Part III (A): Submission via Online Form

Below are step-by-step instructions for submitting, updating, and maintaining grant information on the Grants Portal using an online form. Note that there is no approval workflow built into the Grants Portal. Grantmaking agencies should establish their own approval process for information posted on the site.

Online Form: Creating or Editing a Grant Opportunity Using the Online Form

Add A Grant Opportunity Using an Online Form (Forecasted and Active)
Follow the steps below to enter a grant opportunity into the Grants Portal using an online form. You may edit current opportunities by following the next sets of instructions.

• Step 1: Visit the Grants Portal and navigate to the “For State Agencies” tab. Select “Agency Login.”
• Step 2: Log into your account using you Grant Contributor credentials. Note that you will receive an email with a validation code. Once you log in, you will see your Grants Dashboard.
• Step 3: Click “Add a Grant.”
• Step 4: Follow the steps in the online form to enter your grant information. The system will validate data entered each field. See the data dictionary in Part IV for more information on the data elements.
  • Note: When you arrive at the final submission page, you can use your browser’s print screen function to create a PDF to share with colleagues before publishing. Note that the Grants Portal does not have an approval workflow. Your agency should determine an approval process internally.
• Step 5: Click “Submit.” You will be taken to your dashboard. You’ll be able to view the opportunity on you Grants Dashboard, and depending on the grant’s publish date, the opportunity will be published immediately or at the future scheduled time.
• Review the opportunity’s grant details page to ensure that the information submitted and formatting is visually appealing for users.

Navigation in the Online Form

You can only navigate (jump around) the online form when you are editing a published grant that is not the following:

• Being transitioned from forecasted to active
• Being copied (forecasted, active and/or closed)
• A draft (forecasted and/or active)
• A grant opportunity being added for the first time (forecasted and/or active)

Edit Information about a Specific Grant Opportunity through the Online Form
Follow the steps below to update active or forecasted opportunities. Note that you cannot edit closed opportunities. If you must change information in a closed opportunity, contact the Grants Portal team at CAGrantsPortal@library.ca.gov. 

• Step 1: Visit the Grants Portal and navigate to the “For State Agencies” tab. Select “Agency Login.”
• Step 2: Log into your account using you Grant Contributor credentials. Note that you will receive an email with a validation code. Once you log in, you’ll see your Grants Dashboard and your previously submitted grant opportunities.
• Step 3: Select “Edit” next to the grant you would like to edit (must be an active or forecasted opportunity).
• Step 4: Update or add information as appropriate. You must include Change Notes to update grantseekers on changes.
• Step 5: Navigate through the entire form and click “Submit.” The system will update the grant accordingly.
• Review the opportunity’s grant details page to ensure that the information submitted and formatting is visually appealing for users.

Transition a Forecasted Grant to an Active Grant
If you’ve posted a forecasted grant that you’d like to make an active grant, follow the steps below.

• Step 1: Visit the Grants Portal and navigate to the “For State Agencies” tab. Select “Agency Login.”
• Step 2: Log into your account using you Grant Contributor credentials. Note that you will receive an email with a validation code. Once you log in, you’ll see your Grants Dashboard and your previously submitted grant opportunities.
• Step 3: Select “Forecasted Grants.”
• Step 4: Select “Transition to Active” next to the forecasted grant you’d like to make active.
• Step 5: Update or add information as appropriate, navigate through the entire form and click “Submit.” The system will update the grant accordingly.
• Review the opportunity’s grant details page to ensure that the information submitted and formatting is visually appealing for users.

Make a Copy of a Similar Grant
Follow these steps to make a copy of an active or closed grant in order to create a similar opportunity.

• Step 1: Visit the Grants Portal and navigate to the “For State Agencies” tab. Select “Agency Login.”
• Step 2: Log into your account using you Grant Contributor credentials. Note that you will receive an email with a validation code. Once you log in, you’ll see your Grants Dashboard and your previously submitted grant opportunities.
• Step 3: Select “Copy” next to the grant you would like to copy. You’ll see a copy of the grant.
• Step 4: Edit the online form to make any needed adjustments to the opportunity. Be sure to remove “Copy of” from the title of your grant. If the grant has the same title as a previous grant, include the year at the end of the title to ensure the title is unique.
• Step 5: Navigate through the entire form and click “Submit.” You will be taken to your dashboard. You’ll be able to view the opportunity on you Grants Dashboard, and depending on the grant’s publish date, the opportunity will be published immediately or at the future scheduled time.
• Review the opportunity’s grant details page to ensure that the information submitted and formatting is visually appealing for users.

Delete a Grant Opportunity on your User Dashboard

Follow the steps below to delete an existing grant. Grants that have been active should never be deleted. The Grants Portal must have a record of all grants that have been posted on the Grants Portal. Only use the delete function to remove drafts you no longer need or grants that will not be published. If you accidentally deleted a grant opportunity, please contact the Grants Portal team as soon as possible at CAGrantsPortal@library.ca.gov.

• Step 1: Visit the Grants Portal and navigate to the “For State Agencies” tab. Select “Agency Login.”
• Step 2: Log into your account using you Grant Contributor credentials. Note that you will receive an email with a validation code. Once you log in, you’ll see your Grants Dashboard and your previously submitted grant opportunities.
• Step 3: Select “Delete” next to the grant you would like to remove.
• Step 4: Confirm that you’d like to delete the grant.

Submitting and Updating Post Award Information

Data Submission Guidelines & Timeline 

Timeline for grants with an application deadline: Grantmakers may begin submitting post award information as soon as a grant closes. Complete post award data should be submitted within 6 months of a grant closing (application deadline). Grantmakers that need additional time to collect awardee information must submit post award data within 12 months of a grant closing.   

