architect reads it once and records the review, the version and the date.	You do the work in the tool. DSG built the structure; DSG does not write or read your draft.	You do the work; a Capital Architect reads it once and records the review, the version and the date.	Split: you write the parts only you can write, DSG produces the rest, and a Capital Architect reviews the whole.	You do the work; a Capital Architect reads it once and records the review, the version and the date.	DSG produces the document. You supply the facts, answer questions and approve it.	Supported build across a fixed number of opportunity slots. You build; a Capital Architect works alongside you and reviews each slot once.	Supported build across a fixed number of opportunity slots. You build; a Capital Architect works alongside you and reviews each slot once.
Opportunities covered	One opportunity at a time, in the tool	One foundation opportunity	One foundation opportunity	One county, city or public agency opportunity	One county, city or public agency opportunity	One state opportunity	One organization, one defined search brief	One scoped opportunity	Three opportunities, one open at a time	Six opportunities, one open at a time
The exact result	One working first draft, built in the tool, written only from the opportunity text you paste.	A versioned, editable and printable grant workbook for one foundation opportunity, plus a retained Capital Record.	The self-directed workbook, plus one bounded Capital Architect review and correction cycle for one opportunity.	A versioned, editable and printable public-funder workbook for one county, city or public agency opportunity, plus a retained Capital Record.	The self-directed public-funder workbook, plus one bounded Capital Architect review and correction cycle for one opportunity.	One tool build plus one Capital Architect review and correction cycle for one state opportunity.	One search record for one organization against one defined search brief, with every source and search date written down.	DSG carries production for one scoped opportunity.	Three supported opportunity slots. You build; a Capital Architect works alongside you.	Six supported opportunity slots. You build; a Capital Architect works alongside you.
What you end up holding	An in-tool working draft you can copy out	Requirements map read only from the opportunity. Versioned editable workbook you can print. Retained Capital Record for this opportunity	Everything in the self-directed build. One written priority correction list. One correction round returned	Eligibility, procurement, match and reporting obligations named plainly. Versioned editable workbook you can print. Retained Capital Record for this opportunity	Everything in the self-directed build. One written priority correction list. One correction round returned	Compliance structure worked in the tool. Evidence table and narrative alignment. One written correction cycle	Accessible PDF search record. Editable opportunity matrix. Stated sources, search date, geography, award band and exclusions	The written package, produced by DSG. Evidence and budget logic worked by a Capital Architect. A written scope and fee before any payment	Three opportunity slots, opened one at a time. Live support through each build. One human review per slot before it is called finished	Six opportunity slots, opened one at a time. Live support through each build. One human review per slot before it is called finished
Format	On screen, in the tool	In-tool workbook, printable and exportable	In-tool workbook plus a written correction list	In-tool workbook, printable and exportable	In-tool workbook plus a written correction list	In-tool workbook plus a written correction cycle	Accessible PDF plus an editable matrix	Written package, format agreed in the scope	Working sessions plus your retained Capital Record	Working sessions plus your retained Capital Record
Human work by DSG	Read requirements only from the source you paste. Mark every gap instead of inventing an answer	Hold the structure. Mark what the source does not state rather than inferring it. Retain your record so the next build starts further along	One review of one generated package. One written priority correction list. Return the correction round within 7 calendar days	Structure the public-funder requirements. Flag what the source does not state	One review against the local decision process. One written priority correction list. Return the correction round within 7 calendar days	Work the compliance structure and evidence table with you. One human review and correction cycle before you submit	Search public sources and record what was searched and when. Return the matrix and the reasoning	Produce the package. Name every gap rather than filling it. Return it for your approval	Support each build live. Review each grant and record the reviewer, version, date and anything unresolved	Support each build live. Review each grant and record the reviewer, version, date and anything unresolved
Work you do	Paste the opportunity text. Answer the build questions with your own numbers and history. Copy the draft out if you want to keep it	Paste the opportunity. Work the five stations. Supply your own numbers, history and evidence	Build the package first. Send it for review when it is complete. Make the corrections you accept	Paste the opportunity. Work the stations. Supply your own evidence	Build the package first. Send it for review. Make the corrections you accept	Supply what only you can: numbers, history, partners, board decisions. Work the build with us	Define the search brief with us: geography, award band, program, exclusions. Confirm what you have already applied to	Supply your numbers, history, partners and approvals. Answer questions inside the agreed schedule. Approve the package	Open one slot at a time and name the opportunity and deadline. Do the building. Approve the reviewed grant before it is marked complete	Open one slot at a time and name the opportunity and deadline. Do the building. Approve the reviewed grant before it is marked complete
Corrections	Rebuild as often as your hourly quota allows	Unlimited self-directed revisions; every version is kept	One correction round	Unlimited self-directed revisions; every version is kept	One correction round	One correction cycle	If nothing fits, you receive the search record, the reasons, the missing conditions, watch criteria and a next review date. That is the delivery, not a failure of it.	Set in the written scope	One recorded review cycle per slot	One recorded review cycle per slot
Timing	Immediate, while you work	Available immediately after payment	Review returned within 7 calendar days of complete intake	Available immediately after payment	Review returned within 7 calendar days of complete intake	Correction cycle returned within 7 calendar days of complete intake	Within 7 business days of complete intake	Agreed in writing before payment	Scoped with you before invoicing	Scoped with you before invoicing
Not included	No external research. No human review. No submission. No retained Capital Record. Does not consume a Sprint slot	No human review. No submission. No external research	No submission on your behalf. One review cycle, not an open revision relationship	No human review. No submission. No legal opinion	No submission on your behalf. No legal opinion. One review cycle	No legal opinion. No submission on your behalf	No guarantee that any opportunity fits. No applications written. No introductions	No award promised. No funder interviews are assumed; any that happen are arranged by you. No claim that a weaker program wins because the writing is stronger. No federal route	No submission on your behalf. No federal route. A generated draft does not close a slot; a recorded human review does	No submission on your behalf. No federal route. A generated draft does not close a slot; a recorded human review does

