Grants Process For Federal Government – AllAmericanGrantGuide.com

Federal government grant money is available for non-profit groups and non-government agencies to increase support and provide public services and programs for education, minorities, disabled persons, women, small businesses, research and development, technology, green technology, job training, science, math, medicine, health care, green technology, law, small business grants, grants to women, green grants and other types of grants. Government Pell Grants are given to underprivileged and underrepresented groups of students who demonstrate a financial need so that they can obtain college educations. The good thing about government grants is you do not need to pay back the money.

Categories of Grants

Federal grants can be dividing into the following categories:

• Agriculture
• Art
• Business and commerce
• Community Development
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Employment
• Training
• Energy
• Environmental
• Housing
• Humanities
• Information
• Law and justice
• National Recourses
• Science and Technology
• Social services
• Transportation

Direct federal government grant money is available by applying directly to a government agency that offers a grant opportunity within your organization’s category. So if you have an educational program for youth, you would probably qualify for federal grants from the Department of Education or the Department of Justice depending on the type of grants offered by them. Pass-through grant money is given to your state, and then distributed either directly from the state or through non-profit organizations so you can apply for various community outreach programs to receive funding. Federal and state grant recipients must meet the government agency’s requirements and guidelines, apply within the posted deadline and fulfill obligations expected by the government. Grantees must also report how they use the funds, and they are subject to government auditing.

Finding Government Grants

The best place to find government grants is to search the government website at grants.gov. You can search by category, subject matter or agency to find grants that you may qualify for. You must register on the government website before you can apply for a federal grant. Be sure to follow all the instructions carefully. There are also other Internet and organizational websites that have links to government grant opportunities, and you can register on those sites as well to receive email alerts when new federal grant opportunities become available. Since there is a lot of competition for federal grant money, you should apply for multiple grants to increase your funding chances. There is no limit as to how many different grants you can apply for. Be sure to submit your application on time and in the format requested. Federal grants are identified by the CFDA Number, Funding Opportunity Number, Competition ID and tracking number.

Writing a Grant

There are several components to writing a grant. You will need a mission statement, narrative about your programs and your organization, supporting documents, information about your board members, an operating budget, financial information and a copy of your IRS 501 (c)(3) exemption letter. Your proposal application should be professional and detailed letting the agency know how your program addresses a specific need and how you will use the funds.

Government grants are a great source of obtaining funds to implement your programs. They are in high demand so try and get your application in early. It’s a good idea to continue other fundraising activities as well because there is no guarantee that you will be awarded a grant.