Timeline for ongoing grants: Post award information for ongoing grants is due at the end of each fiscal year (no later than July 1). Grantmakers do not need to submit post award data for ongoing grants that have been open for less than one month (i.e., data is not required by July 1, 2023 for a grant that opens on June 15, 2023. Post award data for this grant would be due July 1, 2024.)  

Data Submission Options
There are two ways to enter post award data for your grant: online form and bulk upload. Enter information for a single awardee through the online form (you can submit multiple online forms for multiple awardees if needed) or enter information for multiple awardees at once using the bulk upload option (via the .csv template provided). Instructions for both options are included below. 

Updating Data
Data should reflect the application and/or agreement. All data elements are editable, so if any changes are made in the grant agreement, update accordingly. Project close-out data is not necessary unless changes were made to the agreement. 

Submit Post Award Data

• Step 1: Visit the Grants Portal and navigate to the “For State Agencies” tab. Select “Agency Login.”
• Step 2: Log into your account using you Grant Contributor credentials. Note that you will receive an email with a validation code. Once you log in, you’ll see your Grants Dashboard and your previously submitted grant opportunities.
• Step 3:
  • Grants with an application deadline: Under the Closed tab, click “Manage Award Data” next to the closed grant for which you’d like to submit post award data.
  • Ongoing grants: Under the Active tab, click “Manage Award Data” next to the ongoing grant for which you’d like to submit post award data.  
• Step 4: (Select fiscal year for ongoing grants) then select “Manage Award Data.” 
• Step 5: Enter number of applications submitted and number of awards as prompted by the pop-up form. Click “Submit.”  
• Step 6: Decide whether you’d like to submit awardee data via online form or bulk upload. See instructions below for each option.

Add Post Award Data via Online Form  

• Step 1:  Select “Online Form” when prompted. Follow the steps in the online form to enter your post award information. The system will validate data entered into each field. All fields with an asterisk are required.  See the data dictionary for more information on the data elements and definitions.
  • When you arrive at the final submission page, you can use your browser’s print screen function to create a PDF to share with colleagues or supervisors before publishing. Note that the Grants Portal does not have an approval workflow. Your agency should determine an approval process internally.   
• Step 2: After consenting, click “Submit”. Your data will be published for public viewing immediately. Choose to return to your dashboard or submit additional post award data.
• After your data is published, review the data on the grant details page to ensure that the information and formatting is visually appealing for users.

Note: Navigation in the Online Form
You can only navigate (jump around) the online form when you are editing a published award recipient.

Add Post Award Data via Bulk Upload

Grantmakers should download and complete the .csv template in advance of working through the steps below. The .csv template is also available for download on your user dashboard. Form field guidance is available in the data dictionary and is also included as annotations in the column heading for each element in the .csv template. The Grants Portal will automatically validate data upon submission.  

Note that the Grants Portal does not have an approval workflow. Your agency should determine an approval process internally prior to uploading the .csv template.  

• Before starting: Download and fill the .csv template. See steps above titled Submit Post Award Data to navigate to the Grants Dashboard.
• Step 1: Select “Bulk Upload” when prompted.
• Step 2: Select “Upload Complete File”. You’ll be prompted to upload the file through your computer’s file browser.
• Step 3: A pop up window will validate your data and inform you if you need to address any errors. Correct any errors per the specified rows and columns and reupload the file. Data will not be available for viewing immediately and may take up to an hour to post. You should receive an email confirming your data has uploaded. Please confirm your entry to ensure the data is displaying accurately on the public-facing grant details page. If you have difficulties uploading your data, contact the Grants Portal team at CAGrantsPortal@library.ca.gov.
• After your data is published, review the data on the grant details page to ensure that the information and formatting is visually appealing for users.

Edit Post Award Data  

Note that post award data previously entered on the online form can only be edited via online form. Post award data entered via bulk upload can be edited via online form or by deleting all previous entries and reuploading updated bulk award information with all recipients. For your convenience, it is recommended that you use the online form to edit post award data originally submitted via bulk upload. If you choose to delete existing data uploaded via bulk upload, ensure you’ve saved your data.

• Step 1: Visit the Grants Portal and navigate to the “For State Agencies” tab. Select “Agency Login.”
• Step 2: Log into your account using you Grant Contributor credentials. Note that you will receive an email with a validation code. Once you log in, you’ll see your Grants Dashboard and your previously submitted grant opportunities.

Via Online Form

• Step 1: Under the “Closed” tab (or under the “Active” tab for grants with ongoing deadlines), select “View Multiple Awardees” under to the grant for which you’d like to edit post award data.  
• Step 2: Select “Manage Award Data” to add additional awardees or select “Edit Award Data” next to a post award entry to edit that data. You can also edit the number of applications and awards on this page.
• Step 3: If an awardee is added, navigate to the final page of the online form and after consenting, click “Submit”. 
• After your data is published, review the data on the grant details page to ensure that the information and formatting is visually appealing for users.

Via Bulk Upload  

• Step 1: Add or edit awardee information in the original .csv file uploaded.
• Step 2: Under the “Closed” tab (or under the “Active” tab for grants with ongoing deadlines), select “View Awardees” under the grant for which you’d like to edit post award data.
• Step 3: Manually delete all post award entries. This step is important to ensure that there are no duplicate entries. 
• Step 4: To reupload the updated file, select “Upload Complete File” on your dashboard. You’ll be prompted to upload the updated file through your computer’s file browser.   
• Step 5: A pop up window will validate your data. You will receive an email once the upload is complete which will inform you if you need to address any additional errors in your data. Correct any errors per the specified rows and columns and reupload the file.  
• After your data is published, review the data on the grant details page to ensure that the information and formatting is visually appealing for users.

Last Updated: 7/5/2023