Origin
Began 1999 in Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S.A.
Creators
Cynthia M. Adams
10 Investors
And three dedicated staff:
- Julie Kaufman
- Toni Kaufman
- Steven Schellong
Timeline
1996
- Launched our first searchable database of grantmakers (Big Data), which was developed specifically for Alaskan grantseekers and offered by the Alaska Funding Exchange
- Work was done out of a 16 x 20-foot cabin in the woods about 12 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska, with no running water
- Our electricity was provided by a plug-in on a power pole about 300 feet up the hillside from our cabin
1999
- Incorporated the business as GrantStation.com, Inc., brought in ten investors, and started two years of research and development
- Re-designed the database, began work on a new website, added federal and state funding information, and developed a set of tutorials to help individuals write grant proposals
2000
- Launched the GrantStation website to serve grantseekers from throughout the United States
- Hired additional staff and reluctantly moved the office "from the woods" into town
2001
- GrantStation has nearly 450 full Members
- Introduced the GrantStation Insider
- By year-end, there are 4,000 readers and 30 Co-Brand Partners
2002
- Circulation of the GrantStation Insider reaches 20,000
2005
- Introduced a searchable database of grantmakers based throughout the world. Known as 'the international section'
- Launched the Technical Assistance Program (GS-TAP), which combines complete access to all of GrantStation's grant research resources with customized online trainings for members of the partner organization
- Circulation of the GrantStation Insider tops 100,000
2006
- Contracted with USAID to develop the GrantStation International Insider
- Circulation of the International Insider was approximately 4,000 by year-end
2007
- Introduced the Membership Value Program (MVP), allowing organizations to purchase blocks of Memberships at a reasonable volume rate, thereby integrating GrantStation Membership into their membership benefits package
- Membership hits 10,000
2008
- Launched our Online Education sessions (webinars) in June
- Provide over 75 webinars and have approximately 2,000 participants
2009
- GrantStation has nearly 20,000 full Members
- Introduced a new design and layout for the GrantStation website
- Circulation of the GrantStation Insider is 225,000
- Begin celebration of our 10 year anniversary
2010
- GrantStation establishes a Facebook page and media blog
- Circulation of the GrantStation Insider and International Insider is over 300,000
- Over 10 different individuals now host webinars as part of our Online Education sessions
- Introduction of Partner Depot Program
- Began offering the Premium Access Program (GrantStation licensing)
2011
- GrantStation announces first Vision2020 tool: Grants2020
- Circulation of the GrantStation Insider and International Insider is over 375,000
- Grant databases re-organized into U.S. Grants, International Grants and Canadian Grants
2012
- GrantStation establishes a Twitter account
- Circulation of the GrantStation Insider and International Insider is over 430,000
- Closed physical offices in Fairbanks, Alaska
- Moved the Company to the 'cloud'; all employees now work remotely
2013
- Designed all new processes and systems for working in the cloud
- Introduced Traveling CEO a new Facebook page for GrantStation
- Built and launched Grants2020, a new interactive tool for our Members
- Re-designed look and content of the GrantStation Insider and International Insider
2014
- Developed a bi-monthly podcast, Talk2020
- Hired four new staff, including a programmer to build the new website
- Designed Pathfinder, to be introduced in Spring 2015
2015
- Launched Pathfinder
2016
- Launched TrendTrack
- Hosted our first national forum: Innovations 2016
- Received over 3,000 responses for the State of GrantSeeking™ Survey
- GrantStation first surpasses the $1 million mark in sales while keeping our Membership prices low
2017
- Launched rebuilt and revised website
2018
- Launched the Personal Dashboard
- GrantStation has over 60,000 individuals who have access to our website via licensing partners and individual members
- Revised and expanded the Canadian and International searchable databases
- Significantly expanded the Online Education Webinars series
- Almost 60 Membership Value Partners
2019
- Celebrated 20th Anniversary of GrantStation
- Held the first Winning Grant Proposals Competition
2020
- Created public database of COVID-19-related funding opportunities
- Started sending alerts on updates to profiles of saved grantmakers
- Launched the R3 tool for reviewing revenue and receiving recommendations
2021
- Expanded state government listings with additional detail and organization
- Introduced automated Decision Matrix for prioritizing grant opportunities
- Launched the Benchmarker for personalized comparison of State of GrantSeeking™ data
2022
- Introduced LevelUP courses for in-depth collaborative learning
- Surpassed 100 partners in our Membership Programs, such as PLP and MVP
- Founders Cynthia Adams and Julie Kaufman retired. Cynthia remained as a corporate advisor and board president.
- Created an Executive Team composed of Ellen C. Mower, CEO; Alice Ruhnke, President; and David Preis, Senior Vice President
2023
- Introduced TargetED courses: 30 minute sessions of practical teaching with 15 minutes of Q&A.
2024
- Celebrated 25th Anniversary of GrantStation