Grant Builder — first-draft build

Free

Labour model: You do all of it, in the tool. No DSG person touches it.
Opportunities covered: One opportunity at a time, in the tool
The exact result: One working first draft, built in the tool, written only from the opportunity text you paste.
What you end up holding: An in-tool working draft you can copy out
Format: On screen, in the tool
Human work by DSG: Read requirements only from the source you paste. Mark every gap instead of inventing an answer
Work you do: Paste the opportunity text. Answer the build questions with your own numbers and history. Copy the draft out if you want to keep it
Corrections: Rebuild as often as your hourly quota allows
Timing: Immediate, while you work
Not included: No external research. No human review. No submission. No retained Capital Record. Does not consume a Sprint slot

Build My Capital™ — Foundation grant, self-directed

$350

Labour model: You do the work in the tool. DSG built the structure; DSG does not write or read your draft.
Opportunities covered: One foundation opportunity
The exact result: A versioned, editable and printable grant workbook for one foundation opportunity, plus a retained Capital Record.
What you end up holding: Requirements map read only from the opportunity. Versioned editable workbook you can print. Retained Capital Record for this opportunity
Format: In-tool workbook, printable and exportable
Human work by DSG: Hold the structure. Mark what the source does not state rather than inferring it. Retain your record so the next build starts further along
Work you do: Paste the opportunity. Work the five stations. Supply your own numbers, history and evidence
Corrections: Unlimited self-directed revisions; every version is kept
Timing: Available immediately after payment
Not included: No human review. No submission. No external research

Build My Capital™ — Foundation grant, with DSG review

$425

Labour model: You do the work; a Capital Architect reads it once and records the review, the version and the date.
Opportunities covered: One foundation opportunity
The exact result: The self-directed workbook, plus one bounded Capital Architect review and correction cycle for one opportunity.
What you end up holding: Everything in the self-directed build. One written priority correction list. One correction round returned
Format: In-tool workbook plus a written correction list
Human work by DSG: One review of one generated package. One written priority correction list. Return the correction round within 7 calendar days
Work you do: Build the package first. Send it for review when it is complete. Make the corrections you accept
Corrections: One correction round
Timing: Review returned within 7 calendar days of complete intake
Not included: No submission on your behalf. One review cycle, not an open revision relationship

Build My Capital™ — County or local, self-directed

$475

Labour model: You do the work in the tool. DSG built the structure; DSG does not write or read your draft.
Opportunities covered: One county, city or public agency opportunity
The exact result: A versioned, editable and printable public-funder workbook for one county, city or public agency opportunity, plus a retained Capital Record.
What you end up holding: Eligibility, procurement, match and reporting obligations named plainly. Versioned editable workbook you can print. Retained Capital Record for this opportunity
Format: In-tool workbook, printable and exportable
Human work by DSG: Structure the public-funder requirements. Flag what the source does not state
Work you do: Paste the opportunity. Work the stations. Supply your own evidence
Corrections: Unlimited self-directed revisions; every version is kept
Timing: Available immediately after payment
Not included: No human review. No submission. No legal opinion

