Grant Resource Center
I am often contacted by North Dakotans whose small businesses, non-profit organizations, colleges, universities or communities are looking for grant funds from the federal government to help support their programs or ideas. Each year the federal government distributes billions of dollars in grant money. But sometimes knowing where to look and how to apply is half the battle. Here's where I can help.
My grant resource center helps to point North Dakotans in the right direction. Here you will find links to federal, state and private grant sources as well as additional links to sources that help first-time grant applicants work through the application process. Should you need additional assistance while locating or applying for federal grants please contact my office.
Spotlight:
U.S. Fire Administration offers assistance to firefighters program designed to provide much needed funding for rural fire departments.
U.S. Department of Justice, COPS Program - The COPS Office makes grants to state and local law enforcement agencies to advance community policing.
Telehealth Funding Guide - prepared by the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth offers a listing of federal telehealth funding sources.
The Challenge Cost Share Program (CCS) for the National Park Service provides funding for use on Lewis and Clark National Historic Trails (NHS) to enhance their protection and preservation.
The Rural Assistance Center, a collaboration between the University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides health and human service-related funding opportunities and grant searches and contains information guides on a large number of health and human service issues.
Federal Grant Sources:
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) - The catalog describes some 1,400 federal domestic assistance programs, financial and non-financial assistance programs administered by the departments and agencies of the federal government.
Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs) - Notices of Funding Availability are announcements that appear in the Federal Register inviting applications for federal grant programs.
The White House Grants Catalog (Faith-Based and Community Initiatives) - The catalog lists more than 100 programs, including many of interest to small, faith-based and community groups.
Small Business Association - The SBA Loan Purchase Program is designed to provide low interest rate loans to North Dakota businesses receiving a SBA loan guarantee.
Federal Agency Specific Grant Sources:
The Department of Agriculture offers loans and grants for farm programs, rural housing and research.
The Department of Health and Human Services offers grants for family health and child care programs, Native American programs and more.
The Department of Transportation offers grants, generally made to state and local governments, to assist in the planning, design, and construction of transportation improvements.
The Department of Labor offers grants for employment training, research, workplace safety programs and more.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development offers grants for economic development initiatives, housing projects, and college/youth initiatives. The HUD programs target rural, poor or disadvantaged communities.
The Department of Justice awards grants for research, to support local enforcement activities and prevent juvenile delinquency and abuse.
The Department of Education offers grants to support improvements in teaching and learning and to help meet special needs of schools and students.
The Department of the Interior awards grants for Native American programs, land management and parks.
The National Institutes of Health offers a number of grants primarily for research activities.
The National Endowment for the Arts awards grants for art education, historical preservation programs and a variety of other initiatives.
State Funding Sources:
The North Dakota Community Foundation makes grants to 501(c)(3) non-profit tax exempt groups or government agencies and offers through its Resource Center individual assistance for planning, project development, fundraising and board training to nonprofit organizations and rural communities.
PACE Program - The PACE Fund is designed to assist North Dakota communities in expanding their economic base by providing for new job development.
MATCH Program - The MATCH program is designed to encourage and attract financially strong companies to North Dakota. The program is targeted to manufacturing, processing and value-added industries.
Business Development Loan Program The Business Development Loan Program is designed to assist new and existing businesses in obtaining loans that would have a higher degree of risk than would normally be acceptable to a lending institution.
Beginning Entrepreneur Loan Program This program is designed to assist in business start-up financing by providing a financial institution with an 85% guaranty of loan not to exceed $100,000.
North Dakota SBIR/STTR provides information for small business that are seeking federal assistance for developing products and assistance based on advanced technologies.
Ag PACE - The Ag PACE program provides low interest financing to on-farm businesses.
Agricultural Products Utilization Commission - APUC provides grants related to the development of new and expanded uses of North Dakota’s agricultural products. There are several types of grants available, each with their own set of guidelines and application forms.
North Dakota Development Fund - The Development Fund provides financing for primary-sector businesses and generally includes value-added agriculture, manufacturing, certain high-technology services and export services.
North Dakota Small Business Development Center offers grants resources to small business and business management counseling and education training.
North Dakota Department of Tourism offers tourism development assistance to entrepreneurs seeking to capitalize on North Dakota’s cultural and natural attractions.
Private Grant Sources:
The Foundation Center - a complete database of grants available from private foundations and philanthropic organizations.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care which offers grants to improve healthcare and promote healthy lifestyles in communities.
Other Helpful Resources:
The Grantsmanship Center offers a variety of training programs for researching grant proposals, writing grants and negotiating with funding sources.
The Nonprofit Gateway offers a variety of links to federal government information and services for nonprofit organizations.
Developing and Writing Grant Proposals a guide offered by the Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) that outlines the basic steps to developing and writing a grant proposal.
The U.S. Business Advisor is a compilation of federal resources for small businesses, including information on grant opportunities.
