Writing A Proposal

Free money is available from the government. This free money comes in the form of government grants. Although there are government grants for individuals, the most common recipients of these grants are state and local governments, colleges and universities, non-profit organizations, and small businesses. Regardless of who you are or who you represent, you may want more information on this free money offered by the government. So how can you get it?

When obtaining information for government grants, you must proceed with caution. The internet, late night infomercials, and 24-hour infomercial shopping channels make it easy to make mistakes. One of those mistakes is paying to get access to information you can easily find online for free. Do not buy an infomercial product that claims it will share thousands of government grants with you. Do not pay for a membership website claiming to do the same. There are two easy ways that you can find information on government grants with no fees and no hassle.

1 – Visit Grants.gov

Grants.gov is a trusted website. It is operated by the United States government, hence the reason for the .gov address. This website is free and easy to use. To get started, visit the website. You may want to look around to learn more. Familiarize yourself with the search process. If you are an individual looking for a personal grant, don’t waste time browsing through thousands of grants for non-profit organizations. Learn how to customize searches and properly use the website.

After doing so, you can get started with an advanced search. Search for open grants only and grants you are eligible to apply for. Individuals must select individuals from the eligibility section, non-profit organizations must select non-profit organizations, and so forth. You will then be directed to a list of grants. You can review these grants free of charge and without registering for an account. Closely examine all information provided. Just because you are eligible to receive a grant does not mean you truly qualify or will stand a chance.

In the event you find applicable grants, you can get started with the application process. This varies. Some grantors want a standard application to determine initial eligibility. If you make it past the first states, a formal grant proposal may be required. These grant proposals do vary. Specific directions should be provided. In most cases, the grantor wants to know about you or the organization you represent, the need for funding, and your intent of use. You can apply for most grants right on the Grants.gov website, but registration is required.

If you don’t immediately find what you need, signup for email or RSS feed updates. Get automatically updated when new grants appear on the website!

2 – View the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)

In all honesty, it is much easier to use the Grants.gov website, but this resource is easy to find and has the information you need. To view the downloadable copy in PDF format, visit CFDA.gov. The latest 2008 version is over 2,000 pages. This packet is jam packed full of financing options for individuals, non-profit organizations, Native American governments, state and local governments, colleges, and so forth.

What is unique about the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) is that not only government grants are covered. There are discount programs, loan programs, and more. Having this information on hand is ideal if you do not qualify for a grant, win the grant, or if it gives you comfort to have a backup plan.

Since the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance is long, utilize the search feature on your PDF document. Search for related keyword phrases that fit your needs, such as home improvement, non-profit, grants, and so forth. Searching makes the process of finding government grants and other financial assistance easier with this large document.

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If you are a parent, college is likely a concern of yours. Right now, the economy is in trouble. Many Americans are losing their jobs, losing their homes, and falling behind on other bills. If you are one of those Americans, you may wonder how you can make it through the month, let alone send your child to college. Luckily, as a parent, there is a lot of financial assistance available for you and your soon-to-be college student. In fact, three government grants can help you afford the cost of an expensive college education. What are they?

1 – The Federal Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant is a well-known government grant. In fact, you may have heard of it before. If your child hasn’t already, their high school guidance counselor will soon mention it. Qualifying students are classified as low-income students. A special formula, know as the estimated family contribution, is used to determine eligibility. For independent students, this considers their income and assets. For dependent students, their parent’s income and assets, as well as family and household size are taken into consideration.

In 2008, the maximum amount awarded for a Federal Pell Grant was $4,731. Not all students receive this amount. Should your child qualify for this grant, their enrollment status and cost of education will be considered. Both part-time and full-time students at participating colleges qualify for assistance. Although $4,000 is not enough to cover a full year at most colleges, it will significantly lower the cost.

It is easy for students to apply for the Federal Pell Grant. In fact, the form used is called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In many cases, this application not only makes students eligible for federal grants, but state grants and financial aid too.

2 – The Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)

This government grant for education is a little known secret. It is unheard of by many parents and students. It was added in 2006 as part of the Higher Education Reconciliation Act. This grant is for first and second year undergraduate students. First year students are eligible to receive up to $750 and second year students are eligible to receive up to $1,300.

