Applying for Government Grants Government Grants: The United States Government offers funding through free government grants for a variety of purposes – from housing and community development for low-income and minority groups to research on diseases. Federal government assistance helps organizations and groups implement programs in approximately 21 areas including education, arts, health, agriculture, business, humanities, etc. Free government grants and assistance are available for everyone including: veterans, families of veterans and minority groups such as African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans. Winning Grants: A grant is the giving of funds for a specific purpose. It is a monetary aid awarded after meeting a specific set of qualifications and this does not have to be repaid. Not all grants are the same. The following are the types of grants: Federal, Private, Public Charity, Individual Grants, Non-Profit, Sponsorships, Scholarships, etc. The first step to go about getting funding is to write an application. You need to take the help of experienced professionals in getting to know how to write a grant proposal if you want to win a grant. This is the most important step of the whole process. Some additional points on applying successfully for grants are,
Your goals should match the goals of the grant-writer:
Funding is won based on what matters to the grant writers, not what matters to you. If the way you plan to spend the grant money doesn’t match the grant writer’s mission, you’re just wasting time. You need to thoroughly research each grant or scholarship (and the organization that sponsors it) before you apply.
Follow-up on your Application:
You need to have a concrete plan for the money. The application should be error free and contain clear, concise plans for the money you stand to gain. Grant writers can ask questions about your application and plan, be prepared to answer these.
Reporting after you’ve won the grants:
The people who will give you the money will want quarterly reports detailing how you are using the money. The money must be spent according to plan. Use the money exactly as you outlined in your grant application. If you don’t, you can be charged with fraud. Some grants are non-taxable. Ask the
grant writer about the tax status of their grant so you won’t be surprised by being bumped into a higher income bracket. Additional Information about Grants:
Grants are won based on what matters to the grant writers, not what matters to you. If the way you plan to spend the grant money doesn’t match the grant writer’s mission, you won’t receive a grant.
Your grant proposal has to demonstrate a concrete plan for using the money.
Grant writers will want quarterly reports detailing how you are using the money. The money must be spent according to plan. If you don’t, you can be charged with fraud.