Tag: federal grants

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Financial Government Grants

4 Steps for Successful Online Grant Research

4 Steps for Successful Online Grant Research

1.    Create a project outline:

To begin you need a general idea of the project scope.  Build an overall one-page synopsis that is as specific as possible for the project: Who is going to be helped? Main goals and objectives? How? What’s the timeline for implementation? Where? How much will it cost? Are there special populations? Do you have access to matching funds? Who is the applicant? Do you have a history of this or other awards?

All of these questions will allow creativity and guidance, and help you while filtering through your grant research!

2.    Create Key Terms:

From your synopsis pull key search terms: Region, Topic, General Scope, etc.  Be creative and think of anything that may make your project special.  Come up with as many as possible to use, and look at the list a few times before you request outside input.  The terms ultimately dictate your searches; the more you have the more successful you will be.

A good search should turn up 10-15 results in a database with 3-4 viable opportunities at different amounts to ensure a multi-pronged approach for success.

For example: Pennsylvania, Children and Family interventions, at-risk youth, matching funds, education, homelessness, prevention, trauma informed care, public housing, transitional living, collaboration, and partner based.

All-Star Tip: Be sure to have a few keywords with synonyms to try in different mixes and see what comes back.  Going for all search fields at once may over-limit your search.

3.    Choose your likely Funding Source:

Choosing what type of funding entity you’ll need for your project will dictate where to go. Some general examples have been listed here:

  1. Scholarships: Foundations, View Sponsored Listings
  2. Research: Grants.gov
  3. Contracts: Grants.gov, and State websites
  4. General Program Support: Foundations, Grants.gov, Federal/State Department Websites, View Sponsored Listings
  5. Project Specific Development/Pilot programs: Federal/State Websites, Grants.gov, and Foundations
  6. One-time events: Corporate Sponsorships, Donations, and Foundations

All-Star Tip: Be sure you think of your capacity for reporting measures. Federal grants are typically more competitive, require a longer history of success, and may require an outside consultant to write.  Some foundations might give you $1500, but the reporting alone may cost you $1500 of employee time – ensure balance and return on investment exist when conducting grant research!

4.    Track your research:

Many grants are released regularly, and in turn, save your information in a separate document to use later. If you are not sure, reach out to the program staff and ask for insight.

Excel sheets have been a personal favorite, but feel free to use any word processing software as well. Headings should include Agency, Grant Name, Maximum Amounts, Due Dates, Key Words, Ineligibility, Match Requirements, Reporting Measures, Website Links, and Internal Proposed Project.

Microsoft word also does well for a memo on each item, but you likely won’t need those specifics until you to take it to a higher authority. Excel creates an easily searchable list, without feeling overly cluttered, which grant research can tend to be. Just remember to stay organized and it will make your research much easier.

All-Star Tip: Create a google doc or sheet and encourage others to add their research in the same format!

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Financial Government Grants Loans

Federal Grants, Loans, And Programs for Veterans

Federal Grants, Loans, And Programs for Veterans

Americans have long been appreciative, proud, and protective of their military heroes. They sacrifice so much for the honor and safety of our country and deserve nothing but the best. Thankfully, the federal government provides a wide range of awards and programs tailored specifically for veterans. Veterans in all military branches may rest confident that once their duty to our nation is through, our country will look out for them thanks to a number of federal programs that address a variety of needs, including housing, employment, education, and even medical care.

Federal Programs For Veterans

Hundreds of organizations are available to help our country’s military members even after their tour of service is over. The federal government has made significant progress in ensuring that military men and women have enough chances to attain the American Dream during and after their duty, from educational possibilities to joining the job, home requirements to medical care. Veterans are encouraged to go into the many viable alternatives and take advantage of the loans, grants, and programs offered by the federal government and the American people as a way of saying “Thank you for serving our country.”

The Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (MGIB-AD), Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR), Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP), Post-Vietnam Era Educational Assistance Program (VEAP), and the VOW to Hire Heroes Veterams Retraining Assistance Program are the six main federal grants that help veterans afford career training or a college education.

Small Business Loans

There are options when it comes to small businesses for veterans as well. The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers small business loans and grants to all Americans, including veterans. You can read more about this at FederalGrants.com: Small Business Grants. It is important to keep in mind that The Veterans Administration does not provide small business grants to veterans.

Housing Grants

The US government offers two grants to assist handicapped veterans in purchasing or modifying a house to fit their health needs. The Specially Adapted Housing Grant helps veterans with certain impairments build. It also helps them to renovate a home so that they may live freely. The Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) Grant is for veterans who want to buy a house that has already been modified to accommodate their handicap, or who want to modify an existing home that they or a family member owns.

Additionally, the government offers vets home mortgage loans with better conditions than those offered by commercial banks. The four programs that deal with this are VA Home Purchase Loans, VA Cash-Out Refinance Loans, Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loans, and the Native American Direct Loan Program, all of which are offered by the Veterans Benefits Administration.

