Saturday, 22 August 2009

Getting a Government Grant

By Keith Ronson

Funding is available for any number of people who may qualify for a variety of reasons to get a government grant. The qualification process will help each agency decide if you are eligible and can receive the funding. However, grants for the purpose of personal financial assistance are not allowed.

What is a Grant?

A government grant is a monetary award to provide financial assistance to an individual who meets specific criteria. Anyone who can prove they provide support or stimulation for activities authorized by the U.S. government is eligible to receive this funding; however the monies are strictly prohibited from being used for any service or to buy property that would benefit the government directly. Still, there are over 1,000 government grants that are now available to eligible applicants.

How to Apply

If you head up a non-profit agency, certain types of small businesses, a public housing, educational, or government organization, you may be able to get a government grant.

For individuals, the grant application must be made on their own behalf. An individual cannot apply for an organization or business. The grant application requires that the individual meets all necessary criteria. Right now, grants are available from such agencies as the EPA, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, Arts & Humanities, and Victims of Crime.

Grants for Small Businesses

There are several different types of federal grant funding available for small businesses. You may qualify if you are a minority, a woman, disabled, or a veteran of the armed forces.

Additionally, you may qualify for business development federal funding if any of these conditions apply to your company's location: an area that is rural, low-income, or has suffered from a natural disaster, or in a tribal community.

Non-profit groups that help small businesses can also qualify for grant money. In this case, the money does not go to an individual business owner, but to the non-profit organization.

And still two more types of government grants are available to small companies that are looking to train and hire new staff members as well as those that indicate they are developing certain new products.

The Application

While each different grant will have some specific requirements, there are several things that must be included on all applications. A budget is one necessity; this must state exactly how the grant funds will be used. You will also need to indicate how long your project is expected to take. One of the most common reasons for an application to be rejected is invalid dates entered for the program duration. Be aware that some fields on the application form will only take a limited number of characters. Overall, the process of filling out the grant application is quite long and involved.

Once your application has been submitted, there is going to be a waiting period before you find out if it has been approved. The amount of time it takes varies depending on how many people have applied.

To get a government grant you will have to do everything exactly right and be patient. For some people, using an online company who can help them through the process might be quite beneficial. The money is out there, you just have to know how, where, and when to apply.

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