Grant Search
As the Representative for Maine’s Second Congressional District, I am dedicated to ensuring that Maine’s citizens have the best federal resources available. Much of the funding that is available from the Federal government and other sources for worthwhile projects must be sought by individual organizations in the form of grants and other forms of Federal domestic assistance.
On this page, you will find information about sources for grants and other assistance and suggestions about how obtain them.
· Writing Grant Proposals
· Key Federal Funding Sources
· Related Federal Resources
· Private & Corporate Funding Sources
· Local Sources
· Additional Sources
Writing a high-quality proposal is often the most important step in your pursuit of a grant or other form of assistance. The proposal allows those judging various projects to distinguish the merits of each applicant. As you begin to write your grant proposal, I highly recommend following either the CFDA or the Congressional Research Service’s guide to writing grant proposals. You may also be interested in taking the Foundation Center’s Proposal Writing Short Course.
Grants.gov (via Department of Health and Human Services)
This website allows organizations both to find and apply for current competitive grant opportunities from ALL Federal agencies. Through a unified process, grant seekers can check on notices of funding availability posted in the past seven days, sign up to receive email notification of future grant opportunities, and apply for Federal grants online. For full descriptions of federal programs, see CFDA below.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (General Services Administration)
Issued annually and updated continuously on the web the Catalog (CFDA) lists and describes over 1,500 Federal grants and non-financial assistance programs. The site allows grant-seekers to identify programs that might support their projects, and learn the objectives, requirements, application procedures, and contacts of the program. For current notices of funding availability, see Grants.gov.
Catalog Indexes and Listings (General Services Administration)
A good way to find a grant that fits your project, this website allows a grant-seeker to search the CFDA. Searching by keyword is a useful place to start, but browsing by broad subject (functional area), by federal department or agency, or by beneficiary can be helpful for finding more federal funding programs. CFDA program descriptions include all available full text on the Internet, including local and regional federal office addresses and a list of related programs.
Federal Regional or Local Office Addresses (General Services Administration)
A large number of federal grants move to the states in the form of formula and block grants. As a result, state, regional, and local federal offices often handle grant applications and funds disbursement. If a CFDA program description refers to a state or regional contact listed in Appendix IV, grant-seekers should contact them before applying for funding to obtain the most up-to-date information.
State ‘Single Points of Contact’ (Office of Management and Budget)
Under Executive Order 12372, some states require federal grant applicants to submit a copy of their application for review and comment at the state government level. This site lists state offices that coordinate government (both federal and state) grant development, and can provide guidance to grant-seekers. If you would like help identifying state-level grants, both the Library of Congress’ State and Local Governments Resource Page, and the National Association of State Development Agencies are excellent resources for state-level grants.
CFDA in Print (Government Printing Office)
Although the full-text of the Catalog is available on the Internet, it is possible to obtain a printed edition if you prefer. However, only the online Catalog is continuously updated - the published volume is only updated annually.
· The Catalog is available in all states in Federal Depository Libraries.
· The published Catalog can be ordered from the Government Printing Office (search “Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance” or “CFDA” for cost and availability).
Official Federal Government Websites (via Library of Congress)
When developing a grant proposal, it is often useful to search a department or agency’s home page, to learn more about its programs and objectives. Some government departments or agencies even have websites specially designed for specific types of grant-seekers.
Homeland Security Grants (Department of Homeland Security)
This site lists various grants that are available in the field of federal homeland security and public safety, whether administered by DHS or by other departments and agencies. State and local missions that are supported through these grants include the preparedness of first responders and citizens, public health, infrastructure security, and other public safety activities.
FirstGov Government-to-Government (General Services Administration)
This site provides access to grant management and federal assistance programs, in addition to resources about acquisition and procurement, financial management, and taxes.
FirstGov for Nonprofits (General Services Administration)
This site contains links to federal department and agency information and service for nonprofit organizations. It offers information about fundraising and outreach, grants, loans and other assistance, laws and regulations, management and operations, online services, registration and licensing, and taxes.