Build My Capital™ — County or local, with DSG review

$575

Labour model: You do the work; a Capital Architect reads it once and records the review, the version and the date.
Opportunities covered: One county, city or public agency opportunity
The exact result: The self-directed public-funder workbook, plus one bounded Capital Architect review and correction cycle for one opportunity.
What you end up holding: Everything in the self-directed build. One written priority correction list. One correction round returned
Format: In-tool workbook plus a written correction list
Human work by DSG: One review against the local decision process. One written priority correction list. Return the correction round within 7 calendar days
Work you do: Build the package first. Send it for review. Make the corrections you accept
Corrections: One correction round
Timing: Review returned within 7 calendar days of complete intake
Not included: No submission on your behalf. No legal opinion. One review cycle

Build My Capital™ — State opportunity, hybrid

$750

Labour model: Split: you write the parts only you can write, DSG produces the rest, and a Capital Architect reviews the whole.
Opportunities covered: One state opportunity
The exact result: One tool build plus one Capital Architect review and correction cycle for one state opportunity.
What you end up holding: Compliance structure worked in the tool. Evidence table and narrative alignment. One written correction cycle
Format: In-tool workbook plus a written correction cycle
Human work by DSG: Work the compliance structure and evidence table with you. One human review and correction cycle before you submit
Work you do: Supply what only you can: numbers, history, partners, board decisions. Work the build with us
Corrections: One correction cycle
Timing: Correction cycle returned within 7 calendar days of complete intake
Not included: No legal opinion. No submission on your behalf

Opportunity Scan

$350

Labour model: You do the work; a Capital Architect reads it once and records the review, the version and the date.
Opportunities covered: One organization, one defined search brief
The exact result: One search record for one organization against one defined search brief, with every source and search date written down.
What you end up holding: Accessible PDF search record. Editable opportunity matrix. Stated sources, search date, geography, award band and exclusions
Format: Accessible PDF plus an editable matrix
Human work by DSG: Search public sources and record what was searched and when. Return the matrix and the reasoning
Work you do: Define the search brief with us: geography, award band, program, exclusions. Confirm what you have already applied to
Corrections: If nothing fits, you receive the search record, the reasons, the missing conditions, watch criteria and a next review date. That is the delivery, not a failure of it.
Timing: Within 7 business days of complete intake
Not included: No guarantee that any opportunity fits. No applications written. No introductions

Build My Decision-Ready Grant™ — full service

From $1,500, scoped

Labour model: DSG produces the document. You supply the facts, answer questions and approve it.
Opportunities covered: One scoped opportunity
The exact result: DSG carries production for one scoped opportunity.
What you end up holding: The written package, produced by DSG. Evidence and budget logic worked by a Capital Architect. A written scope and fee before any payment
Format: Written package, format agreed in the scope
Human work by DSG: Produce the package. Name every gap rather than filling it. Return it for your approval
Work you do: Supply your numbers, history, partners and approvals. Answer questions inside the agreed schedule. Approve the package
Corrections: Set in the written scope
Timing: Agreed in writing before payment
Not included: No award promised. No funder interviews are assumed; any that happen are arranged by you. No claim that a weaker program wins because the writing is stronger. No federal route

Grant Build Sprint™ — 3 grants

$1,500

Labour model: Supported build across a fixed number of opportunity slots. You build; a Capital Architect works alongside you and reviews each slot once.
Opportunities covered: Three opportunities, one open at a time
The exact result: Three supported opportunity slots. You build; a Capital Architect works alongside you.
What you end up holding: Three opportunity slots, opened one at a time. Live support through each build. One human review per slot before it is called finished
Format: Working sessions plus your retained Capital Record
Human work by DSG: Support each build live. Review each grant and record the reviewer, version, date and anything unresolved
Work you do: Open one slot at a time and name the opportunity and deadline. Do the building. Approve the reviewed grant before it is marked complete
Corrections: One recorded review cycle per slot
Timing: Scoped with you before invoicing
Not included: No submission on your behalf. No federal route. A generated draft does not close a slot; a recorded human review does

Grant Build Sprint™ — 6 grants

$2,750

Labour model: Supported build across a fixed number of opportunity slots. You build; a Capital Architect works alongside you and reviews each slot once.
Opportunities covered: Six opportunities, one open at a time
The exact result: Six supported opportunity slots. You build; a Capital Architect works alongside you.
What you end up holding: Six opportunity slots, opened one at a time. Live support through each build. One human review per slot before it is called finished
Format: Working sessions plus your retained Capital Record
Human work by DSG: Support each build live. Review each grant and record the reviewer, version, date and anything unresolved
Work you do: Open one slot at a time and name the opportunity and deadline. Do the building. Approve the reviewed grant before it is marked complete
Corrections: One recorded review cycle per slot
Timing: Scoped with you before invoicing
Not included: No submission on your behalf. No federal route. A generated draft does not close a slot; a recorded human review does

Human-reviewed work begins when intake is complete, not when payment clears. If anything needed is missing, we ask for it and the clock starts when it arrives.

