Steal Our Funding Agency Automations (10 Free n8n Templates)
- Jason Feimster
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
You're losing deals because your CRM is a graveyard. Leads come in hot, then vanish. Follow-ups get missed. Documents sit in email limbo. Your team's chasing paper instead of closing deals. And you're thinking about hiring another ops person to "fix it."
Here's the truth: hiring won't fix a broken workflow. You need funding agency automation that actually works—lead intake, routing, follow-up sequences, doc collection, and deal packaging—all without manual handoffs.
I've built this system for my own funding operation. Now I'm handing you the templates.
What you'll build
Automated lead intake from multiple sources (web forms, referral partners, email) with instant tagging and routing
Smart CRM pipeline with stage-based triggers that move leads forward without you touching anything
Follow-up sequences that fire based on behavior, not timers—no more "checking in" emails
Document collection workflows that remind, escalate, and flag missing items automatically
Lead scoring and qualification that routes hot leads to your closers and cold leads to nurture
Deal packet assembly that pulls data from your CRM and generates submission-ready files
Attribution tracking so you know which channels actually convert
Why most CRMs fail (it's not the software)
Funding agencies blame their CRM when deals stall. "We need a better system."
No, you need a better workflow.
Here's what's actually broken:
No clear stages
Your pipeline has "New," "Contacted," and "Closed."
What happens between contacted and closed? That's where deals die.
No triggers
Nothing happens automatically.
Every action requires someone to remember, decide, and execute.
That's not a system—that's hope.
No ownership
Leads sit unassigned or get passed around.
No one owns the outcome, so nothing gets done.
No SLA
There's no rule that says "if a lead hasn't been contacted in 4 hours, escalate." So leads rot.
No doc gate
You're chasing documents manually via email.
Leads submit when they feel like it (never).
The best CRM in the world won't save you if your workflow is manual, vague, and reactive. You need automation that forces progress.
The core workflow (lead → qualified → funded)
Here's the step-by-step process your funding agency automation should follow.
This isn't theory—it's what I run.
Lead submits form (web, partner, email). Trigger: Create CRM record, tag source, send instant confirmation email with next steps.
Lead is assigned based on source or criteria. IF lead is from Partner A → assign to Sales Rep 1. IF lead is cold inbound → assign to SDR for qualification call.
First contact happens within 4 hours. IF no contact logged in CRM within 4 hours → send Slack alert to manager + SMS reminder to rep.
Lead moves to "Document Collection" stage. Trigger: Send doc request email with upload link. IF no docs uploaded in 24 hours → send reminder. IF no docs in 48 hours → escalate to sales rep with "chase or disqualify" task.
Lead is scored based on behavior. IF docs submitted + phone call completed + revenue > $500K → move to "Hot" queue + notify closer. IF incomplete docs + no response → move to nurture drip.
Deal packet is auto-generated. Once all docs are in, trigger n8n workflow to pull CRM data, compile PDF, and upload to submission folder.
Post-decision follow-up fires automatically. IF approved → send congrats + onboarding sequence. IF denied → tag reason + trigger re-engagement campaign in 90 days.
Automation rules (IF/THEN logic):
IF lead submits form → create record + tag source + send confirmation
IF no contact in 4 hours → alert manager
IF no docs in 24h → reminder sequence
IF no docs in 48h → escalate task
IF docs complete + call done + revenue > $500K → hot queue + notify closer
IF lead ghosted for 7 days → move to "Dead - Re-engage Later" + tag reason
IF deal approved → trigger onboarding email + Slack notification
IF deal denied → tag denial reason + schedule re-engagement in 90 days
Stop building this from scratch
I've packaged the entire workflow—n8n templates, CRM logic, and follow-up sequences—into a plug-and-play system.
The stack (n8n)—what each tool does
Your automation spine is n8n. Here's how it fits into the system.
What it does
n8n is your automation engine. It connects your form submissions, CRM, email, Slack, and document storage. Every trigger, routing rule, and follow-up sequence runs through n8n.
Best use case
Lead intake routing. When a form is submitted, n8n tags the source, creates the CRM record, assigns the rep, and fires the confirmation email—all in under 2 seconds.
Common mistake + fix
People build one giant workflow that does everything. When it breaks, the whole system stops. Instead, build modular workflows—one for intake, one for follow-up, one for doc collection. They can talk to each other via webhooks, but they don't all live in the same file.
Common mistakes (and how to fix them)
Duplicate leads from multiple sources
Fix: Add a deduplication step in your intake workflow.
Check CRM for existing email/phone before creating a new record.
Inconsistent CRM statuses
Fix: Lock down your pipeline stages.
Only automation (or admins) can move deals.
Reps log activity, but they don't manually drag-and-drop.
Manual follow-up tasks
Fix: Kill the "call this lead" task. Replace it with timed triggers:
IF no contact in X hours → auto-send email + create task only if email bounces.
Follow-ups that aren't timed to behavior
Fix: Don't send "just checking in" emails on Day 3.
Send them when the lead takes (or doesn't take) an action—doc uploaded, call scheduled, form abandoned.
No document gate
Fix: Require doc upload before moving to next stage.
Use n8n to block stage progression until docs are flagged "complete."