Centers for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives)
The Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, and Labor all have programs designed to serve Americans in need through faith-based and community organizations. Both the Guidance to Faith-Based and Community Organizations on Partnering with the Federal Government and Federal Funds for Organizations That Help Those in Need are valuable guides for faith-based or community organizations seeking grant money. Many of these grants are “formula grants” made available to state and local governments, which then award them to grassroots and local organizations. If you are interested in these programs, please contact the local and state agencies responsible for managing them.
Business.gov (Small Business Administration)
The Small Business Administration’s webpage covers such issues as business development, laws and regulations, international trade, workplace issues, and buying and selling.
Federal Register (National Archives)
Printed each business day, the Federal Register publishes updates and notices affecting federal assistance programs.
Federal Funding Report (House Information Resources)
This is a weekly compilation of items from the Federal Register that affect federal domestic assistance programs. The summary consists of three parts, (1) the Federal Register Summary, (2) the Early Warning Grants Report, and (3) Disaster Loan Applications.
OMB Grants Management Website (Office of Management and Budget)
OMB does not award grants, but it does establish government-wide grant management policies through circulars and common rules. OMB circulars are all cited in Catalog program descriptions.
Private & Corporate Funding Sources
The Foundation Center
This website has a little bit of everything - information about private funding sources (including national, state, community, and corporate foundations), the grant-seeking process, guidelines on writing a grant proposal, addresses of state libraries with grant reference collections, and links to other useful websites. The Center maintains a comprehensive database on foundations and produces print, online, and CD-ROM directories and guides. It also conducts research and publishes studies in the field while offering a variety of training and educational seminars.
· The Grantseeking Process
· Guide to Funding Research and Resources
· Proposal Writing Short Course
· Foundation Finder – search for information about more than 70,000 private and community foundations.
· Websites of Community Foundations (by State)
· Foundation Center Cooperating Collections (by State) – free funding information available in libraries, community foundations, and other nonprofit centers nationwide.
The Grantsmanship Center
Along with some useful likes to government resources, the Center’s website includes helpful information on community foundations and international funding. Community Foundations (by State) are often particularly interested in funding local projects, and maintain diverse grant programs. TGCI also offers publications, training, and workshops in proposal writing, grantsmanship, and fund raising for nonprofit organizations and government.
Maine Philanthropy Center
The Maine Philanthropy Center (MPC) offers an extensive reference library, filled with information on local and national foundations, as well as a Directory of Maine Grantmakers, which is available to MPC members. MPC also offers workshops to build nonprofits' program planning, research and proposal writing skills.
Maine Humanities Council
The Maine Humanities Council is a statewide, private, nonprofit organization with a mission to engage the people of Maine with the power and pleasure of ideas. It supports this mission through grants of $500-$5,000, intended to encourage a deeper understanding of ourselves and others by promoting collaboration among cultural, educational and community organizations such as universities, colleges, schools, museums, libraries, professional associations, historical societies, social service agencies and civic groups.
Maine Arts Commission
The Maine Arts Commission offers a variety of grants. Some directed towards individual artists, while others are meant for institutions and communities.
Geographic Tracking of Federal Funds - the federal government’s primary printed documents detailing the geographic distribution of federal money to states and counties are two U.S. Census Bureau publications:
· Federal Aid to States - FAS details the actual expenditures of federal grant funds to state and local governments. The figures are presented by program area and agency.
· Consolidated Federal Funds Report - in the CFFR, grants generally represent obligations and include payments both to state and local governments and to nongovernmental recipients. The data is provided for both state and county levels.
Grants and Other Funding Sources (House Information Resources)
This is a resource page compiled for congressional offices, covering public and private website under funding categories such as:
· Where to Find Federal Grants
· How to Apply for Grants
· Help with Managing the Grant Process
· Foundations
· Nonprofit Charitable Organizations
· Corporate Charitable Giving
· Small Business Resources
· International Trade & Development
· State & Local Government Funding Resources
· Disaster Assistance
· Money for College
· Scholarships – Specific Fields of Study
· Internships/Summer Employment
· Computers for Schools and Communities
· Other Educational Resources
· Surplus & Unclaimed Property
· Consumer Protection
· Demographic and Statistical Resources
· Other Helpful Resources
7/14/2005 4:50:17 PM
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Presque Isle, Maine 445 Main Street Presque Isle, ME 04769 Phone: 207-764-1036 Fax: 207-764-1060 |
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