United States Congress

This information page, prepared by the Congressional Research Service for Members of Congress, gives guidance and key links to information on Federal Grants and non-financial assistance, as well as to private foundation funding. [Updated October 14, 2002]

Grants Overview Program

Grants Information for Constituents
Slide show, 20 min. [Updated October 14, 2002]
Use headphones or speakers.

How Best to Find Information

Find funding programs and learn how to write grant proposals:

Search or browse the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) by keyword or other indexes for federal grants, loans, business and non-financial assistance.

Contact Federal office indicated in CFDA program description: State or regional addresses and telephone numbers are given in CFDA Appendix IV: Federal Agency Contacts in Region/State.

Search other Web sites that access Federal program and grants information for special Grant seekers, for example the Business Advisor, the State and Local [government] Gateway, or the Non-Profit [organizations] Gateway.

Search also for Private Foundations that might be interested in a project. Use the Foundation Center Web site or Foundation Center book collections in libraries to identify national, state, and community foundations.

Learn how to write grant proposals: follow CFDA guidelines Developing and Writing Grant Proposals, or take the Foundation Center Proposal Writing "Short Course".

Key Federal Funding Sources

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
[http://www.cfda.gov]
The Catalog (CFDA), published twice a year by the General Services Administration (GSA), describes some 1,400 federal grants and non financial assistance programs administered by the departments and agencies of the federal government. It helps users identify programs that meet specific objectives of applicant projects and is intended to improve coordination and communication between the federal government and state and local applicants for federal assistance.

Catalog Indexes and Listings (GSA)
[http://www.cfda.gov/public/faprs.htm/]
Although keyword searching is often a good place to start, also browse by broad subject, by federal department or agency, or by recipient category to identify more federal funding programs. CFDA program descriptions may provide direct links to local and regional federal office addresses, to related programs, and to Office of Management and Budget circulars.

Search by keyword (GSA)
Broad subject or topic index (HHS)
Target or beneficiary group index (HHS)
Programs listed alphabetically (HHS)
Programs by federal department (HHS)
Programs by independent and other agencies (HHS)

Developing and Writing Grant Proposals (CFDA)
[http://www.cfda.gov/public/cat-writing.htm]
Guidance in formulating federal grant applications, including initial proposal development, basic components of a proposal, review recommendations, and referral to federal guidelines and literature.

Federal Agency Contacts in Region/State (CFDA Appendix IV)
[http://www.cfda.gov/public/cat-app4-index.htm]
Much of the federal grant budget moves to the states through formula and block grants -- state, regional, and local federal offices often handle grants applications and funds disbursement. Each federal agency has its own procedures: if the CFDA program description refers to a state or regional Information Contact as listed in Appendix IV, constituents/applicants should contact the federal department or agency office listed here before applying for funding to obtain the most up-to-date information.

State Single Points of Contact (CFDA)
[http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/cfda/ispocs.htm]
Under Executive Order 12372 of 1962, federal grants applicants may be required to submit a copy of their application for state government level review and comment. The state offices listed here coordinate government (both federal and state) grants development and provide guidance to grants seekers.

CFDA in Print, CD-ROM, and Disk (Government Printing Office, GSA)
[http://www.cfda.gov/public/cat-order.htm]

The printed Catalog is available the local depository libraries.
Print, CD-ROM, and diskette formats of the Catalog may be purchased from the Government Printing Office (print) or the General Services Administration (CD-ROM or diskette).

Related Federal Resources

Official Federal Government Web Sites
[http://lcweb.loc.gov/global/executive/fed.html]
To better develop a grant proposal, search a department or agency's Home Page to learn more about its programs and objectives. Some government departments or agencies have Web pages specifically designed for grant seekers (see below).

Federal Commons [http://www.cfda.gov/federalcommons/]
Part of a federal Web site with one-stop access to all online U.S. government resources for grants. This section groups programs by broad subject categories.

U.S. Business Advisor [http://www.business.gov/]
Small Business Administration Web page intended to provide business with one-stop access to federal government information, services, and transactions. Covers business development, laws and regulations, international trade, work place issues, and buying and selling.

