Grants and Federal Domestic Assistance
Information Web page, prepared by the Congressional
Research Service for Members of Congress, which gives guidance and
Internet resources on Federal grants and nonfinancial assistance, as well
as on private foundation funding. The Slide show "Grants Information
for Constituents" provides overview and tips, reviews key sources, and
demonstrates doing a typical grants request. [Updated March 2007 ]
How Best to Find Information |
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Find funding programs and learn how to write grant proposals:
- Ask the question Who is eligible for a Grant? Other government websites may be more suitable for personal needs, student loans, small business assistance, or other business opportunities such as government contracting. The website Government Benefits, Grants, and Financial Aid may also be of help.
- If eligible, search for programs in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) by
Keyword and other indexes; includes grants, loans, business
and nonfinancial help.
- Contact federal office given in CFDA
program description: if state or local office is indicated, use
CFDA Appendix IV: Federal Regional or Local Office Addresses.
- Go to federal websites given in each CFDA program description
for more information and for state administering agencies responsible for
managing funding.
- Check current federal grants opportunities at Grants.gov, register and obtain a DUNS number, sign up for e-mail notification, and apply online.
- Search foundations for project funding: use the
Foundation
Center website or Foundation Center Cooperating Collections in libraries to identify
national, state, and community foundations.
- Learn how to write grant proposals: follow CFDA's Developing and Writing Grant Proposals, or take the free online
Foundation Center Proposal Writing Short Course.
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Key Federal Funding Sources |
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Grants.gov (managed by Dept.
of Health and Human Services)
Federal website that allows eligible grantseekers (see Who is Eligible for a Grant?) to find and
apply for current competitive grant opportunities from ALL federal agencies. Grantseekers can check on notices of funding availability (NOFAs) posted in the last
7 days; sign up to receive e-mail notification of grant opportunities;
and apply for federal grants through a unified process by downloading the application and submitting online. The website guides grantseekers in obtaining a DUNS (Dun and Bradstreet) number and registering at Grants.gov to apply and to track applications. For full federal
program descriptions, see CFDA below.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (General Services
Administration)
The CFDA, issued annually and updated continuously on the
Web, describes some 1600 federal grants and non financial assistance programs.
Grantseekers can identify programs that might support their projects and can
learn the program's objectives, requirements, application procedures and contacts.
For current notices of funding availability, see Grants.gov.
Catalog Indexes and Listings
(CFDA )
Although keyword searching is often a good place to start, also browse by
broad subject ("functional area"), by federal department or agency, or by beneficiary
to identify more federal funding programs. CFDA program
descriptions refer to local and regional federal office addresses, to related
programs, and to Office of Management and Budget circulars, all available
full text on the Internet.
Developing and Writing Grant
Proposals (CFDA)
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 Regional or Local Office Addresses
(CFDA
Appendix IV)
Much of the federal grants budget moves to the states through formula and
block grants -- state, regional, and local federal offices often handle grants
applications and funds disbursement. If the CFDA program
description refers to a state or regional Information contact as listed in
Appendix IV, grantseekers 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 grants applicants to submit a copy of their application for state government level review and comment. The state offices listed here coordinate federal financial assistance and may direct federal development. For help in identifying state-level grants, other state government agencies websites include may be found at State nd Local Agencies by Topic.
CFDA in Local Libraries (Government Printing Office)
Although the Catalog is available full-text on the Internet, some
may prefer a print edition. However, only the Web Catalog is continuously
updated-- the published volume is annual with no supplements. The Catalog is available in all states in Federal
Depository Libraries.
Related Federal Resources |
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A-Z
Index of U.S.
Government Departments and Agencies (General Services Administration)
To better develop a grant proposal, search a department or agency's Home Page
to learn more about its programs and objectives. The site USA.gov
also links to Government Benefits, Grants and Financial Aid.
Homeland
Security State Contacts & Grants Award Information (Dept. of Homeland Security)
Click on map for state allocations and contact information. Most Homeland Security non-disaster grant programs are designated for state and local governments and specific entities such as colleges, etc. Unsolicited applications from individuals are generally not accepted. Includes Urban Area Security Initiative, Citizens Corps, Medical Response System, Operation Stonegarden (border security), Infrastructure Protection. Programs for firefighters may be found at Assistance to Firefighters.
Disaster Assistance (Federal Emergency Management Agency)
Disaster assistance programs activate only after a Presidential disaster declaration is issued and is restricted to those residing within the disaster area. FEMA disaster assistance falls into three general categories: Individual and
Households; Public Assistance for emergency services and repair or replacement
of damaged public facilities; and Hazard Mitigation funding to reduce future
losses to public and private property.
USA.gov
for Business (GSA)
Includes contracting with the federal government, international trade and exporting,
and small business. See also financial assistance links at Business.gov
and the Small Business Administration websites.
USA.gov for Nonprofits (GSA)
Links to federal department and agency information and service for nonprofit
organizations, including fundraising and outreach, grants, loans and other
assistance, laws and regulations, management and operations, online services,
registration and licensing, and tax information.
Faith-Based and Community Organizations (Office of Faith-Based
and Community Initiatives)
Federal departments and agencies operate a number of programs to serve Americans
in need for which faith-based and community organizations may apply. Consult
Guidance
to Faith-Based and Community Organizations on Partnering with the Federal
Government and Federal
Funds for Organizations That Help Those in Need, and A Guide to Federal Economic Development Programs for Faith-Based and Community Organizations. Many are formula
grants made available to states and local governments, which in turn
award grants to grassroots and local organizations. To learn about them, contact
local and state agencies responsible for managing these programs.
Student Aid on the Web (Department of Education)
Information on funding education beyond high school, including grants, loans, and work-study assistance to qualified students.
GovBenefits.gov (via Department of Labor)
Official benefits website with information on over 1,000 assistance programs. Free online screening tool to identify government benefits and how to apply. Covers direct payment, loan, insurance, training, or other services.
FTC
Consumer Alert (Federal Trade Commission)
The FTC warns consumers to beware
of paying "processing fees" for information that is available free to the public. Ads claiming federal
grants are available for home repairs, home business, unpaid bills, or other personal expenses are often
a scam.
OMB Grants Management
(Office of Management and Budget)
OMB establishes
government-wide grants management policies and guidelines through circulars
and common rules. OMB Circulars are cited in Catalog
program descriptions and may be printed out fulltext.
Private & Corporate Funding Sources |
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The Foundation Center
Gateway to information about private funding sources, the grantseeking process,
guidelines on writing a grant proposal, addresses of state libraries with
grants reference collections, and links to other useful Internet websites.
The Center maintains a comprehensive database on foundations; produces print and electronic
directories and guides; conducts research and publishes studies
in the field; and offers a variety of training and educational seminars.
Grants Resources by State
(Grantsmanship Center)
Click on state map to find links to information about a state's foundations,
community foundations, corporate giving programs and the state's home page.
Community Foundation Locator
(Council on Foundations)
Community foundations have special interest in funding local and community
projects.
Tracking Federal Funds |
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- USAspending.gov (OMB)
A free, searchable database of federal government spending based upon Census and General Services Administration statistical data. Grants (Assistance tab) and Contracts must be searched separately: by individual organization or grant recipient; by place of performance, including by congressional district; or by federal department or agency.
- Federal Aid to States (Census Bureau)
FAS details
actual expenditures of federal grant funds to state and local governments.
Figures are presented to the state level by program area and agency.
- Consolidated Federal Funds Report (Census Bureau)
In CFFR, grants generally represent obligations and include
payments both to state and local governments and to nongovernmental recipients.
Data are provided for state and county levels.