As with the Federal Pell Grant, not everyone qualifies for the ACG. Students must be undergraduates, be United States citizens, qualify for the Federal Pell Grant, have completed a strong high school program of study, and must have at least a 3.0 GPA for the academic year.

Students can use the FAFSA application to determine eligibility and get the process started.

3 – The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant

This grant is also a little known secret. It was also added due to the 2005 Higher Education Reconciliation Act. Otherwise known as the National SMART Grant, it is designed for third, forth, and fifth year undergraduate students. Students are eligible to receive up to $4,000 a year.

To qualify for this grant, students must be United States citizens, be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant, and have at least a 3.0 GPA for the year. Most importantly, part-time or full-time enrollment is required for a major program in life or computer sciences, technology, critical foreign language, mathematics, or physical.

The official FAFSA website encourages interested students to speak to financial aid officers at school for information regarding this grant, including an application.

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If you want to research, find, and apply for government grants, there is one place you should look. That is Grants.gov. This website is your one stop resource for getting government grants. It is a trusted government website. The information posted is up-to-date and accurate.

As nice as it is to hear that those looking for government grants should turn to Grants.gov, you may want more information on the website. How does it work? Is it free to use? Can you search for or apply for grants or do both? Continue reading on to find out how the Grants.gov website can help you get free government money.

As previously stated, Grants.gov is a government website. It was established in 2002 to improve government services available to the public. It has expanded since then, proving to be an important resource for many individuals and organizations. At any given time, there are around one thousands government grants listed. Each year, the website helps connect qualifying individuals, non-profit organizations, state and local governments, small businesses, and colleges secure billions in free money.

Most new visitors like to look around the site first. You may know that you can find and apply for government grants, but do you want more information? You can find it here. The website goes into great detail explaining the grant process, such as why grants are offered, who is eligible to receive them, how to apply, and so forth. Many are concerned with government grant scams. Take a few minutes to look around the website and you will see that these grants are legitimate.

What is ideal about Grants.gov is ease of finding. As previously stated, there are thousands of grants listed at any given time. Website visitors can search for grants, browse through grant categories, and browse through grantors by name. Since there are many grants, an advanced search is recommended. It saves time.

After performing a search, a detailed list of grants will appear. You should qualify for these grants. Click on the links for more information. Speaking of that information, it is free and easy to view. Unlike many other online databases, registration is not required at first. You can research grants without doing a thing. However, if you wish to apply for a grant, registration is required. When reading grant summaries, many grantors provide limited information. If additional information is available elsewhere, a link will be provided.

Right away, many individuals, local government officials, non-profit members, and small business owners are able to find grants they like. This is when you must register for an account. It is very easy; follow the step-by-step process. In fact, you can return to the frequently asked questions section to get more information on applications and written grant proposals. You will find a detailed outline of what you should do when applying for a grant. For most, searching for grants is the easy part. The application and proposal process is difficult.

The reason why Grants.gov comes highly rated and recommended is ease of use. Anyone can browse the website and find what they need, in terms of government grants, in minutes. With that said, if you run into any problems or have additional questions, support is available. Under the “Contact Us,” section, you will find a phone number, email address, and mailing address for the Grants.gov support staff.

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If you are one of the millions of Americans in financial distress, you may look for ways to improve your income. Most individuals look for second part-time jobs or reduce their spending. Due to late night infomercials and online advertisements, many are now turning to government grants. If you are researching personal government grants for individuals, you likely have many questions. Continue reading on to get your answers.

Question: Are government grants available for individuals? Answer: Yes. There are governments available for individuals like you, but they are few and far in between. The most common recipients of government grants are state and local governments, school districts, colleges and universities, small businesses, and non-profit organizations. However, since there are some government grants available for individuals, it will not hurt to look.

Question: Is there such a thing as debt relief government grants? Answer: No, not usually. Government grants serve a purpose. That purpose is typically to improve the economy, health, and agriculture of America as a whole. Yes, the government wants people to be financially stable and debt free, but money is rarely handed out with no-strings attached to accomplish this goal.

Question: Are government grants really free money? Answer: Yes and no. Those who get grants do receive free money. This money does not need to be repaid. Unfortunately, it isn’t as easy, simple, or as nice as it sounds. As previously stated, government grants serve a purpose. Some grants are available to individuals who want to conserve energy or water. Should you win one of these grants, you cannot use it to repay your debt or buy a new car. Grantors outline in detail what their funds must be used for. You must follow these guidelines.

