Spreadsheets Can Be Hell! Automate Your Grant Reporting!

We are joined by Srikar Chinam, CEO of KarmaSuite, for a conversation that flips conventional grant thinking on its head. While most nonprofit leaders pour their energy into winning grants, Srikar urges the sector to focus just as hard—if not more so—on what comes after the win: post-award grant management.

Srikar explains that managing grants isn't just about compliance; it's about aligning multiple stakeholders, vocabulary sets, and reporting requirements—all while staying within highly specific timelines and budgetary restrictions. “It’s absolutely a spreadsheet nightmare out there,” he says, describing the all-too-familiar scenario of finance teams scrambling to reconcile expenses manually in donor-specific formats. For organizations juggling five to seven grants or more, the administrative load becomes unsustainable!

The conversation digs into why nonprofits often find themselves underprepared for this reality. “If you leave money on the table, that means the donor has missed their impact goals because of you,” warns Srikar, pointing to how such gaps can erode credibility and diminish future funding opportunities.

From federal grant freezes to the internal silos between development, finance, and programming, the conversation paints a vivid picture of a sector straining under outdated processes. Srikar shares that Karma Suite is designed not to replace accounting systems, but to sit atop them—removing 75% of the manual work currently managed through spreadsheets and late-night email chains.

One of the most impactful observations in the episode? The disconnect in language between departments and between nonprofits and funders. “Programs control the spending, but they’re not finance experts—and finance teams don’t always have the program context,” says Srikar, emphasizing the importance of connective tools that unify these voices.

From fiscal uncertainty to renewed donor expectations, the stakes have never been higher. But KarmaSuite’s tech-forward solution feels approachable, logical, and needed. With user-friendly integration and swift onboarding, it’s a promising answer to a huge overlooked problem.

00:00:00 Welcome and guest introduction

 00:01:49 What is Karma Suite?

 00:03:03 Why grant management is more than getting the check

 00:04:30 Restrictions, expiration dates, and manual allocation

 00:06:38 Spreadsheet overload: why current tools fall short

 00:11:02 Disconnect between finance, programming, and fundraising

 00:13:51 Grant mismanagement: how common is it?

 00:16:21 Understanding funder expectations and impact goals

 00:19:01 Software, process, and people: what’s missing

 00:22:23 Federal funding freezes and reimbursement delays

 00:24:56 Accuracy in reporting matters more than ever

#GrantManagement

 #NonprofitFinance

 #ImpactStrategy

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show