Corporate Grants

There does not appear to be a limitation in regards to what grants are being given for, you only need to find out which resource is targeting the goals you envision. Corporate foundations give corporate grants for scholarships, funds for shooting a documentary, promoting racial unity, research and development of drugs, inventions, even promoting fine arts.

Government and National Grants

Government grants and national grants usually target certain projects, from developing counsel centers for minorities to safe houses for battered children; many grants are given to people and businesses that fit the target as defined by the program.
Any and all such grants are non refundable and will be given to eligible individuals or businesses that fit the eligibility criteria and furthermore will fulfill the stipulations attached to the project.

If you have a look at the grants.gov website, you can find a search engine, which will provide you with all applicable government grants for women that you can consider.  All the grants have a projected budget that is clearly defined by the project for which you apply.

Sometimes it is possible to get additional financing for interesting projects, the costs just need to be justified.  Like with any government project, it will largely depend on your application, how much of the budgeted money you will get, if your grant is approved.

If you apply for research funding, then your project will have an estimated total program funding.  Sometimes these grants require cost sharing or matching funds requirement.

To bring it down to figures, some grants are valued at some ten thousands of dollars; some bigger projects can go into millions.  How much you get is depending on the budget of the project you apply for.

Grants are available for single moms, students, researchers, the disabled and handicapped, minorities, women etc. The qualifying criteria and eligibility for each of these grants will differ and depend on the organization giving the grant.

Grant Application Advice

If you’re planning on applying for a grant it gets very important to go about it in a way that ensures your application doesn’t get rejected on some trivial point like applying for a grant in the wrong category. Thus, the most important part of applying for a grant is spending your time and energy conducting detailed research about the various grants available, their eligibility criteria and the documents needed for submition.

Top 3 Grant Research Sites You Should Go To

The best place to do grant research is on government websites.

1. www.grants.gov

A good place to start when you want to do grant research!  This website offers complete details on all the grants (nearly 900!) that the government offers.

There is also a list on the various categories.  This makes it easier to find grants that best suit your purpose.

This government site also provides search tool which allows you to look for what you want. Grants.gov is a good place to do grant research because it gives you step-by-step instructions on how to go about applying for a grant, along with Frequently Asked Questions so that all your queries are answered.

2.   www.proposalwriter.com/grants.html

This website offers information in simple language (for those of us who don’t speak “grant”).  Something I really like are the samples of grant proposals.  Now that is useful!

3.   www.sba.gov

SBA stands for : Small Business Administration. This website can provide information on grants, eligibility and the application procedure for attaining a small business administration grant.

Good Luck!

How Can You Be Safe When Applying for a Grant So That You Are Not Faced with Such a Let Down?

There are 5 important steps to follow when looking to apply for a grant.

If these 5 steps are followed correctly, your application cannot be rejected on a technicality.

Step 1–There Are Hundreds of Grants For People: Pick the Right One For You

Be safe when applying for a grant.  Spend some time and research the kind of grant that you’re actually looking for. For this purpose you can visit the government website www.grants.gov which lists all the 900 or so grants they offer. Another resource is the Small Business Association which can provide the information you need to make an informed choice.

Step 2–Grant Requirements Are Important

When you choose a relevant grant, you need to make sure that you meet the grant requirements. For example, as an individual you cannot apply for grants meant for organizations and vice versa.

Step 3–Online Grant Applications Are the Way To Go

An important way you can be safe when applying for a grant, and also save some time and energy is to apply for your grant(s) online. Most Federal funding agencies are now offering online applications which are less extensive a process than the earlier paper applications.  Online grant applications are also a safer option because they come with step-by-step instructions and also FAQ’s so that you don’t miss out on anything important.

Step 4–Be Prepared

Have a proposal letter and business plan so that its ready when you have to submit your proposal.

Step 5–Grant Award?

Be ready to wait several months to hear whether you’ve gotten the grant award or not.

Applying for grants can be quite a task. Any organization offering grants will require extensive details and documents so that your credentials can be established and they can be sure that you deserve to be given the grant. Grants are also tricky to apply for since they are categorized under several headings like education grants, housing grants, business grants, grants for single moms, grants for home-based businesses etc. Many grants get rejected because the type of grant applied for is incorrect or you don’t qualify for some types of grants.

Who Can Apply For A Grant?

Are you a citizen of the US and/or a legal resident of the country?
Are you 18 years of age or above?

If so, you can apply for grant money.

To give you an idea of who can get grant money, read ahead.

