Every year, the federal government makes grants available to US citizens that meet necessary criteria. A grant is a sum of money that doesn’t have to be repaid, to be used for what each different program dictates. These grants may be made available for citizens trying to go back to school, trying to research new technology, or trying to get funding to improve their area. Every year billions of dollars are available that are never claimed because many people, businesses, universities and non-profits are unaware that they are eligible for grants. To find out if you are eligible for a grant through either your state or the federal government, you should consider each of the resources listed on this guide.
Counselors
Many of the grants available are education grants. It is in the best interest on any country to have an educated population, so the US government provides many grants to people looking to better themselves. For those graduating High School and looking for grants, a guidance counselor should be an excellent resource for available college grants. If you are already in college or want to return to college to continue your education, you should consult the office of financial aid for the college that you intend to attend. Either of these types of counselors will be helpful in pursuing grants, but if you aren’t looking for an educational grant, you may need to expand your search to other areas.
Professional Organizations
If you are a working professional, possibly trying to start a new business, then you should consult any professional organizations that would apply to you. Most professional organizations have consultants trained to know what financial benefits are available for people working in their career field. If you work in a highly populated career, such as nursing or manufacturing, then there are likely many organizations that attempt to represent you in Washington. You should do your best to contact all of them.
State and City Offices
This option is particularly important if you are running a non-profit or trying to improve your own community. You don’t necessarily have to go all the way to the federal government in order to find funds, because many millions of dollars are made available by states and cities. The best place to find these types of grants is at the offices themselves. You should go to your local city hall or state capital offices and inquire about grants available. Someone will be happy to help you.
Online Government Databases
Just because government grants are difficult to find doesn’t mean that the government is trying to hide them. There are several large databases available online to help you track down grants that are available to you. In particular, there are three major .gov websites that you should visit to find grants and determine eligibility.
http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/index.html
This page will help you determine whether or not your organization is eligible for many grants. In order to apply for many grants, your organization must be correctly registered with the IRS. There are many different registrations to choose from, but this page explains all of them very well. If your organization needs grants, this should be the very first page that you check.
https://www.cfda.gov/
This wonderful website (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance) provides helpful lists of every grant available to private citizens organized by the type of program that the grant is and which federal bureau provides it. This website also provides many advanced searching options, and even details on eligibility for each grant.
http://www.grants.gov/
This website is the largest recourse available for grants, and is managed by the Department of Health and Human Services. Every grant that is available from the federal government may be found through this website. In addition to allowing users to search for grants, it also allows them to apply for them and to track the status of their application. Grants.gov also hosts a numerous collection of FAQ’s and guides on how to apply for the different types of loans.