Question: What happens to individuals who misuse government grants? Answer: Nothing good. Unfortunately, the poor economy has many Americans in financial distress. Crime is on the rise in many areas. Some individuals break into businesses to steal food, money, and other items they believe to be necessities. Some individuals go as far to lie or misrepresent themselves to obtain free government grants. Do not do this, no matter how much you need money. Those found to be misusing government grants are likely to face theft charges and must repay the misspent and stolen money.

Question: How should I find government grants? Answer: Although government grants are rare for individuals, expect for Federal Pell Grants for qualifying college students, they do exist. If you want to search the available list of government grants, visit Grants.gov. This is a government-operated website that is free to use. It contains up-to-date and accurate information. Perform an advanced search for open grants with individuals as eligible recipients. Closely examine the grant. Searching and browsing can be done without an account, but you must register for one to apply for funding.

Question: What if someone contacts me about a government grant? Answer: You should walk away. Government grants do not come to you; you must find them. Do not fall victim to a common grant scam. This is when someone contacts you by phone or email. They believe you are eligible to receive a grant. They will even help you apply for that grant with a processing fee. However, before you get any information, you are asked to provide your bank account numbers. Do not do this! Remember, government grants do not come directly to you. The scammer will take their processing fee, but they now have your bank account information. They could drain your account before you catch onto their fraud.

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Are you a parent? It is expensive to raise a child; that is no secret. Depending on how many children you have, your current income level, and your employment status, you may need financial assistance. Your best option is to seek financial assistance through government run programs, such as Medicaid and Food Stamps. However, some government grants can help offset the cost of raising a child. What are they?

1 – Immunization Grants

Immunization grants are awarded a number of different ways. It is possible for individuals, such as yourself if you are a parent, to obtain a grant to immunize your children. As with applying for other grants, you must show need. An individual applying for an immunization grant must typically have a child under the age of 18 or 19, must be without medical insurance, and must have no other means of paying for immunization.

Although immunization grants are awarded to individual recipients, they are most commonly given to qualifying pharmacists and healthcare providers. These professionals apply for the grant and receive funding. This enables them to extend affordable services to parents. Patients seen by physicians or pharmacists who received these immunization grants can get free or deeply discounted shot for their qualifying children.

As for how this type of grant can benefit you as a parent, it does so by protecting the health and safety of your children. Their risk for dangerous diseases and illness significantly decreases with proper immunization. You will spend less time at the doctor’s office, your child will miss less school, and you will miss less work.

2 – Special Education Preschool Grants

With special education preschool grants, you, as a parent, do not apply. Instead, your state does. Local governments and schools can also apply for other similar education grants. This particular type of grant is designed to improve and make available preschool programs for children with disabilities. Children with disabilities require extra care and attention, which costs preschool programs money. For that reason, some must limited the number of disabled children they accept. This is not an issue when your state makes use of these grants.

In addition to special education preschool grants, other government grants are available to help improve school systems. These grants may focus on construction, reducing school violence, and so forth. Unfortunately, you do not apply for and receive these grants yourself. Although your hands are tied, contact school and local officials. Make sure they are applying for and receiving this much needed grant money. It improves the quality of education children receive and helps to reduce school taxes.

3 – Federal Pell Grants

If you are a parent, you may have a child attending college soon. Whether that will be in 15 years or 1 year, cost is likely a concern. It is no secret that college is expensive and that cost always seems to increase. Luckily, there are government grants available for your children.

The amount of money your child receives from a Federal Pell Grant will depend on a number of factors. They include the college of your child’s choice, their enrollment status, the cost of their education, and how much you and other family members will contribute to their education. Regardless of how large or small the funding is, it will help you as a parent save money while still ensuring your child gets a quality education.

In short, there are grants available to help parents like you. The three above mentioned grants are just a sample. Unfortunately, grants for individuals are rare. If you need financial assistance, you should turn to government programs that offer affordable loans or other moneysaving discounts to low-income families. With that said, don’t completely forget about government grants. Although you cannot apply for and receive many of these helpful grants, you can make sure your state and local governments, as well as nearby school districts and non-profit organizations are taking advantage of this free funding.