Government Gateway (for State and Local Governments)
[http://www.firstgov.gov/Government/State_Local/Grants.shtml]
Thousands of grants and loans are made by the federal government to state and local governments and other public entities. This site provides one-stop access to Grants Management and Federal Assistance Programs, in addition to resources about Acquisition and Procurement, Financial Management and Taxes.

U.S. Government Nonprofit Gateway [http://www.nonprofit.gov/index.html]
Links to federal department and agency information and services to assist nonprofit organizations. Examples:

Federal Register (National Archives)
[http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html]
The Federal Register, printed each business day, publishes updates and notices affecting federal assistance programs. Scroll down to check current year; scroll down further to enter Catalog program number, or subject/keyword "AND CFDA" in Search Terms box.

Today's Federal Register & Archives (Grantsmanship Center)
[http://www.tgci.com/resources/federal/ffed.html]
Under section Today's Federal Register, gives current day's grants announcements, department and agency announcements of grant application review meetings, grant awards, deadlines, requests for comments on agency procedures, new rule reminders, and special events.

Notices of Funding Availability (via Department of Agriculture)
[http://ocd.usda.gov/nofa.htm]
Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs) are announcements that appear in the Federal Register inviting applications for federal grant programs. This page allows you to generate a customized listing of NOFAs by date, by broad subject terms, or by department/agency.

OMB Grants Management Web Site (Office of Management & Budget)
[http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/index.html]
OMB establishes government-wide grants management policies and guidelines through circulars and common rules. OMB Circulars are cited in Catalog program descriptions: some program descriptions on the Internet version of the Catalog link directly to OMB Circulars required for program management, others just give OMB Circular numbers which may then be printed from this Web site.

Private & Corporate Funding Sources

The Foundation Center [http://www.foundationcenter.org/]
Gateway to 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 grants reference collections, and links to other useful Internet Web sites. The Center maintains a comprehensive database on foundations, produces print, Web, and CD-ROM directories and guides, conducts research and publishes studies in the field, and offers a variety of training and educational seminars.

Online orientation: the Grant seeking Process
User-friendly Guide to Funding Research and Resources Beginning Your Research, Giving to Individuals, The Proposal Process, Information Resources.
Proposal Writing Online "Short Course" on developing a good grant proposal.
Foundation Finder Search by name for address and basic information about the more than 61,000 private and community foundations in the U.S. Includes links to IRS filings and foundation Web sites.
Web Sites of Community Foundations (by state)
Web Sites of Private Foundations, with subject and geographic indexes
Web Sites of Corporate Grantmakers, with subject and geographic indexes
Foundation Center Cooperating Collections, listings by state Free funding information centers in libraries, community foundations, and other nonprofit resource centers that provide a core collection of Foundation Center publications and a variety of supplementary materials and services in areas useful to grant seekers.

Grantsmanship Center (TGCI) [http://www.tgci.com/]
In addition to useful links to government resources, this site includes information on community foundations and international funding. Community Foundations (by state) are often particularly interested in local projects and maintain diverse grants programs. TGCI also offers publications, training, and workshops in proposal writing, grantsmanship, and fund raising for nonprofit organizations and government.

Additional Sources

Federal Funds Expre$$ (House Information Resources)
[http://www.house.gov/ffr/Grants_Other.htm]
This resource page, compiled for congressional offices, covers public and private Web links under a variety of funding categories, including:

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 Govt. 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

Geographic Tracking of Federal Funds:
Two U.S. Census Bureau publications are the federal government's primary printed documents detailing the geographic distribution of federal monies to States, Counties, and Congressional Districts.

Federal Aid to States (FAS) (Census)
[http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/fas.html]
The publications are issued approximately 6 months after the close of a fiscal year. FAS details actual expenditures of federal grant funds to state and local governments only. Figures are presented to the state level by program area and agency.

Consolidated Federal Funds Report (CFFR) (Census)
[http://www.census.gov/govs/www/cffr.html] In CFFR, grants generally represent obligations and include payments both to state and local governments and to nongovernmental recipients. Data is provided for state and county levels.