Instrumentl's Task feature lets you assign action items, set deadlines, and automatically notify teammates, helping ensure every step of your grant workflow gets completed on time.
Note: This article may contain information that is not relevant for external Collaborators (available on Pre- Award Plan and above). Collaborator Access allows for email-only external Task assignments to non-Instrumental users. To learn how to use tasks with Collaborators, review our Guide to using Collaborator seats.
Why use tasks?
Using tasks provides several workflow advantages:
Centralized tracking
All grant-related action items and deadlines live inside the opportunity record.Automatic reminders
Instrumentl sends scheduled email reminders, so you don't have to follow up manually.Clear ownership
Each task has one Assignee, reducing confusion and improving accountability.Improved collaboration
Followers stay informed about upcoming deadlines and completions.
How to create tasks
From your Tracker view, click into any opportunity.
Select the Tasks tab underneath the funding opportunity title.
Click + Add Task.
You'll see all tasks associated with that specific funding opportunity in this tab — including active and completed tasks (if "Hide Completed" is toggled off). Any new task you create will be linked directly to that opportunity.
Task fields explained
Tasks contain several fields, both optional and required (* = required).
Title*: A brief overview of the task (required).
Description: Detailed instructions, context, and links related to the task.
Task type: What type of task is this? Task types help you filter and batch related tasks later.
Choose from: Full Proposal, Report, General, LOI, Cultivation, Application, Payment Request, Contract/Agreement, Site Visit, Communications, Event, and Other.
Deadline: When is the task due?
Only tasks with deadlines receive email reminders. We highly recommend adding a deadline!
Repeats*: Is this a recurring task? See more details below.
Assignee*: Who is responsible for completing the task?
Assignees are automatically notified by email when a task is assigned to them.
Each task can have only one assignee.
Followers: Who should be sent email reminders about this task?
By default, the assignee is automatically added as a follower so they receive email notifications.
You can add additional users as followers from the dropdown list to increase visibility.
Attachments: Attach any related documents directly to this task.
Email notifications & reminder schedule
If a task has a deadline, its assignee and followers will receive several email reminders on a set cadence: two weeks before, one week before, two days before, on the deadline date, and two days after the deadline.
Hover over the ⓘ icon at any time to double-check when Task reminder emails are sent:
Note: You can't customize task reminder dates; they follow the sequence above.
Marking a task as completed
When a task is finished:
Click the checkmark icon next to the task.
Instrumentl will:
Send a completion email to the creator and assignee.
Stop any future reminder emails.
By default, completed Tasks are hidden. To view them:
Toggle off the Hide Completed button.
Recurring tasks
For deadlines that repeat on a schedule — quarterly reports, annual renewals, monthly check-ins — you can set a task to recur automatically. Instrumentl creates each new instance for you so nothing falls through the cracks.
Set up a recurring task
Open a saved opportunity and go to the Tasks tab.
Click + Add Task (or open an existing task to edit it).
Select the dropdown menu in the Repeats section.
Choose a frequency: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual.
Set a deadline for the first occurrence — required for recurring tasks.
Optionally set an end date, or leave it open to repeat indefinitely.
Fill in the remaining task fields and save.
How recurring tasks work
Each task in a series is a separate, independent task. Completing one instance does not complete the others — each must be marked done individually.
Email reminders follow the same schedule as one-off tasks: two weeks before, one week before, two days before, on the deadline, and two days after.
Edit or stop a recurring series
You can edit or delete recurring tasks by opening the Task Actions menu (vertical three-dot button). When you select Edit or Delete, you will be prompted to choose whether to update just this task or this task and all upcoming tasks in the series.
When you select Duplicate for a recurring task, it creates a copy of that individual task rather than a new series of recurring tasks.
Note: If you use a CRM integration (e.g., Salesforce), make sure the task type you're using is mapped in your integration settings. Recurring tasks with an unmapped type may not sync correctly.
Using tasks across the grant lifecycle
Instrumentl's Task feature is a powerful tool for documenting and managing each stage of your grant workflow.
Tasks are especially valuable after you import grant data into the tracker. This streamlines grant statuses and helps you avoid missing critical follow-ups.
To use tasks effectively, consider implementing the practical examples below.
Researching
Review eligibility requirements
Evaluate alignment with your program
Make a clear apply/do-not-apply decision
Planned or In Progress
Gather financial documents
Draft proposal sections
Secure internal approvals
Submit the LOI or full application
Awarded (Active)
Track interim and final reports
Monitor compliance requirements
Coordinate team follow-up
To see how tasks correlate with other Tracking features, review the full guide on tracking best practices
Expand task capabilities with other features
Tasks are available on all Instrumentl plans. We also offer additional plan-based features that further enhance task assignment!
Discover Plan and above
Tasks view: Easily view all tasks for all your opportunities in one place.
All Projects Tasks view:
⬇️
Project Task view:
Instrumentl Calendar view: See all upcoming funder deadlines, task deadlines, and submission goals, along with future funder deadlines of saved grants up to one year out.
Pre-Award Plan and above
Calendar integration: Sync task and grant deadlines to external Outlook, Google, or Apple Calendars! When you mark a task complete in Instrumentl, the synced calendar event updates automatically.
Collaborator access: Assign Instrumentl tasks to external teammates. Delegating tasks to external Collaborator users (non-Core account members) allows non-Instrumentl users to easily receive & mark task assignments as complete without ever using Instrumentl's platform.
AI-powered Award Assistant: Use our powerful post-award management tool to review compliance details, populate award information, and auto-generate reporting tasks and deadlines.
Tasks are an excellent way to delegate responsibility and manage action items for each opportunity within Instrumentl, making coworking all the merrier!
Best practices for task management
To get the most out of tasks:
Add a deadline to every task.
Assign one clear owner.
Use task types consistently.
Create reporting tasks immediately after marking a grant as Awarded.
Review your Tasks view weekly.
Consistent task usage keeps nothing from falling through the cracks and keeps your entire grants pipeline organized.
Tasks make it easy to delegate responsibility, track progress, and manage deliverables for every opportunity — helping your team stay organized and aligned throughout the grant lifecycle.
Contact us
Reach out to our friendly Support team with any questions about managing tasks and deadlines. Message us from your account, or email hello@instrumentl.com.