Set it up once
Set the logframe once. Each role sees the records, indicators and evidence it works with, and the report deadlines coming up.
Programme management for NGOs
No credit cardA demo project includedEach organisation's data is isolated
Set upLogframe, indicators, team
DeliverActivities, evidence, My Work
MonitorIndicator values, Data Center
DemonstrateChecklist, approval, reports
Example project
Emergency Response: Health
Children vaccinated, Q31,240 / 1,500
Activities accepted38 of 41
Evidence linked112 files
Readiness for the donor report: 92%
Know where your programme stands before the donor asks.
See it while it can change
Every indicator value sits in one sheet across all periods, against its own target, so progress is visible before a deadline forces it.
Prove it when it counts
Files stay linked to the activity or indicator they prove. Every change is in an audit log, so anyone can check what was recorded and by whom.
The programme cycle
Set it up. Deliver it. Measure it. Prove it.
Every stage draws on the same records, so the work you log today is the evidence you need at the end. DonorDesk records and evidences delivery; activities are logged as they happen.
Set up the programme once
Goals, outcomes, outputs and activities, each with indicators whose baselines and targets are set once and reused in every report.
- Logframe and indicators. Baselines, targets and aggregation are fixed at the start. Indicators with values are archived, not deleted.
- Team and roles. Seven roles, so each person sees and changes only the part their job needs.
- Donor templates. Load a donor's required structure from its file once, then reuse it across grants that share it.
Record the work as it happens
The person who did the activity writes it down the same day, typed or dictated. The reporting period follows from the date.
- Activity capture. Who, where, when and how many, in a few lines. The form fills from what the words state and never overwrites what you typed.
- My Work. One queue across every project: what to record, what to review, what to fix.
- Evidence library. Documents, photos and records stored in your Google Drive or in managed storage, linked to the activity they prove.
Offline: an entry is queued on the device if the connection drops, then sent when it returns. The app itself still needs a connection to open.
See the results while they can still change
Every indicator, every period, every recorded value in one sheet. A gap is shown as not measured, never as zero.
- Data Center. Values across periods with charts. Import a spreadsheet to add values, with a preview before anything is saved.
- Roll-ups. Semi-annual, annual and final reports show the period, the life of project and percent of target side by side.
- Rates are read as rates. A percentage indicator is judged against its baseline and target, not as a share of target.
Show what was done, and prove it
Reports, checks and approvals all draw on the same record, so a donor can be shown the evidence behind each claim.
- Compliance checklist. The donor's requirements, with blockers and the next step for each, weeks before the deadline.
- Sourced drafting. Each section is drafted from your activities, indicators and evidence, with its sources shown.
- Approval and export. A second approver when the project requires one. Export to Word, PDF, Excel or an evidence ZIP. DonorDesk does not send reports to donors.
Why it compounds
Each cycle starts from the last one
The indicators, activities and evidence from one period carry into the next. Each period starts from what is already recorded, so the next report begins where the last one left off.
Q1
Set the baseline
Indicators, targets and team are fixed once and reused in every period.
Q2
Record as you go
Activities and values are entered where the work happens, in the period their date falls in.
Q3
Correct the course
Gaps show in the Data Center while there is still time to act, not after the grant closes.
Q4
Report from the record
The donor report is drafted from the same data, with each claim traced to its source.
Draft
Progress against outcome 1
Section drafted from the programme record · Example
Between July and September, 1,240 children were vaccinated against a target of 1,500, or 83 percent of target for the period [ind. V-01]. Mobile clinics ran in 38 of 41 planned outreach visits [act. 38/41].
Attendance was lowest in Ward 4 during the flooding in August, when two of the planned clinics could not reach the community [ev. field log].
Reporting
A donor asks. The answer is already in the record.
Reports are assembled from the record, not rebuilt from it. Every number traces to a verified value, and every statement links to the activity, indicator or file behind it.
Numbers come from the recordA figure that is not in the inputs is rejected before the draft is shown.
Claims are checkedStatements are compared with their evidence and with the project's own records.
A person approvesNothing is submitted until the responsible person signs it off.
Built for the whole portfolio
Every grant kept in its own record
Each grant is its own project with its own logframe, team and reports. Your plan sets how many you can run at once.
Emergency Response: Health
On trackQ3 reportReady 92%
WASH Recovery, Nigeria
ReviewSemi-annualReady 61%
Girls' Education Pilot
GapActivity records38%
Example projects for illustration.
Who uses it
Each person's part, in one record
Field OfficerRecords activities and dictates them from the field.
