How to Apply for U.S. Government Grants for Free
You don't need to pay an application fee to apply for a grant. Government and nonprofit agencies that provide grants expect only that you have a need for funding and a well-written application or proposal. You will need to spend money for printing and mailing expenses, but you can save on fees for researching and writing the grant by doing it yourself.
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Instructions
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Research online for grant funds available for your project. If you don't have an Internet connection, the public libraries offer free internet on their computers. You can check Grants.gov and your city, county and state's websites to find out what grant programs are available. Local nonprofit agencies also offer grants to the public. Compile a list of organizations in your area that are committed to your cause and find out whether they have a grant program.
Determine whether you are eligible to apply for a grant. Some agencies provide grants to individuals while other grant programs require you to be a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit agency. The grant application will outline the requirements to apply for help and what is required to be submitted within the grant application.
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Develop a grant proposal or complete the application. Nonprofit agencies applying for a grant will need to provide their organization's mission statement. Their goals and objectives will need to be outlined in the grant proposal as well as the population they intend on serving with the grant funds. Organizations that have experience with providing services to the community are scored higher during the application process.
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Provide supporting documentation. Individuals applying for a grant will typically need to demonstrate the need for financial support to be eligible for help. Documentation of income is required. If you are applying for a college scholarship, you may need to provided evidence of college enrollment. Nonprofit agencies applying for a grant need to provide 501(c)3 exempt status, articles of incorporation, resumes for the team members on the project and a project budget.
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Submit the grant. Grant award agencies have different preferences for application submissions. Grants.gov accept electronic submissions only. Other agencies require hard-copy submission. Pay attention to the deadline because most agencies will not accept late applications. You should get a delivery confirmation if you are putting your application in the mail. This way you can track your application to ensure that it reached the correct destination in time.
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Sign the grant agreement. Once you are awarded your grant, you will typically have to comply with certain conditions of the award. This may be reporting the use of the money on an annual basis. Nonprofit agencies will have to keep track of the amount of people served with the grant funding and report how the grant is helping them meet their goals and objectives.
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Tips & Warnings
Read the grant guidelines thoroughly. Exceeding word limitations or incorrect formatting may lose you points during the application evaluation process.
Do not wait until the due date to submit your grant application. You may run into printing or mailing problems that can cause your application to be late.
