Contract template

Grant agreement template

A grant agreement, sometimes called a grant award letter, is the contract between a funder and the organization it funds. It says how much, for what, when the money arrives, what the grantee reports back, and what happens to money that isn't spent. This template suits family foundations, community foundations and corporate giving programs. Read it below, then open it in SignMaster and send it to each grantee.

Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read

The contract

Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.

  • You, before sending
  • Grantee
  • Grantor

Grant Agreement

This Grant Agreement (the "Agreement"), grant number Grant number, is made on Agreement date between Grantor name (the "Grantor") and Grantee organization, employer identification number Grantee EIN (the "Grantee").

1. The grant

The Grantor awards the Grantee Grant amount to carry out Project name and purpose (the "Project"), as described in the Grantee's proposal and budget dated Proposal date, which are attached and form part of this Agreement. The grant period runs from Grant period start to Grant period end.

2. Payment

The Grantor will pay the grant as follows: Payment schedule. Each payment after the first depends on the Grantor receiving the reports due before it and on satisfactory progress on the Project.

3. Use of funds

  • The Grantee will use the grant only for the Project and in line with the approved budget.
  • Moving more than Budget variance percent percent of the grant between budget lines needs the Grantor's written approval first.
  • No part of the grant will be used to support or oppose a candidate for public office, to influence legislation, or for any purpose that isn't charitable or educational.
  • The Grantee will not pass any part of the grant to another organization without the Grantor's written approval.

4. Reports

The Grantee will send an interim report by Interim report due and a final narrative and financial report by Final report due. Reports describe what was done, what was spent against the budget, and progress on these outcomes: Outcomes to report. The Grantee will tell the Grantor promptly of any problem that may delay the Project or change its results.

5. Records

The Grantee will keep accurate records of grant income and spending for at least Years to keep records years after the grant period ends, and will let the Grantor or its representative review them on reasonable notice.

6. Unspent funds

Any part of the grant not spent or committed to the Project by the end of the grant period will be returned to the Grantor within Days to return unspent funds days, unless the Grantor agrees in writing to extend the period or approve another use.

7. Tax status

The Grantee confirms that it is Grantee tax status, and will tell the Grantor at once if that status changes or comes under review.

8. Acknowledgment and publicity

The Grantee will acknowledge the grant in Project materials and its annual report using this wording: Acknowledgment wording. Neither party will use the other's logo, or describe the other's endorsement, without approving that use in advance. The Grantor may describe the grant in its own reports.

9. Responsibility for the Project

The Grantee runs the Project independently and is responsible for its staff, volunteers, contracts and compliance with the law, including nondiscrimination laws. The Grantor's support is not an endorsement of every activity, and the Grantor is not responsible for claims arising from the Project.

10. Suspension and termination

If the Grantee misses required reports, uses funds for something other than the Project, loses its tax status, or otherwise fails to follow this Agreement, the Grantor may suspend payments, end the grant, and require the return of funds that were misused or not yet spent. The Grantor will first give written notice and a chance to fix the problem where that is reasonable.

11. General terms

This Agreement, with the proposal and budget, is the whole agreement about the grant and replaces earlier discussions. It can be changed only in writing signed by both parties, is governed by the laws of the state of State, and may be signed electronically.

Contacts

Grantee contact: Grantee contact name Email: Grantee contact email Phone: Grantee contact phone

Grantor program officer: Program officer Email: Program officer email

I am authorized to sign this Agreement for the Grantee, and the Grantee accepts the grant on these terms.

For the Grantee

SignaturePrinted nameDate signed

For the Grantor

SignaturePrinted nameDate signed
Use this template

Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.

A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.

On this page
  1. The contract
  2. Why put a grant in a signed agreement
  3. What the template covers
  4. Mistakes funders make
  5. How to send it with SignMaster
  6. Awarding a whole grant round
  7. Questions

Why put a grant in a signed agreement

Even a small grant raises questions a year later: could the grantee move money from salaries to equipment, was the final report due in June or December, and does unspent money come back? A signed agreement answers them, attaches the proposal and budget the grant was based on, and makes the restrictions clear before the first check clears. For a private foundation, written grant terms are also part of showing the money went to a charitable purpose.

Grantees benefit too. A clear agreement tells the program team exactly what they'll be asked for, so the final report isn't a scramble.

What the template covers

  • The grant: amount, project and purpose, the proposal and budget attached, and the grant period.
  • Payment: your schedule, with later payments tied to reports and progress.
  • Use of funds: project only, a budget variance limit, no political or lobbying use, and no re-granting without approval.
  • Reports: interim and final, with the outcomes you want measured.
  • Records and unspent funds: how long records are kept, your right to review them, and returning what isn't used.
  • Tax status, acknowledgment wording, and the grantee's responsibility for its own project.
  • Suspension and termination, with notice and a chance to fix problems first.

Mistakes funders make

  • Not attaching the proposal and budget. Without them, "the Project" means whatever someone remembers. Add them to the same envelope.
  • Vague reporting. "A final report" invites three paragraphs. Name the outcomes and the due dates.
  • No rule for budget changes. Real projects shift; a percentage threshold lets small changes happen without paperwork and big ones get a conversation.
  • Ignoring your own foundation's rules. Grants to individuals, to organizations without public charity status, or across borders can need extra steps; check with your adviser before using this template for them.

Federal grants are different

This template is for private and community funders. Government grants come with their own award terms, cost principles and reporting systems, and those terms govern instead.

How to send it with SignMaster

  1. 1

    Open the template

    Choose Use this template. The grantee signs first, then your authorized signer countersigns.

  2. 2

    Fill in the award

    Complete the gray blanks: grant number, amount, project, dates, payment schedule, report dates, outcomes, acknowledgment wording and your program officer.

  3. 3

    Attach the proposal and budget

    Upload the grantee's proposal and budget PDFs into the same envelope, so the signed record holds all three documents together.

  4. 4

    Send it to the grantee's signer

    Enter the executive director's name and email. They fill in the blue blanks, the organization's legal name, EIN, tax status and contact, confirm their authority and sign.

  5. 5

    Board chair signs if needed

    If two people must sign for either side, add a role and set the signing order. When the last person signs, everyone receives the signed PDF and certificate.

Awarding a whole grant round

After a grant committee meets, the same agreement may go to twenty organizations with different amounts and dates. List them in a spreadsheet, one row per grantee, with columns named after the gray blanks, such as Grant amount, Project name and purpose and Final report due, and use bulk send. Each grantee gets their own agreement; reminders handle the follow-up. Save the sheet as CSV UTF-8 first.

Questions? Answers.

Who should sign a grant agreement?

Someone authorized to bind each organization, usually the executive director for the grantee and a program officer, the executive director or a trustee for the funder. The checkbox asks the grantee's signer to confirm their authority.

Is a grant agreement the same as an award letter?

Close. An award letter can be informal; a grant agreement is signed by both sides and sets binding conditions. Many funders send a letter that becomes the agreement once the grantee countersigns.

Can the grantee change the budget later?

Yes, within the threshold in section 3. Bigger changes need your written approval, which a short signed amendment can provide.

Is an e-signed grant agreement valid?

Yes, for most agreements. The ESIGN Act and state laws give electronic signatures the same effect as ink. See are electronic signatures legal.

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