There are:

grants for the disabled
grants to start a business
science grants
grants for caregivers
writing grants
grants for non profit
youth grants
community grants
technology grants
grants for education
grants for nursing
women grants
grants for debt
home buyer grants
grants for minorities
grants for single moms

…..as well as just about anything else you can think of!

You can also apply for a grant if you meet the requirement criteria of the grant giving organisations. These include needing help with childcare and child support, disaster relief, help with pursuing education, getting a grant for starting a new business or expanding an existing business, financial assistance for job training, grants for down payments for a home, getting medicare, help with paying bills and even repaying loans, etc.

Good luck getting your grant money!

You may have your own business set up which you want to expand, or you may want to start a new business venture. You may even want to return to school after a break to improve your qualifications. For all these purposes, government grants are available to help supplement your income or resources. Most of the information on these grants are available on the government websites.

Unfortunately, the majority of so-called “government sites” online are fraudulent and basically an online  scam.

Luckily, with a little awareness one can avoid getting deceived by this online fraud.  To begin with, you should know the types of scams that are running out there and which you may easily fall prey to.

The most commonly found scam is the telephonic scam.

You may be familiar with this kind of scam where you get a call from an official sounding organization (like the Federal Office for Grants) telling you that you’ve won some huge amount of federal grant money (which you never even applied for).

The amount of money you will have won will always be large, like $50,000. The caller will also tell you in a very confiding and official tone of voice that since the amount of money is very high, for security reasons they can’t send you a check. They will then ask you to give them your bank account number so that the money can be directly deposited. There are many people who will fall for this and give their bank account numbers, only to find that instead of a deposit, cash has been withdrawn by the crooks. Sometimes the scamsters even extract a processing fee from you!

Another type of scam out there is the one that is propagated online on innumerable websites. These websites offer you large amounts of money in return for sensitive bank details. Don’t fall for this.

In the end it always helps to remember that if any offer sounds too good to be true, it’s probably not.

Several federal, state, and private organizations offer a large number of grants that are available to anyone.  These grants are basically a money gift which doesn’t have to be repaid and which can be used to meet your goals and dreams. Unfortunately, even though a very large number of grants are available, actually getting one can be quite competitive and difficult. The application process itself is exhausting and challenging but well worth it if you qualify,  billions of dollar a year are given out in grant money.

WHERE DOES THIS “GOVERNMENT CASH” COME FROM?

Federal and State governments offer hundreds of grants of all kinds and for all kinds of people. There are grants for  starting a business, for women business owners, government housing grant, education grant money (school funding and money for college), grants for minorities and government research grants, etc.

The majority of money given out as grant money by the Federal and state governments comes mainly from tax payer’s. The tax dollars are collected and then redistributed to various government ventures and programs, including grants.

GRANTS THROUGH PRIVATE FUNDS AND TRUSTS

There are many old and established trusts which have been set up by wealthy individuals or families to support a cause, or give a little something back to the community. This money has been set aside in funds and is available to those who qualify and apply for the grants.

Grant money also comes from corporations who set aside a percentage of their profits to give as grants.  This money is allocated to worthy individuals and groups.  A good way of getting corporate grants is to assure them that you can help them out in some manner too like with their public relations, etc.

A grant is the opposite of a loan in that it is more like a gift and doesn’t have to be returned to the giver. Grants are also tax free and can be in the form of goods, services, and most commonly, money.

Grants are generally handed out by Federal and State governments as well as innumerable private organizations . Grant money can amount to a total of nearly hundreds of billions of dollars a year and plays a role in stimulating the economy.

WHY ARE THERE GRANTS?

Grants are available because they make a number of projects crucial to community development possible.

1.  generating more jobs
2.  starting and maintaining businesses
3.  more students are enrolling in colleges
4.  most importantly, dreams and aspirations are fulfilled.

3 MAIN CATEGORIES OF GRANTS

**Grants vary in amounts and can range from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the project proposal, the applicant, and the grant provider.

+ Foundation Grants

+ Corporate Grants

+ Government Grants

Several grants are given by foundations which have been started by wealthy individuals or families. These foundations are set up with the purpose of championing certain causes like scientific research or preserving wildlife, etc.

Corporations have their own foundations or community service departments. The grants are generally part of the company profits which they use to give back to the community. Corporations hand out grants mainly for good public relations. Thus a good way of getting a corporate grant is to assure them that they will also benefit if they award you the grant money.

Government grants are offered either through the federal or the state, county and even city governments.