For grantmaking foundations

Check budget justifications line by line, math included

Cemented AI runs the same arithmetic and completeness pass on every proposal budget. Each total and line item is quoted from the application. Whether a salary or indirect rate is reasonable stays a judgment call. It routes to a reviewer with the line in front of them.

The arithmetic and the completeness check should be identical for every budget. Whether a cost is reasonable should always be a person's call.

The math is checked, not skimmed

Totals get added up. Line items get summed against their category. The budget total gets checked against the amount requested. Every figure is quoted from the application. When a column doesn't add up, that inconsistency is flagged with both quoted figures attached. The same flag appears when the narrative says one number and the table says another. The same arithmetic runs on the first budget and the four-hundredth.

Missing categories are flagged, not glossed

Define the budget categories your foundation expects. That covers personnel, fringe, travel, equipment, indirect, and whatever else your guidelines name. The agent checks each budget against that list. It flags any category that is required but absent, or present but unjustified. If a line item has no narrative justification, that gap is named rather than guessed past. Cost per participant and other ratios your reviewers track are computed from the quoted figures. The number on the page traces back to the lines it came from.

A person decides whether a cost is reasonable

Whether a salary is in range, whether an indirect rate is defensible, whether a line is padded: these are judgment calls. The agent never scores them alone. Each one is routed to a reviewer with the quoted line item, the requested amount, and the sector context in front of them. The agent does the adding and the cross-checking. The reviewer keeps the discretion. The decision is recorded with the evidence it rested on.

Findings you can show a declined applicant

Every budget finding points to the line it came from. When an applicant asks why their budget was questioned, the answer is a quoted figure against a stated check. It is not a score from a black box. When a budget doesn't address a required category, that gap is flagged rather than filled in. The trail is defensible to a board and to the applicant.

How a review runs

Step 1
Define your budget rules
List the categories you expect and the checks your reviewers apply. That covers required line items, ratios you track, and what counts as a complete justification.
Step 2
Bring the budgets
Upload the proposal budgets or export them from your grants platform. Each review is scoped to the set you provide.
Step 3
Arithmetic and completeness run first
Totals are added up, figures are cross-checked, and missing categories are flagged. Every finding quotes the line it came from, the same way on every budget.
Step 4
A reviewer judges reasonableness
Each call on whether a cost is reasonable is routed to a person with the quoted line and sector context attached. The agent proposes and the reviewer decides. The decision is recorded with its evidence.

Common questions

What budget problems does it actually catch?: Arithmetic that doesn't add up, totals that disagree between the table and the narrative, required categories that are missing, and line items with no justification. Each is flagged with the quoted figures attached. It computes ratios like cost per participant from the quoted lines, so the number traces back to its source.
Does it decide whether a salary or indirect rate is too high?: No. Reasonableness is a judgment call, so it is routed to a reviewer rather than scored by the model. The agent attaches the quoted line item, the amount, and the sector context. The reviewer can then decide quickly and consistently.
Can it use your own budget categories and rules?: Yes. Define the categories and budget rules your foundation already applies. The agent checks every budget against that list the same way. Change the rules and the checks change with them.
What if a budget is a scanned PDF or a spreadsheet?: Upload the budgets as you collect them, whether they are documents or exported from your grants platform. Each review is scoped to the set you provide. When a figure can't be read cleanly, that is flagged rather than assumed.
Does it connect to your grants management system?: Not as a self-serve feature today. Most teams export budgets and upload them. Ask about direct connectors to Fluxx, Submittable, Foundant, and similar systems as part of an Enterprise engagement. Write to [email protected].
How do I get started?: Sign in and upload a handful of recent budgets with your category list. Or schedule a 30-minute walkthrough on your own budget review process.