Federal Grant Resources

• How to apply for a federal grant
• Grants for Students (Federal Pell Grants)
• Helpful links

how to apply for a federal grant

Congressional offices are frequently asked for guidance by constituents planning projects of benefit to their community. With federal funding cutbacks and competition for grants becoming more intense, proposals need to be carefully thought through to increase the likelihood of their getting funded. Sufficient time should be allowed for all stages of proposal development.

There are great differences in application and award procedures among grant making organizations. Federal agencies and large foundations may have formal application packets, strict guidelines, and fixed deadlines with which applicants must comply, while smaller foundations may operate more informally and provide a greater measure of assistance to grant seekers. Nonetheless, all of those seeking grants need to go through certain steps in the grants process. 

While money is the primary concern of most grant seekers, thought should be given to the kinds of non-monetary contributions that may be available. In many instances, academic institutions, corporations, and other nonprofit groups in the community may be willing to contribute technical and professional assistance, equipment, or space to a worthy project. Not only will such contributions reduce the amount of money being sought, but evidence of such local support will be viewed favorably by most grant making organizations. If you need immediate assistance please contact my Jonesboro office at 800-866-2701.

helpful links

Below, I have provided brief descriptions of the most commonly used research sources and some helpful web sites.  I hope this information is helpful and will assist you in obtaining a competitive edge as you compete for federal and private monies.

Grants.gov

The charter of Grants.gov is to provide a simple, unified electronic storefront for interactions between grant applicants and the Federal agencies that manage grant funds. There are 26 Federal grant-making agencies and over 900 individual grant programs that award over $350 billion in grants each year. The grant community, including state, local and tribal governments, academia and research institutions, and not-for-profits, need only visit one website, Grants.gov, to access the annual grant funds available across the Federal government.

Department of Justice ODP Equipment Acquisition Grant Program

The goal of the ODP Equipment Grant Program is to provide funding to enhance the capacity of state and local jurisdictions to respond to, and mitigate the consequences of, incidents of domestic terrorism involving the use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD). ODP's Equipment Grant Program was initiated in 1998, and currently provides funds to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, to enable the purchase of the specialized equipment required to better respond to WMD incidents.

FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and assists rural, urban and suburban fire departments throughout the United States. These funds are used by the nation's firefighters to increase the effectiveness of firefighting operations, firefighter health and safety programs, new fire apparatus, emergency medical service programs, and fire prevention and safety programs.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Grant information

HUD awards grants to organizations and groups for a variety of purposes. While HUD does not offer direct grants or loans to individuals, they do work through local governments and non-profit organizations to make financial assistance and counseling available. This page has links to more information.

Delta Regional Authority (DRA)

The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is a federal-state partnership serving a 240-county/parish area in an eight-state region. The DRA is designed to remedy severe and chronic economic distress by stimulating economic development and fostering partnerships that will have a positive impact on the region's economy.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)

The CFDA contains financial and non financial assistance programs administered by departments and establishments of the Federal government.

Federal Register

The Federal Register provides a uniform system for making public regulations and legal notices issued by Federal agencies available to the public.  This includes some grant availabilities.  The Federal Register is also available at most education and public libraries.

Foundation Directory

This directory is maintained by the Foundation Center, an independent, non-profit information clearinghouse established in 1956.  The Center's mission is to foster public understanding of the foundation field by collecting, organizing, analyzing and disseminating information on foundations, corporate giving and related subjects.

Selected Sources of Information on Government and Private Funding

This report compiled by the Congressional Research Service provides information about assistance programs and sources of funds (contact Projects Manager at 800-866-2701 to obtain).

Also:

Small Business Association Federal Grant Resources
Community Resource Institute
Society of Research Administrators (SRA) GrantsWeb
U.S. Business Advisor (Loans and Grants)