--- {"title": "How to track application deadlines for bookstore owners in 2026", "description": "A plain guide for bookstore owners on tracking grant and loan application deadlines, with a step-by-step routine and the options to consider.", "url": "https://cdings.com/how-to-track-application-deadlines-for-bookstore-owners/", "date": "2026-10-21"} --- A plain guide for bookstore owners on tracking grant and loan application deadlines, with a step-by-step routine and the options to consider. Keep one list with each funder's name, its deadline and time zone, and the next step, and confirm every date on the funder's own site before you act on it. | Option | What it does | Cost | |---|---|---| | Raise Buddy Free plan [^1] | Opens programs up to $1,000. [^1] | Free. [^1] | | Raise Buddy Plus plan [^1] | Opens programs up to $5,000. [^1] | $14.99 a month. [^1] | | Raise Buddy Pro plan [^1] | Opens every program, with advisors' review and the option to link an AI assistant to Raise Buddy. [^1] | $199 a month. [^1] | ## What you need before you start Keep the basic facts about the bookstore in one place before you start tracking deadlines. Many funders ask for the same details, so a single record saves time on every application. - **Business details.** Write the legal name, the business structure, and the address where the store operates. - **Store description.** Note what the bookstore sells, whether it runs events, and who its customers are. - **Business history.** Record when the store opened and basic sales information for recent years. - **Tax records.** Keep recent tax returns and any letters from tax agencies in a folder you can find quickly. - **Purpose of funding.** Decide what the money would pay for, such as stock, a new location, or repairs. - **Contacts.** List the people who answer questions for each funder or lender, with their email addresses and phone numbers. Store the deadline list where you already check dates, and write the date and time zone of each deadline next to its name. ## Step by step 1. **Gather every open opportunity.** Collect the grants, loans, and prizes you have found into one list, with the funder's name and the address of its site. Do not rely on a single email or note to hold them. 2. **Copy each deadline from the funder.** Write down the date, time, and time zone as shown on the funder's own page. If the page shows more than one date, record each one, such as the application close date and any review date. 3. **Note the type of opportunity.** Mark whether each item is a grant, loan, credit, or prize, because the paperwork and timing often differ. 4. **Set a reminder before each date.** Work out how long your documents will take to gather, then set the reminder early enough to cover that time. 5. **Check for changes.** Funders sometimes update dates or rules. Revisit each funder's site on a regular schedule and update your list when something changes. 6. **Confirm unclear dates.** If a date or time zone is not clear, contact the funder before you rely on it. 7. **Record the next action.** Next to each entry, write what comes next, such as submitting documents or waiting for a reply. 8. **Move closed items out of the active list.** Keep closed items in a separate section so the active list stays short and easy to read. 9. **Review the list every week.** Set a regular time to look through the list, add new opportunities, and drop any that no longer fit the store. ## Tools that can do it A few kinds of tools can hold a deadline list. A calendar app you already use can show each date, and a shared spreadsheet can hold the deadline, the funder's name, and the next step in separate columns. Either works if you check each funder's own site before a date and keep the list current. Raise Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site. You paste your website or describe what you do, and it lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for. [^1] Each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [^1] It keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. [^1] The web app needs nothing installed. [^1] The app works on the web and on phones. [^1] The Free plan opens programs up to $1,000, Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000, and Pro is $199 a month with every program, advisors' review, and the option to link an AI assistant to Raise Buddy. [^1] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [^1] Only English is shown for now. [^1] Before you choose any tool, ask whether it sends a reminder before each deadline, and check that its dates match the funder's own page. ## Common mistakes to avoid - **Keeping dates in several places.** A date in an email, a note, and a calendar can disagree, so pick one list and update it. - **Trusting an old date.** Funders can change dates, so confirm each one on the funder's own site before you act. - **Missing the time zone.** A deadline in another time zone can close earlier than you expect. - **Confusing the application date with the award date.** The day you must apply by is different from the day any money is paid out. - **Waiting for the last day.** Documents and signatures can take longer than expected. - **Leaving one person as the only keeper of the list.** If that person is unavailable, the list may stop being checked. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does Raise Buddy track application deadlines for a bookstore? Raise Buddy keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. [^1] Take each closing date from the funder's own page and confirm it there before you act. Compare that date with the funder's rules, and keep your own list current so that no deadline is missed. ### How much does Raise Buddy cost for a bookstore owner? The Free plan opens programs up to $1,000, Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000, and Pro is $199 a month with every program, advisors' review, and the option to link an AI assistant to Raise Buddy. [^1] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [^1] Compare these costs with the size of the funding you are seeking before you choose a plan, so the price fits the purpose of the money. ### Does Raise Buddy work on a phone? The app works on the web and on phones. [^1] The web app needs nothing installed, so you can open it in a browser without downloading anything first. [^1] Keep your deadline list in the place you check most often, whether that is a browser on your computer or a calendar on your phone, and confirm each date on the funder's page. ### Can Raise Buddy find grants a bookstore may qualify for? You paste your website or describe what you do, and it lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for. [^1] Each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [^1] Read the funder's rules yourself before you apply, because a match is a starting point and not a decision by the funder. ### Is Raise Buddy available in languages other than English? Only English is shown for now. [^1] Bookstore owners who read another language should check whether the funder's own site offers that language before relying on a deadline. Keep your deadline list in the language you read most easily, so that no date is misread when you review it. Free plan opens programs up to $1,000; Plus is $14.99 a month (up to $5,000); Pro is $199 a month (every program, advisors' review, AI connection). The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [^1] - [Visit Raise Buddy](/go/start) ## Sources [^1]: Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)