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Many consider starting their own small business to be the all-American dream. After all, who wouldn’t want to be their own boss and be in control of how much they earn. Although many people want to start their own business, very few get the opportunity to do so. One of the many holdups involves financing. If you want to start a small business, but do not have the needed financial resources on hand, you may wonder what your options are. So, what are they?
Before highlighting a few of your small business financing options, it is important to focus on grants. Due to many late night infomercials and other highly advertised products, many Americans mistakenly believe it is easy to get free money to start a business. This free money supposedly comes from government grants. Grants are available to small business owners, but they are typically handled in the private sector. Government grants for small businesses are rare. They are typically reserved for state, county and local governments, schools, non-profit organizations, colleges and universities. You can and should still look, but don’t be surprised if you don’t see any grants available to help you start your small business.
Although it is rare to find grants to help individuals start small businesses, there are grants available for those who wish to improve or expand. However, these grants are not like loans, where you can use the money as you see fit. For example, as of February 2009, small business could apply for grants on Grants.gov that focus on youth violence, improving health in the workplace or community, monitoring the health and behavior change in individuals with disabilities and so forth. If you are an established small business owner, you may qualify for some of these grants; however, the money must be used as agreed upon.
Another method of seeking financing for a small business is to find investors. This can be tricky for those just getting started. Unless you have experience starting or managing a business, you are seen as a risk. Most investors are unwilling to take the chance. If your business is profitable, they recoup their money and then some in a few years. Should your business plan fail and you see losses or close down, the investors lose money.
Since relying on investors is hit or miss, the best option is to acquire a small business loan. These loans are easy to obtain for those with good personal credit and those with a clear, solid business plan. Before approaching any financial institution for a small business loan, have a business plan proposal. You need to show financial lenders that you not only have a good idea, but the knowledge, experience, and determination to run a profitable business.
When looking to acquire a small business loan, start locally. If you do business with a local bank, speak to a local loan officer. These banks want to give other businesses in the community a chance to grown and shine. It looks good for their image. It is an added bonus if you have been a long-term customer as you are more likely to get an approval. With that said, if you are denied, ask for reasons. If your bank thinks your business plan is good, but does not see this as the best time to provide a small business loan, head to SBA.gov. This is the Small Business Association. They have an extensive loan program and experienced officers that can help you find and apply for the correct loan.
As you likely already know, starting a small business is not an easy process. It requires money, hard work, trial and error, drive and determination. For most, the hardest part is obtaining the needed financing. Those wishing to start a business should avoid wasting time with government grants. Remember, they are rarely available for startup businesses and usually reserved only for business expansions, women, or minorities.

Have you seen an advertisement online or a late night infomercial claiming you can gain access to free money through government grants? If so, you may have paid close attention. Free money sounds great, especially when the economy is in trouble, millions of Americans are losing their jobs, and many are unable to afford their mortgage payments.
Yes, government grants do exist. Although most grants are designed for local governments and non-profit organizations, there are grants for individuals such as yourself. Although they do exist, they are difficult to find and harder to obtain. Unfortunately, this is not something that Americans in financial distress want to hear. They want free money and they want it now. That is why some find themselves victims of government grant scams.
Government grant scams come in a number of different formats. Some individuals will contact you by phone or email. They claim you qualify for a government grant. For a processing fee, they will help you get that free money. Others are products sold which are designed to help Americans get free grant money. Unfortunately, these products are usually filled with general information you can find online for free. These are just two examples of government grant scams, but they are the two most common.
As previously stated, free money sounds nice, but you need to be cautious of government grant scams. They do can a lot of damage. Continue reading on for five legitimate reasons why you should avoid these scams or anything else related to grants that sounds too good to be true.

1 – Embarrassment
In the initial stages of providing an individual with your information or the beginning stages of buying a government grant infomercial product, you will be filled with excitement. After all, you were all but provided with a guarantee you will get free money. Unfortunately, when that free money does not arrive, reality will set in. You will realize you were swindled. Although thousands of Americans are scammed each month, some with government grant scams and some with work-at-home scams, it is embarrassing. You likely want to sweep the incident under the rug. Many scammed rarely seek reimbursement for the money spent, contact consumer-reporting websites, or contact the authorities out of embarrassment.
2 – It Costs You Money
Government grants do exist. There are grants available for individuals who want to attend college, want to expand a business, want to rebuild their home after a natural disaster, and so on. Government grants themselves aren’t scams, but the people and companies who get you to pay usually are. A late night infomercial product may have old and outdated information that you paid for. A caller claiming you qualify for a government grant will ask you to pay a small processing fee for your application, which they will never submit because they do not have the authority to do so. Essentially, you spend and waste money.