Check this schedule against your deadline before you pay. If your deadline does not fit, tell us first — we would rather turn the work down than miss it.

A Sprint slot is consumed when you open it against a named opportunity. It is returned to your balance only by DSG, and only with a written reason.

How to read this

Nothing here is submission-ready until a person reviews it. That is the DSG standard, not a disclaimer.
Where the evidence does not carry a claim, we name the gap instead of filling it.
We keep your language. Translation for the decision should not cost you your voice.
Community intelligence counts as evidence. Research tests it; it does not automatically outrank it.

Inside the grant machine

Grant Build Sprint™

You bring the opportunities. You build the submissions inside DSG's grant system, with a Capital Architect reading the work as it is written.

The Grant Builder gets you to a first draft. The Sprint is how a real submission gets finished — the evidence tested, the budget logic checked, the scope corrected, and a person signing off before it leaves your hands.

Evergreen. Cohorts open continuously. Your start date is set when scope is confirmed, and the schedule is built around your actual deadlines.

Three-grant Sprint

$1,500 · Three opportunities · Six working weeks

Organizations with a small set of real deadlines and no team behind them.

Requirements map read from each actual solicitation — nothing inferred.
One evidence record built once and reused across all three submissions.
Outcome logic and budget logic built together, not assembled at the end.
Working sessions with a Capital Architect while the drafts are live.
Human review before each submission, with the honest fix list first.

Six-grant Sprint

$2,750 · Six opportunities · Twelve working weeks

Organizations building a full submission cycle rather than chasing one deadline.

Everything in the three-grant Sprint, across six opportunities.
A capital record that carries forward — the second submission is faster than the first.
Portfolio view: which opportunities are worth your time and which are not.
A written recommendation against any opportunity the evidence does not support.

We do not promise an award. What a submission wins depends on the field, the funder, and factors outside anyone's control.
Where the evidence does not carry a claim, we name the gap instead of filling it.
You keep your language. Translation for the decision should not cost you your voice.

Start a Grant Build Sprint

What you are choosing

Grant Builder

01 · Who this is for

Who this is for

For you if a grant is due and you need a first draft built from your own facts.

02 · The problem it solves

The root, not the symptom

The blank page is not the real problem. The real problem is that your facts live in your head, your spreadsheets and your old applications — and none of it is in the order a reviewer reads.

03 · What people try instead

What people try instead — and where it stalls

Free blog guides and fill-in templatesSome sell for a few dollars. They give you a format, but not your numbers.

General AI chat toolsThey draft fast, but they do not know your real costs or what a funder checks.

Paying a consultant by the hourBefore you know what you need, the meter runs while the question is still being found.

The Grant Builder asks for your facts first, then drafts in the order a reviewer reads.

About 1 in 4 nonprofit professionals already use AI for grant writing. Source: State of AI in Nonprofits 2025, Tapp Network.

04 · What you walk away with

What you walk away with

A first draft of your grant narrative in your own words
Your facts organized in the order a reviewer reads them
A list of what is still missing before you submit

05 · What to have ready

What to have ready

The funder's questions or guidelines
Your program's basic numbers
About half an hour of quiet time

06 · Time it takes

Time it takes

About 30 minutes for a first draft.

07 · Price and credit

Price, credit and your receipt line

Free

Free. Nothing to credit.

Receipt line for a future grant budget: No charge — nothing to list in a budget.

08 · What this is not

What this is not

This is a first draft, not a finished, reviewed application.

09 · Your next step

Your next step

Next: Sustainability in a Box™ — $149

Next step

10 · Questions

Three short questions

Is it really free?: Yes. The first draft costs nothing and needs no card.
Does DSG read my draft?: Not in the free version. A human review is a separate, paid step.
Can it find grants for me?: No. It drafts for an opportunity you already have in front of you.

Read with The Underneath™. Written Out Loud™.

FreeStart

Common questions

What people search for

Is there a free grant proposal builder?: Yes. The DSG Grant Builder drafts a first grant narrative from your own facts at no cost and needs no card.
What do I need to start a grant proposal?: The funder's questions, your program's basic numbers and about 30 minutes.