Project ManagerReviews and accepts activity records and signs off reports.
M&E OfficerOwns indicators, values and the Data Center.
Grants OfficerWatches deadlines, readiness and donor requirements.
Compliance OfficerChecks that claims are backed by evidence.
AdminManages the workspace, members and plan.
ViewerReads the record without changing it. Viewers do not use a seat.
Pricing
Start with one project. Grow with the portfolio.
Starter
For small organizations managing their first funded programme.
$0 / month
or $0 / year (2 months free)
- 1 active project + unlimited archived
- 1 seat + 2 read-only viewers
- 1 GB managed storage
- 5 successful AI report drafts / month
- Evidence vault, provenance & audit trail
- Community support
Team
For growing teams reporting across several grants or projects.
$79 / month
or $790 / year (2 months free)
- 5 active projects + unlimited archived
- 5 full seats + unlimited viewers
- 25 GB managed storage
- 20 successful AI report drafts / month
- AI donor-template extraction
- AI credit top-ups (+50 for $79)
- Email support
- NGO price: $59.25/mo (verified 25% welcome discount, first year)
Growth
For organizations with multiple funders and substantial reporting volume.
$149 / month
or $1,490 / year (2 months free)
- 20 active projects
- 15 full seats + unlimited viewers
- 100 GB managed storage
- 100 successful AI report drafts / month
- Bring your own AI provider
- AI credit top-ups (+100 for $149)
- Soft overage instead of a hard stop
- Priority email support + onboarding call
- NGO price: $111.75/mo (verified 25% welcome discount, first year)
Enterprise
For INGOs, research institutions, public bodies, and multi-country programmes.
Custom
- Unlimited projects & seats
- Contractual storage & AI credits
- SSO / SCIM
- Custom data residency
- SLA & dedicated support
- Procurement & security review support
Verified nonprofits get 25% off Team and Growth for their first year; nonprofit pricing for Enterprise is built into the contract. Tax is calculated at checkout where applicable. Annual billing gives two months free. Regional pricing for eligible organizations in lower-income countries is available on request. See the full plan comparison →
Trust
Your records stay yours
Each organisation's data is isolated from every other tenant at the database level. The audit log is hash-chained, so an edit to history is detectable.
Stored AI outputs keep the model and prompt version used to write them. The Data Processing Agreement and subprocessor list are published before you sign up.
DonorDesk does not hold external certifications. We say so, and we will not claim one until it is in place.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is DonorDesk?
DonorDesk is a programme management system for grant-funded organisations. You keep the logframe, indicators, activities, evidence and compliance in one record, and donor reports are drafted from that record, checked against it and approved by a person.
Is DonorDesk just a reporting tool?
No. Reporting is the output. The working system is the logframe, the activity records, the indicator data, the evidence library, the team's queue and the compliance checklist. Those are useful every month, not only at the deadline.
Who is DonorDesk for?
Local and national NGOs, INGOs, UN implementing partners, consultancies and government programme units that run grant-funded work and report it to donors or funding authorities.
Can DonorDesk produce reports for any donor?
Yes. You upload the donor's template (Word, PDF, text, Markdown, Excel or CSV). DonorDesk extracts the sections, instructions, required tables and limits. You review and approve them, and the report follows that structure.
Does the AI invent numbers?
No. Tables, charts and comparisons are built from verified indicator data. A figure in the AI's text that is not in your inputs is rejected and regenerated; if it still fails, the section falls back to plain text that says why. A person approves every report.
Can field staff record activities without internet?
Partly. A finished activity is kept on the phone or laptop and sent when the connection returns. The DonorDesk app itself needs a connection to open, so it is not a full offline app.
Can we keep our evidence in our own Google Drive?
Yes. Files can stay in your Google Drive, and linked files do not count toward your managed storage. You can also upload files to DonorDesk managed storage, within your plan's limit.
Can I turn AI off?
Yes. AI drafting can be switched off in Settings, and you can always write reports manually. Manual writing never uses AI credits.
How much does DonorDesk cost?
Every workspace starts on the free Starter plan. Paid plans are Team at $79 per month and Growth at $149 per month, Enterprise is contracted, annual billing gives two months free, and verified nonprofits get 25% off for their first year. See the pricing page for full limits.
Which export formats are supported?
Reports export to Word and PDF, indicator tables and the data sheet to Excel, and evidence packs to ZIP. A watermarked internal copy is available for review at any stage, and a donor submission needs a clean, approved report.
Can DonorDesk submit reports to donors directly?
No. You export the approved report and send or upload it to the donor yourself.