Health Benefits For Veterans

The US government provides health benefits to all veterans (with the exception of those who have received a dishonorable discharge). The Department of Veterans Affairs provides these healthcare benefits. Hospitalization, outpatient treatment, medical specialist services, dentistry, vision, and preventative care are among the services provided. Healthcare services are offered for free if a medical condition is connected to their service and income limitations are satisfied.

Conclusion

Through these many federal grants, and so many more, veterans will feel respected and taken care of. And they should. These grants are the least an appreciative government and society can give back.

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Business Career & Education Financial Government Grants Loans

How to Apply for Federal Grants

How to Apply for Federal Grants

There is no doubt that a federal grant is a great way for a business or individual to secure a monetary amount that help shape their financial future. It’s the difference between surviving and thriving for many and it can be a literal game-changer. But finding, applying for, and receiving a loan is much easier said than done. In fact, it’s often times incredibly hard to determine the best course to finding a federal grant that is right for you and your business.

Federal Grant Application

One of the most difficult aspects of the federal grant application process is determining which awards a person, small company, or organization is interested in and qualifies for. After all, with hundreds of grants to apply for, limiting the field may take up a substantial amount of time for a potential candidate.

A prospective grantee’s initial action will almost certainly be to register with the organization. In order to apply for a grant, an individual or organization must first register with the federal government. Depending on how well the individual phases of registration are done, registration can take anywhere from three to two weeks.

The Grant Application

The Grant Application package is the next step for potential grantees to take. Applicants will next require their CFDA Number, which is issued to the program for which the grantee is applying, as well as the Funding Opportunity Number and the Funding Opportunity Competition ID. Each of these identification numbers should be mentioned in connection to the grant for which the applicant is requesting.

Once the application has been retained, the applicant is responsible for reading through the pages of queries and saving modifications as they go. The initial pages of the grant application will clearly state the instructions and requirements for applying, which may contain extra items such as grant proposals. To save both the applicant and the federal government agency examining the grant hours of time, grants will not be allowed to be filed online until they are entirely completed.

After completing the grant application, an online applicant only has to click “save and submit” on the cover page to send it to grants.gov, where it will be routed to the appropriate department and people. When a submission is complete, a confirmation page will display, and a tracking number will be supplied in case of support or online submission problems.

Conclusion

Each grant has its own thorough application that explains everything a potential candidate needs to know before and throughout the application process. Potential grant beneficiaries will find that collecting and completing an application is one of the most straightforward elements of applying for and getting a federal grant, thanks to the availability of online registration and federal grant applications, as well as comprehensive instructions. Thanks to modern technology and advances, applying for a federal grant is far easier than it ever has been before.

The thing to remember when applying for a federal grant is that the process does take a lot of time. But most of the time isn’t spent on actually applying. Instead, the schedule is usually filled with deciding which grant is right for you and your business.

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Financial Government Grants Loans

Federal Grants: Who Is Eligible For Them?

Who Is Eligible For Federal Grants?

Federal grants are a helpful financial sum that can be awarded to many different types of parties for many different types of needs. Many businesses, organizations, individuals, and non-profits are given federal grants annually and the difference they make is able to help them survive and even thrive.

But Who Is Eligible For A Federal Grant?

Are they given to just anyone or are there specific rules and regulations that decide which applicants are given and denied these grants?

It’s critical to figure out who is eligible to apply for and get a government grant. If a group or person is not legally qualified for a certain financing opportunity, they will spend a lot of time and money filling out the application just to find out that you are not eligible for the award. If you are a part of one of these organizations, it is smart to study the rules beforehand so you know your chances at landing a federal grant.

There are many types of organizations generally eligible to apply for funding opportunities on the official website located at Grants.gov. Each type of organization is listed on that site. Here are just some of the ones you will find there.

Government Organizations

  • State governments
  • County governments
  • City or township governments
  • Special district governments
  • Native American tribal governments (federally recognized)
  • Native American tribal governments (other than federally recognized)

Education Organizations

  • Independent school districts
  • Public and state controlled institutions of higher education
  • Private institutions of higher education

Public Housing Authorities

  • Public housing authorities
  • Indian housing authorities

Nonprofit

  • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), other than institutions of higher education
  • Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

Additionally, individuals may submit applications and may be awarded them too. There are multiple reasons why an individual would apply for a federal grant but most of the applicants that attempt to get a grant from the government are doing so on behalf of an organization, company, government, or institution. However, if you are registered with only an individual applicant profile, you are only allowed to apply to funding for individuals. Only official groups are able to apply for group grants.

Another major and important type is the Federal Pell Grant. You have likely heard of this type of grant before. A Federal Pell Grant is ideal for students and is used by millions of college applicants every year. Pell Grants are a type of federal financial aid that might help you pay for education. The money you obtain from Federal Pell Grants does not have to be repaid, unlike loans. Undergraduate students are often eligible for Pell Grants.