3 – It Can Ruin Your Credit
As previously stated, a common scam is when someone contacts you by phone or email claiming you qualify for a government grant. For a processing fee, they will gather your information and submit an application on your behalf. Since this is done via phone or email, you will be asked for your bank information, including the routing number and the account number. Do not provide it. Some individuals only have the above mentioned “processing fee,” taken, but many have more. You provided your account information to a scammer. They can clean out your accounts and ruin your credit.

4 – It Is Hard to Get Your Money Back
If you fall victim to a government grant scam, there are resources available to help you. If you provided your bank account information to someone promising to help you get free grant money over the phone or via email, take action now before it is too late. Contact the police and your bank. If you purchased a late night infomercial product filled with inaccurate or old and outdated information, request a refund. Unfortunately, you may be charged a restocking fee or must pay additional shipping and handling charges, meaning you get only a portion of your money back.

5 – They Are Easy to Avoid
Luckily, government grant scams are easy to avoid. If you truly want to apply for a grant and believe you qualify for one, head to a government website. These websites end in .gov. Or, contact a local government official. They can give you information on grants available to individuals like yourself and legitimate resources on how to find them.

Do you want free money? Of course, we all do. For some individuals, that money is available in the form of government grants. Although government grants are typically reserved for non-profit organization and business expansions, there are grants available to everyday Americans, just like yourself. Unfortunately, they are limited, hard to find, and even more difficult to win. But, as previously stated, we all want free money. After all, who wouldn’t. That leaves many of us susceptible to government grant scams. So, how do you avoid becoming a victim?
1 – Do Not Pay Money
Many websites and infomercial products advertise they can help you get hundreds of thousands of dollars in government grant money. These websites and infomercials do sound convincing. Once again, the phrase “free money” attracts us. As previously stated, there are government grants available for Americans. These grants may allow you to expand a small business, go to college, get job training, rebuild a home hit by a natural disaster, and so forth. Since they do exist, you should be able to find them on your own. It will take a lot of hard work and research, but it is free of charge.
A good sign that you are faced with a government grant scam is when asked for payment. There are real government websites online that let you search for grants, get additional information on these grants, and apply for them free of charge. Don’t waste your money. Often times, these paid websites and infomercial products are filled with inaccurate and outdated information.
2 – Turn to Reputable Grant Websites Online
As previously stated, paid government grant websites are a sign of a scam. Yes, some legitimate websites do charge a small fee, but why take a chance? Remember, a lot of information on government grants is available free of charge online or by speaking to local government officials. Your best bet it is to go right to government websites. On those websites, perform a search using the phrase “grants.” If information is available, it will appear in your search. Grants.gov is a legitimate website for government grants, especially those aimed at non-profit organizations.
3 – Check Website and Product Reviews
As mentioned above, some legitimate grant websites charge a small fee. It is your decision as to whether or not you want to pay this fee. However, before doing so, read reviews. You can easily check website and product reviews online. You can do so by visiting the online website for the Better Business Bureau, the popular consumer-reporting website Rip Off Report, or you can perform a standard internet search. Search with the product or website name and add the phrase “scam.”
Product and website reviews are easy to find online and they give you a lot of insight. Do not waste your money if multiple consumers say the website or government grant product in question is a scam.
4 – Ask Questions
One of the reasons why you are advised against buying a government grant product from an infomercial is because of lack of assistance. In these cases, you buy the product and are on your own. You rarely get any support. On the other hand, legitimate websites should provide you with this support. Before paying any signup or membership fees, ask questions. If someone is unavailable to answer your questions or cannot provide you with the right answers, you may be on your way to being a government grant scam victim. Stop now.
5 – Use Your Best Judgment
Just like receiving a student loan, mortgage, and automobile loan, you need to prove yourself. You need to fill out an application, sell yourself, and do research. Always use your best judgment. It is possible to find government grants for individuals like yourself, but they are hard to find and even more difficult to get. Do not count on this money and do not fall victim to get rich scams. Legitimate government grants are designed to help Americans in moderation. Grants that are available are rarely large in size.