The Foundant alternative for grantmakers who need more than “basic”

Submittable is the simple-to-learn Foundant alternative for grantmakers who need custom workflows and the ability to adapt to changing times.

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12 minutes average time for support to respond to a Submittable customer or applicant

¾ of customers describe Submittable as “easy” or “very easy” to use

89% of Submittable customers build and launch a program in 2 weeks or less

"Submittable...How do I love you? Let me count the ways!" - Reviewer on Capterra

"[Submittable] has just been real seamless and the ball just keeps rolling." - Deborah Trombly, New Bedford Economic Council

Foundant makes you follow Foundant’s process

Foundant’s Grant Lifecycle Manager (GLM) has one process every client of theirs must follow.¹

At most, you can turn on or off certain stages in this process. This creates strong limitations on what you can customize and what features Foundant can build. You (and Foundant) are locked into this one process.

Practically, this means:

Foundant controls your launch timeline. You can't go live until they approve your setup and manually load your data to the live environment.²
Post-launch editing is limited to tweaking the summary details within a Process.³
There are “limited question types.”⁴
You cannot disburse funds directly to grantees from Foundant’s GLM.¹
Users say Foundant “doesn't produce meaningful reporting without downloading to Excel,” and that the process is “very difficult” and “limited.” ⁵

3/4

customers describe Submittable as “easy” or “very easy” to use

$10B+

funds managed using Submittable

Submittable is built for your process

Build custom workflows, create custom reports, and disburse funds directly to applicants. Plus, it’s all self-serve.

Create a custom workflow for your unique program in a matter of a few clicks.

Build custom workflows at the program and form level.
Create custom review automations.
Duplicate programs with one click.

Submittable handles one-click funds disbursement and comprehensive budget management in-platform.

Disburse funds via ACH, check, prepaid cards, and more with one click.
Track budgets and funds with custom budget categories.
Monitor spending with post-award and subrecipient monitoring.

Generate real-time dashboards, charts, and advanced custom reports within Submittable. Or, export to a BI tool your organization already uses.

Track progress across programs with global form fields and real-time data.
Generate audit-ready compliance reports with automated post-award reporting.
Create impact dashboards that communicate the full value of your grantmaking.
Export data when you need it with integrations and read/write API access.

Foundant vs Submittable: Capabilities at a glance

	Submittable	Foundant
Grant application collection and review	✔	✔
In-app collaborative review	✔	✔
Self-service setup and launch	✔
Anonymized grant application review	✔	✔
In-app communication	✔	✔
Automate review workflows	✔	✔
Reporting dashboards and funds tracking	✔	✔
Funds disbursement	✔
Technical support for applicants	✔
Collaborative application editing	✔	✔
Ability to edit programs post-launch	✔	✔

Foundant won’t help you grow or adapt

As one reviewer put it, Foundant’s GLM is great for “basic grantmaking.”⁴

If your organization deviates in any way from their rigid processes, you may struggle to see your program go live the way you intend.

Even in positive reviews, baseline features like reporting are consistently called out as lacking.⁵ Because when Foundant’s process is done, Foundant is done.

If you need more, you’ll shell out for their CommunitySuite platform or spend your precious time doing work that other platforms, like Submittable, do for you out-of-the-box.

This rigidity matters because the current grantmaking environment in 2025 is anything but “basic.” You need a partner that’s built to help you adapt.

Submittable is the customizable, intuitive Foundant alternative

Schedule a demo today to see how Submittable compares with Foundant.

We’re not the only GMS platform around. Take a look at these GMS alternatives to find the solution that’s best for your team.

You may want to learn more about Submittable or other alternatives like:

Have questions about specific functionality or how to move from one platform to another? We’re happy to answer your questions or chat through what that may look like for your team.

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