Although many groups and organizations apply, the largest source of federally funded grants is the Federal Pell Grant. For the 2020-2021 academic year, the maximum amount given in a Federal Pell Grant is $6,345.

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Career & Education Education Financial Government Grants Loans

Federal Grants For Back To School

Federal Grants For Back To School

Your education experience never has to end. In fact, you can be a student for all of your life if you want to. And just because you are older and going back to school doesn’t mean you can’t receive federal financial assistance. You may be eligible for grants and scholarships for returning students if you are returning to college as an adult. Nontraditional college students, in fact, are eligible for financial help as well as low-interest federal loans. These alternatives may lower the cost of college and minimize the amount of student loan debt you must take on to pay for it.

How To Get A Grant

If you’re considering returning to school, the first step is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is often known as the FAFSA. To provide you access to federal grants, loans, and work-study programs, the federal government and schools in the United States must examine your FAFSA.

Far too many people think that FAFSA and other grants only apply to younger, college-aged students. But the truth is that federal assistance has no age limitations. An adult student fills out the FAFSA in the same way that a high school senior does. Even if you don’t qualify for grants, you should still apply for federal student loans through the FAFSA. Federal student loans offer lower interest rates and longer payback terms than private student loans, which might help you save money.

The Pell Federal Grant

When it comes to going back to school, you need look at more than simply FAFSA. The Pell Grant, for example, is available to college students of any age who can show financial need.

The amount of the grant is determined by your financial need, the cost of attendance at your selected institution, and whether you attend college part-time or full-time. The highest Pell Grant you could get for the 2020-2021 academic year was $6,345, but the ceiling varies each year.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant

You could be eligible for a federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, or FSEOG, as well.

FSEOGs, like Pell Grants, do not require repayment. They are, however, only available to students who attend a participating school.

An FSEOG might pay you anywhere from $100 to $4,000 per year, depending on where you attend to school, your financial condition, and other variables. The earlier you apply, the more likely you are to receive the award.

The TEACH Award

If you’re pursuing a degree in teaching or educational administration as an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate student, you could be eligible for the federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) award.

You can obtain a TEACH award for up to $3,772 if you agree to teach at a low-income school for at least four years.

If you don’t fulfill your service requirement, the government will turn your grant into a student debt that you must repay. As a result, it’s critical to think about whether a TEACH grant is suitable for you.

These are just some of the many federal grants available for students returning to school. Additionally, each state has its own many scholarships which gives new and returning students even more opportunities to continue their schooling career.

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Financial Government Grants Loans

Grants 101: What Are Federal Grants?

Grants 101: What Are Federal Grants?

You have likely heard of federal grants before. However, did you know what they are and why they work and who they are awarded to? Did you know that federal grants come in many shapes and sizes and for many different practical reasons?

What Are Federal Grants?

A federal grant is basically a monetary or economic award made by the US government. They are made from monies available in the general federal revenue. The funds might be in the form of a loan, a percentage of the cost of a project or organization, or a full funding of a project, research, or other endeavor. Although the government alone offers nearly 1,000 different grant programs to qualified companies and organizations, dispersed by 26 grant-specific agencies and divided into 21 separate categories, grants are available from both the government and outside sources including foundations, non-profit charities, and non-profit corporations.

The categories are diverse and serve a certain demand or direction of growth. Individuals or corporations seeking grants must choose the area that best suits their unique needs. Some of these specific needs include the arts, trade and commerce, disaster assistance, housing, the humanities, technology and science, and education.

Who Are They Awarded To?

All awards are separated into two categories when it comes to obtaining funds: direct grants and pass-through grants. First up is the direct grant. A direct grant is one in which the beneficiary receives funds directly from the federal government, with no middleman.

These funds are advantageous since they need no additional red tape. They only need a single application and subsequent agreement with the federal government. After that, the money is awarded and able to be spent as the parties see fit.

The second category of grants is called pass-through. The federal government awards a pass-through grant to the state, which then distributes the cash to local applicants. This essentially means that applicants have fewer grant competitors, only other organizations or potential recipients in their state, and that applicants only need to visit their state capital for in-person clarification, appearances, or any other communications that would benefit from personal contact.

What Are The Specific Guidelines?

But even within those two categories, there are more specific guidelines that determine how to qualify and describe a federal grant.

A Project Grant is a sum of money given by the government to a certain “project” or study topic. Members of the research, education, and technology communities are frequently awarded project funds, providing they qualify and satisfy a few basic criteria. Generally, an applicant must meet certain criteria or requirements prior to applying for a grant (which is specified in detail for the specific grant sought), and project awards usually have a deadline when financing ends. A project award usually lasts three years on average.

A Categorical Grant is a little more particular, and it may only be utilized for specified, stated objectives. Grant recipients are frequently required to “match” the cash granted by the government, or at the very least contribute a percentage of the total cost. Categorical grants are the most frequent type of award, accounting for approximately 90% of all grants issued by the US government.

Of course, there is much more to federal grants than just that but that is a good primer and basic summary of how – and why – federal grants work.