Lost attribution
Fix: Tag every lead with UTM parameters (source, medium, campaign) on intake.
Pass those tags through every CRM stage so you know what converts.
Leads stuck in "Contacted" forever
Fix: Add a timer. IF lead has been in "Contacted" for 7 days with no progress → auto-move to "Dead - Re-engage Later."
Manual deal packet assembly
Fix: Use n8n to pull CRM fields and generate a PDF.
One button click, not 30 minutes of copy-paste.
No escalation for cold leads
Fix: IF lead hasn't responded in 48 hours → escalate to manager with "disqualify or chase harder?" decision.
Over-automating the first touch
Fix: Don't automate your first sales call. Automate everything before and after it—scheduling, reminders, follow-up, doc requests. But let a human make the first real connection.
Quick-start implementation (today / this week / this month)
Today (60–90 minutes)
Audit your current CRM pipeline
Write down every stage and what should trigger movement to the next stage.
List every place leads come from (web form, referral partner, email, cold outreach)
Tag each source in your CRM.
Sign up for n8n (self-hosted or cloud)
Install the CRM integration for your system (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Airtable, etc.).
Build one automation
Form submission → create CRM record + send confirmation email. Test it.
This Week
Map your full intake workflow on paper
Source → CRM → assignment → first contact → doc request → qualification.
Build your document collection automation
IF docs not uploaded in 24h → reminder email. IF 48h → escalate task.
Set up lead scoring rules
Define "hot," "warm," and "cold" based on behavior (docs submitted, call completed, revenue size).
Create Slack or email alerts
No contact in 4 hours, docs overdue, deal stuck in stage for 7+ days.
Test your workflows with fake leads
Break things now, not when real leads are in the system.
This Month
Build your full follow-up sequence library
Doc request, no-response reminder, re-engagement after 30/60/90 days, post-approval onboarding.
Set up deal packet auto-generation
Pull CRM data + uploaded docs → compile PDF → save to submission folder.
Implement attribution tracking
Tag every lead with source/medium/campaign.
Build a dashboard to see what converts.
Lock down your CRM
Only automation moves deals between stages.
Reps log activity, but they don't manually drag records.
Train your team on the new workflow
Show them what's automated, what's not, and where they still need to act.
Run a 30-day test
Track: response time, doc collection speed, stage velocity, close rate.
Adjust triggers based on real behavior.
Funding Agency Automation FAQs
Do I need a new CRM?
Probably not. Most CRMs (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Airtable, even spreadsheets) can work with n8n. The issue isn't your CRM—it's your workflow. Fix the workflow first, then decide if you need to switch.
What if my leads come from multiple sources?
Good. That's normal. Tag every lead with its source on intake (web form, referral partner, cold email, etc.). Then build routing rules: IF source = Partner A → assign to Rep 1. IF source = cold inbound → assign to SDR for qualification.
How do I avoid annoying follow-ups?
Tie follow-ups to behavior, not arbitrary timers. Don't send "just checking in" emails. Send reminders when the lead takes (or doesn't take) an action: doc uploaded, call scheduled, form abandoned. Behavior-based triggers feel helpful, not spammy.
How do I track attribution?
Tag every lead with UTM parameters (source, medium, campaign) when they enter your CRM. Pass those tags through every stage. Then build a dashboard that shows: which sources convert, which stages have the highest drop-off, and which reps close the most deals from each source.
What's the minimum viable setup?
Three automations: (1) Lead intake (form → CRM + confirmation email) (2) Doc collection (request + reminder sequence) (3) Escalation alert (if no contact in 4 hours → notify manager) Start there. Add complexity as you see what breaks.
Do I need to code?
No. n8n is visual—you drag and drop nodes. You'll need to understand basic logic (IF/THEN), but you're not writing code. If you can build a flowchart, you can build an n8n workflow.
How long does this take to set up?
The minimum viable version? A weekend. A fully dialed system with scoring, routing, and deal packet generation? A month. But you'll see results (faster response time, fewer lost leads) in the first week.
What if my team resists automation?
Show them what they get back: time. No more manual follow-ups, no more chasing docs, no more "did we contact this lead?" Automation removes the boring work so they can focus on closing. If they still resist, they're not the right team.
Can I use this with partners or affiliates?
Yes. Build a partner-specific intake workflow. Tag leads by partner, route them to the right rep, and send partner-branded confirmation emails. You can even build a partner dashboard that shows their lead status in real time.
What happens when a workflow breaks?
n8n logs every execution. When something fails, you'll see exactly where and why. Fix it, re-run the workflow, move on. This is why you build modular workflows—so one broken piece doesn't kill the whole system.
Next Steps
Get the Automation Pack Pre-built n8n templates for intake, follow-up, doc collection, and deal routing. Plug and play.
Map your current workflow Write down every stage, every trigger, every place leads get stuck. You can't automate what you haven't defined.
Start with one automation Don't try to automate everything on Day 1. Pick the biggest pain point (usually lead intake or doc collection) and solve that first.
Stop Losing Leads to Manual Chaos—Get 10 Free n8n Automation Templates
The exact workflows processing tens of millions in funding deals annually. Zero cost. Zero catch. Deploy this weekend.
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