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Nonprofits · head to head

OpenGrants vs Trello for Nonprofits

OpenGrants logo

OpenGrants

Nonprofits

Low-cost grant search across federal, state and private funders, with a paid consultant marketplace alongside

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trello for Nonprofits logo

Trello for Nonprofits

Nonprofits

Simple project management for nonprofits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: OpenGrants coverage of private foundations is thinner and less curated than Candid or Instrumentl, so a prospect list built solely from OpenGrants will miss foundations that never post public opportunity notices.; Trello for Nonprofits free plan limited to 10 collaborators per Workspace, which restricts larger team usage
  • They diverge on capability: OpenGrants covers Grant search, Trello for Nonprofits covers Kanban boards.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenGrants and Trello for Nonprofits actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenGrants and Trello for Nonprofits differ
AttributeOpenGrantsTrello for Nonprofits
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Nonprofits).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in OpenGrants

  • Grant search
  • Saved searches and alerts
  • Funder profiles
  • Opportunity tracking
  • Consultant marketplace
  • Free tier

Only in Trello for Nonprofits

  • Kanban boards
  • Card management
  • Team collaboration
  • Integrations
  • Labels and checklists
  • Slack
  • Google Drive
  • Zapier

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

OpenGrants

  • A small nonprofit with no research budget that needs to know whether relevant grants exist before hiring anyonenot Trello for Nonprofits
  • A startup hunting SBIR, state innovation and economic development funding across multiple agenciesnot Trello for Nonprofits
  • A freelance grant writer covering several clients who cannot pass on a several-hundred-dollar monthly database costnot Trello for Nonprofits
  • An organisation wanting to hire a grant writer for one application without running a procurementnot Trello for Nonprofits

Trello for Nonprofits

  • Project management and team collaboration for nonprofit organizationsnot OpenGrants

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

OpenGrants

  • Coverage of private foundations is thinner and less curated than Candid or Instrumentl, so a prospect list built solely from OpenGrants will miss foundations that never post public opportunity notices.
  • The index leans on public opportunity feeds, which means it is strongest on government funding and weakest on the relationship-driven private philanthropy that most nonprofits actually rely on.
  • Matching is keyword driven rather than fit-scored, so users receive alerts for opportunities they are ineligible for and must qualify each one by hand.
  • The consultant marketplace is a directory with variable quality rather than a vetted panel, so buyers carry the risk of choosing a weak grant writer themselves.
  • It is a US-focused index, offering little to organisations seeking UK, EU or Canadian funding.

Trello for Nonprofits

  • Free plan limited to 10 collaborators per Workspace, which restricts larger team usage
  • Pricing shown is per-user monthly subscription; total cost grows with team size

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenGrants

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core grant search
    • Limited results and saved searches
    • No card required
  • Subscription$9/month
    • Full search access
    • Saved searches and alerts
    • Funder profiles

Trello for Nonprofits

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 collaborators per Workspace
    • Unlimited cards
    • Up to 10 boards
  • Standard$5/month
    • Annual billing; $6 USD per user per month with monthly billing
    • AI features
    • Unlimited boards
  • Premium$10/month
    • Annual billing; $12.50 USD per user per month with monthly billing
    • Multiple views (Calendar, Timeline, Table, Dashboard, Map)
    • Unlimited command runs
  • Enterprise$17.5/month
    • Billed annually at $210 per user per year
    • Unlimited Workspaces
    • Organization-wide permissions

Which should you pick?

Choose OpenGrants if

  • You need grant search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want saved searches and alerts.
OpenGrants review

Choose Trello for Nonprofits if

  • You need kanban boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want card management.
Trello for Nonprofits review

Questions people ask

Is OpenGrants or Trello for Nonprofits better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenGrants starts at Free and Trello for Nonprofits at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenGrants or Trello for Nonprofits?
OpenGrants starts at Free and Trello for Nonprofits at Free.
Does OpenGrants or Trello for Nonprofits run on more platforms?
OpenGrants runs on Web. Trello for Nonprofits runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use OpenGrants for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is OpenGrants best used for?
OpenGrants is most often used for a small nonprofit with no research budget that needs to know whether relevant grants exist before hiring anyone, a startup hunting sbir, state innovation and economic development funding across multiple agencies, a freelance grant writer covering several clients who cannot pass on a several-hundred-dollar monthly database cost, an organisation wanting to hire a grant writer for one application without running a procurement. Of those, a small nonprofit with no research budget that needs to know whether relevant grants exist before hiring anyone and a startup hunting sbir, state innovation and economic development funding across multiple agencies are not what Trello for Nonprofits is typically brought in for.
What can OpenGrants do that Trello for Nonprofits cannot?
OpenGrants covers Grant search, Saved searches and alerts, Funder profiles, Opportunity tracking. Trello for Nonprofits covers Kanban boards, Card management, Team collaboration, Integrations.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OpenGrants: How much does it cost?

$9 a month or $99 a year after a seven day trial, with a free tier of core search retained.

Trello for Nonprofits: How much does Trello Standard plan cost?

Trello Standard costs $5 USD per user per month with annual billing, or $6 USD per user per month with monthly billing. Standard includes AI features, unlimited boards, custom fields, card mirroring, and 1,000 workspace command runs monthly.

Source
OpenGrants: Why is it so much cheaper than Candid?

Because it indexes public and semi-public opportunity feeds with automation rather than employing researchers to code foundation records from tax filings. You trade depth of private foundation intelligence for price.

Trello for Nonprofits: What is the difference between Trello Premium and Enterprise plans?

Premium ($10 per user per month annually, $12.50 monthly) includes multiple views, unlimited command runs, and admin controls. Enterprise ($17.50 per user per month or $210 annually) adds unlimited Workspaces, organization-wide permissions, multi-board guests, Atlassian Guard Standard, and 24/7 Enterprise Admin support.

Source
OpenGrants: Does it cover private foundations?

Partially. It is strongest on federal and state programmes. For systematic private foundation research, Candid remains the reference source.

Trello for Nonprofits: What is included in Trello Free plan?

Trello Free includes unlimited cards, up to 10 boards, up to 10 collaborators per Workspace, Inbox, unlimited Power-Ups, assignees, due dates, mobile apps, and two-factor authentication. No payment required.

Source
OpenGrants: Is the consultant marketplace vetted?

It is a directory, not a vetted panel. Check references and past awards yourself.

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Related pages

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