Officials in Pennsylvania launched a similar tool in 2024 to support local governments, schools and other organizations more easily search for available grants. Another recent offering tailored to tribal nations integrates AI into the process; and in other cases, AI supports the grant application writing process itself. For local governments with limited resources, these tools may help them add capacity, and thereby, access new funding.
“The tool pulls grants from the federal grants.gov database and uses AI to summarize the key grant requirements so that communities can more easily understand their eligibility for the grant and the materials they need to apply,” Massachusetts Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure Quentin Palfrey said via email.
Massachusetts launched its new tool, GrantWell, on Tuesday. The state’s Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office (FFIO) developed it in partnership with Northeastern University’s Burnes Center for Social Change. Access to the tool is free on the state’s website.
The tool does several things. First, it finds grants that meet a community’s needs. Second, it summarizes complex grant documents. Third, it answers user questions about grant requirements. Finally, it helps to write a project narrative first draft.
FFIO released a video demoing the tool’s different features, the first of which is the Grant Search Portal, which allows users to search for federal grants. State and philanthropic grants are slated to be added soon. The Notice of Funding Opportunity Summarization feature is next; it breaks down application criteria, required documents, components that should be in a narrative section and key deadlines. Third, the chat assistant answers grant detail questions such as cost-share requirements; chats will be saved for future reference. Last, the grant-writing assistant lets users enter basic information through a guided process to create a first draft of the project narrative.
“The tool is not intended to replace human review of the grant-writing process, rather it is designed to help save users time and capacity when searching and applying for funding opportunities,” Palfrey said.
In a separate FFIO video, Jai Surya Kode, a Burnes Center generative AI product developer, said his team joined the office on its statewide roadshow to hear from local officials and organizations about obstacles they face accessing federal funds. Findings revealed communities need help finding the right grants, understanding complex requirements and writing strong proposals. Technical assistance and AI can make a “real impact” in these areas, he said.
GrantWell is a cloud-native web platform with serverless architecture using Amazon Web Services and a React-based front end, per the Burnes Center.
“As a former mayor, I know that navigating the complexities of federal and state grants pose a significant hurdle to municipal officials getting good projects over the line,” Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said in a statement, emphasizing the tool is expected to save municipalities time and capacity. More updates to GrantWell are expected soon.
