How to Apply for Individual Grants
According to Grants.gov, "Grants are not benefits or entitlements. A federal grant is an award of financial assistance from a federal agency to a recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States." While most grants come from government funding, there are private organizations and companies that award privately funded grants. Whether applying through the government or through a private organization, securing individual grants is a process that requires focus and attention to the details that qualify you for receipt of government funding.
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Instructions
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Search the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, or CFDA, for a grant that suits your needs.The CFDA is a detailed list of federal programs that offer assistance. You can identify potential opportunities by searching for grants based on type of grant or type of granting organization. Each grant has its own unique CFDA number.
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Download and complete the appropriate grant application package for the grant for which you wish to apply. Grant application packages vary among grants, but all ask for basic demographic information, and most ask for a detailed explanation of why you are deserving of the funds and how you will use the funds.
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Check your grant application package for any errors or omissions. Even the slightest mistake could cost you an opportunity to receive grant funds.
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Submit your grant application package electronically through the government's grant website, grants.gov. You will complete this process using Adobe Reader.
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Track the status of your grant application through grants.gov. In order to do this, you will need your CFDA number, your Funding Opportunity number, your Competition ID or your grants.gov tracking number.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask a colleague to read and edit your grant application package.
Most private foundation grants are awarded to nonprofit groups, according to the Foundation Center, so it will be more difficult for an individual to secure private grants. Often, such grants to individuals need advance approval by the Internal Revenue Service because of the tax status of the organizations involved. Because private grants don't exist in a convenient database such as the CFDA, expect to do a lot more research. The Eduplace.com website has links to several sources of grant funds.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit public funding issues image by Kelly Young from Fotolia.com
