If you are just entering the realm of grants and government funding, it can feel overwhelming trying to find the right program for you or your organization. When considering grants, these programs can be broadly categorized as those awarded by the federal government and those awarded by non-federal entities. Within these two categories are a variety of funding sources and program types.
Federal Grants, Funding & Benefit Programs
To sort through the federal grant programs, the authoritative source is the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). This catalog lists all of the available funding programs to all levels of government, nonprofit organizations, for-profit businesses, and other eligible entities. Search Grants within Grants.gov allows you to search, filter, and apply for specific opportunities to receive funding from one of these programs.
Non-Federal Grant Programs
There are a large number of nonprofit organizations and for-profit businesses that also provide grants or other types of funding assistance.
Note: The information below is not exhaustive, and Grants.gov is not affiliated with, nor endorsing, any of these resources. They are provided as a convenience to prospective grant applicants.
Editor’s Note: This blog post was first published in 2016 and updated on May 18, 2020.
There are a variety of federal financial assistance opportunities specifically for American Indians and Alaska Natives. This article, which is part of the Exploring Eligibility blog series, will explain where Grants.gov fits into your search process.
If you are a member of a Native American tribal entity searching for federal grants or benefits, you probably fall into one of these situations in which you are looking for:
Federal grants or benefits on behalf of a federally-recognized Native American tribal government.
Federal grants or benefits on behalf of a Native American tribal organization that is not a federally-recognized government, or
But there are cases where federal grants can be awarded to small businesses. One such case is with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
“These programs allow US-owned and operated small businesses to engage in federal research and development that has a strong potential for commercialization,” explains NIH on the programs’ website. “In Fiscal Year 2018, NIH’s SBIR and STTR programs will invest over 1 billion dollars into health and life science companies that are creating innovative technologies that align with NIH’s mission to improve health and save lives.”
Entrepreneurs and small business owners often ask us, “Can I get a government grant to support my enterprise?”
Perhaps they have an idea for a new business. Or maybe they are looking for funding to help grow their business.
Awhile back, we published a short video about this topic, but the Small Business Administration has a more in-depth online resource for folks looking to finance a small business.
The promise of “free money” to launch or grow a business is alluring. But, is there any truth to the idea?
In the following video, we address this question and provide additional tips for entrepreneurs and small business owners looking for government funding.
Hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, forest fires and other natural disasters can leave deep scars on the communities they impact. Homes and property can be damaged or destroyed. Jobs and businesses can be lost. Lives can be upended.
When a natural disaster strikes and a region is declared a federal disaster zone, the U.S. government can authorize several forms of assistance designed to help impacted communities recover and rebuild.
Welcome to the Grant Writing Basics series, in which we will provide you with tips and advice for writing grant applications on Grants.gov. Our goal is to provide the essential info—the basics to begin building (i.e., writing) on a solid foundation.
The first grant writing tip? Save yourself time by confirming you are eligible to apply for the grant before you begin strategizing or writing the application.
The first and most obvious is the Grants.gov Search feature that allows you to narrow and tailor your query by agency, category, funding instrument type, and – most importantly – by eligibility.
The ever-increasing cost of higher education understandably has students turning to the federal government for assistance – through loans, grants, and work-study programs.The good news is that there are plenty of programs available for students; however, you won’t find them on Grants.gov. Instead, your go-to resource for information about student funding opportunities is the website of the United States Department of Education, ED.gov.
So you’re telling me that Grants.gov does not offer grants for education?
Nonprofit organizations pursue a wide range of important and beneficial missions – both in the United States and internationally. Included in this broad group are charities, schools and universities, environmental protection groups, religious and faith-based organizations, social welfare and advocacy groups, scientific institutions, non-governmental agencies, and many more.