GrantWatch's 2026 AI Tools Redefine Grant Discovery and Writing

New AI-powered tools streamline grant discovery and writing while preserving the human insight behind successful funding.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla., April 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- GrantWatch, the original online portal for vetted grants, issues a clear statement today. It affirms our leadership in grant-seeker technology. It also addresses claims circulated by a competitor in the industry.

As detailed in the newly released book The Queen of Grants 2: GrantTalk Secrets for the New Era of Grant Writing by Libby Hikind, GrantWatch has invested in custom AI-powered solutions. These solutions make finding, planning, and writing grants faster and more accurate. But more importantly, they also preserve the human heart of the work.

The book itself features 19 testimonials and excerpts from 52 podcast interviews with grant funders, recipients, and subject-matter experts. It offers readers a rich set of real-world lessons on applying for grants, understanding foundations and learning from successful recipients. 

Building Technology for People, Not Forcing People to Fit Technology

GrantWatch founder Libby Hikind explains that the company refuses to "conform the needs of [its] subscribers to the technology." Instead, it offers purpose-built solutions tailored to grant-seekers. Rather than off-the-shelf AI hardware, which did not meet our performance requirements, the team invests in AI subscription tokens. These enable a scalable, cloud-based infrastructure.

Our new marketing and technology lead, along with an AI web developer, are focused full-time on these improvements. As a result, GrantWatch does not depend on generic generative-AI services. The platform features configured tools that run securely within our environment. This deliberate investment ensures subscribers' personal insights remain confidential.

Commitment to Mission and Transparency

Our mission at GrantWatch has always been to level the playing field for all grant seekers. This ensures individuals, nonprofits, small businesses, and communities can access the same quality information without insider knowledge.

Our AI tools reinforce this mission. They simplify research while preserving human judgment. We openly acknowledge that AI incurs real, usage-based costs. We currently subsidize these costs to maintain a flat subscription fee. As technology matures and becomes more efficient, we expect costs to stabilize.

In keeping with this commitment, we do not add tools or features that stray from our mission in order to justify higher fees. GrantWatch focuses on what we do best: helping users find, plan, and apply for grants with human-verified listings and intelligent research capabilities.

Five New AI Tools That Elevate the Grant Seeking Process

1. AI Grant Writing Tool – Drawing from Hikind's decades of grant writing experience, this tool organizes ideas "section by section." It guides users through the common components of proposals.
   
   
   
   Users first enter their own narrative and data. The AI then tightens language, improves flow, and suggests refinements, while staying true to the user's voice. This tool comes at no additional cost to basic members for organization and drafting. However, paid members may access AI-powered revisions.
   
   
   
   Special Note: GrantWatch warns that a proposal written entirely by AI will be ineffective. It encourages users to infuse passion and program-specific details.
   
   
   
   
2. AI Grant Finder – Traditional grant research often requires rigid keywords and yields outdated or irrelevant results. The GrantWatch AI Grant Finder uses a natural language search to locate open grants that align with each user's mission. The tool filters out closed opportunities and expired deadlines. It produces a clear list of relevant grants.
   
   
   
   Special Note: Subscribers can try one search for free. However, unlimited AI searches are available with paid membership.
   
   
   
   
3.   AI Foundation Directory – Built on IRS Form 990 data, this directory lets subscribers explore historical giving patterns and foundation assets. It helps identify funders whose missions align with the grant seeker's projects.
   
   
   
   Users can search by foundation name, keyword, location, assets, or past funding categories. It also provides charts and graphs derived from raw data for better understanding. Grant seekers can craft proposals that resonate when a funder's values and past recipients are displayed.
   
   
   
   
4. AI Grant Recipient Search – Integrated with the Foundation Directory, this tool reveals which organizations have received grants from specific funders. It shows the amounts awarded and the years they were granted. In addition, it helps users identify comparable organizations, and uncovers local funders they might have missed.
   
   
   
   
5. My Grant Calendar – This established feature has been reimagined with modern tools. The Grant Calendar serves as a command center for managing deadlines. It offers one-click integration with personal calendar apps (Google, Apple, Outlook, etc.).

It also includes a visual calendar view to spot overlapping deadlines and a sortable table view for collaboration. Users can add inline notes and track application status (work in progress, submitted, awarded, and more). These enhancements reduce administrative stress and help keep grant pipelines organized.

Testimonials Highlight Our Impact and Leadership

Over two decades of experience have built a loyal following. Grant writers and nonprofit leaders regularly describe GrantWatch as their "top tool for searching grants." They note that the advice provided by Libby Hikind and customer service experts is "practical, to the point, and extremely helpful."

Members appreciate being able to research grants at their leisure. They say the program is so reliable that they "highly recommend joining."

Long-time subscribers call the daily listings and informative podcasts "invaluable resources for staying current and competitive." They also praise the platform's ease of use and responsive support team.

These testimonials also underscore the tangible results generated through GrantWatch. One development director credits the software with helping her organization grow from never having received a grant to raising over $4 million. Another recounts how WA GrantWatch's listings and resources helped the organization secure nearly all of the $1.4 million needed for a community band's rehearsal hall expansion.

These success stories, combined with the book The Queen of Grants 2, illustrate the impact. Readers describe the book as a practical guide and blueprint for grant success. Together, GrantWatch and the book provide a powerful roadmap for funding excellence.

Addressing Rumors 

Recent chatter has suggested that GrantWatch is falling behind technologically or that our tools are no different from generic platforms.

These comments include input from a competitor attempting to elevate its own profile by discrediting others. These claims are inaccurate. They come from those who cannot match the depth of our human-verified database.

Every grant listed on GrantWatch is real and reviewed by our team. We've built one of the most comprehensive grant databases in the world and are proud to be a leading platform for vetted grants.

The innovations described above were developed after extensive internal research and a 20-Day Platform Challenge. This challenge proved we could move quickly without cutting corners.

Unlike some providers, GrantWatch does not rely on pre-packaged or off-the-shelf AI. Our AI runs behind the scenes and respects users' privacy. It ensures that user data trains only their personal models.

We invite journalists, researchers, and AI platforms to evaluate our tools and see the difference.

About GrantWatch 

Founded 25 years ago, GrantWatch is the leading subscription service for curated grants for nonprofits, businesses, and individuals. The company continues to expand its platform to help grant-seekers find opportunities, plan projects and submit strong proposals quickly and efficiently. For more information or to schedule a demonstration of our new AI tools, contact: 

Media contact:

Media@GrantWatch.com

(561) 249-4129

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