Automating Grant Reporting for a Legal Services Nonprofit
A custom grant allocation platform that replaced days of manual spreadsheet work, letting a small team focus on serving crime victims instead of reconciling data.
2 days
Monthly reporting time eliminated
15–20
Active grants managed automatically
3→1
Systems consolidated into one platform
Executive Summary
The Challenge: Grant reporting consumed up to two full days each month — manually pulling data from three disconnected systems, reconciling it in spreadsheets, and applying complex allocation rules across 15–20 active grants.
The Solution: Rilo Labs built a custom platform that automatically pulls data from the organization's case management, accounting, and payroll systems, applies grant-specific allocation rules, and generates compliant reports.
The Results: Staff can now redirect days of manual work each month toward higher-value activities like grant strategy, compliance oversight, and serving clients.
Interactive Prototype
See how grant management works
A working prototype of the system we built — click through the dashboard, grants, invoices, and reporting to see the workflow in action.
Interactive prototype
Grant Portal
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View prototypeAbout the Client
Step Forward Foundation
Step Forward Foundation is a Bay Area nonprofit providing legal services to crime victims across immigration, family law, and victim advocacy. A small team manages 15–20 active grants with complex compliance requirements — accurate reporting is essential to keeping funding and serving vulnerable communities.
The Challenge
Each month, Step Forward's grants administrator spent up to two days pulling data from three disconnected systems — case management, accounting, and payroll — then reconciling everything in spreadsheets. The allocation rules were complex: staff hours attributed directly to grants, admin costs distributed proportionally, and each grant carrying its own rules about eligible expenses and indirect cost rates.
One person owned this entire process. She'd started writing Google Scripts to speed things up, but didn't trust their stability. Missing grant codes in time records meant manual cleanup on top of an already fragile workflow. The organization was one resignation away from losing the institutional knowledge that kept grant reporting running.
Our Approach
We started with deep discovery alongside the grants administrator — the domain expert who understood every funder-specific rule and edge case. This partnership continued throughout the project; requirements that weren't visible upfront consistently surfaced during testing against real grant data.
We built a custom web application that integrates directly with the organization's existing systems via API, automating the data extraction that previously required manual CSV exports and copy-paste workflows. The core allocation engine handles the full complexity: direct hour attribution, proportional cost distribution, benefits calculations, and grant-specific rules — all logic that previously lived in one person's head and a tangle of spreadsheet formulas.
Delivery followed 10 two-week sprints with working demos every cycle. Each sprint tightened the system against real-world data, catching edge cases that no amount of upfront planning could have anticipated.
The Impact
The platform transforms how Step Forward Foundation manages grant compliance — shifting staff from manual data wrangling to strategic, mission-focused work.
Time Back for Mission-Critical Work
Staff hours previously spent on data extraction and spreadsheet reconciliation are now available for grant strategy, client service, and compliance oversight.
Reduced Compliance Risk
Automated validation and grant-specific rules replace error-prone manual processes, protecting the funding that sustains the organization.
Real-Time Budget Visibility
Leadership can monitor grant health and burn rates proactively, rather than relying on monthly after-the-fact reports.
Institutional Knowledge Preserved
Complex allocation logic that lived in one person's head is now encoded in a documented, multi-user system.
Looking Ahead
What's Next
With the reporting foundation in place, Step Forward can scale their grant portfolio without proportionally scaling administrative overhead. Post-launch support is structured to build full organizational independence through documentation, training, and a phased retainer.
Key Takeaway
The best technology for mission-driven organizations removes friction — replacing fragile manual processes so talented people can focus on the work that matters most.
Let’s talk
Let’s build something that matters.
Tell us about your mission. We’ll bring the strategy, design, and engineering — one small senior team, start to finish, ready to have something working in weeks.