Every year, the federal government provides grant money to advance national objectives and support local projects that carry out these federal priorities. In some instances, these dollars are provided as part of formula or block grants to be administered by state and local governments. In other cases, there are competitive, merit-based programs available directly from federal agencies.
Who is eligible to receive a federal grant?
The federal government provides funding assistance to groups that can typically be categorized in the following way:
- Government entities including state, local and tribal agencies
- Education organizations including school districts and post-secondary schools
- Public housing organizations
- Non-profit organizations
The federal government does not provide grants to individuals in need of personal assistance. For additional information about the distribution of federal grants, you may be interested in the Federal Trade Commission report “Free Government Grants: Don’t Take Them For Grant-ed.” You may also search for services available to individuals at govbenefits.gov or by contacting local social service organizations in your area.
How I can be of assistance to you:
As part of my ongoing effort to assist
If you are requesting assistance with a proposal to be submitted to a federal agency, please refer to the following guidelines:
- Provide the full name of the grant program and the appropriate federal agency.
- A copy of the grant application or a summary of the proposal is needed to fully understand the project. Sample letters are welcome, but not in lieu of a summary.
- Provide the deadline for which the letter is needed and list whether the letter should be sent directly to the agency or returned to the applicant directly.
- Requests for letters of support should be sent to Kate Sternke in my Washington, D.C. office at:
U.S. Senator Herb Kohl
Attn: Kate Sternke
330 Hart Senate Office Building