Grants

My office receives many requests to help identify grants and funding support for various projects. There are numerous resources to assist individuals and communities with financial assistance and technical help. Grants and funding assistance can be found in federal and state government programs, private foundations and other donor or community organizations. For your convenience, this section includes some links to useful grant and funding information.

My district office staff is pleased to assist you with your search for grants and funding programs. Feel free to contact my office at:

Congressman Leonard Boswell
Attn: Grants
300 East Locust, Suite 320
Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: (515) 282-1909
Fax: (515) 282-1785
Toll Free Phone: (888) 432-1984

Grants and Federal Domestic Assistance

This is an informational slideshow prepared by the Congressional Research Service, which gives guidance and Internet resources on Federal grants and nonfinancial assistance, as well as on private foundation funding. It provides overview and tips, reviews key sources, and demonstrates doing a typical grants request.

• How Best to Find Information
• Key Federal Funding Sources

How Best to Find Information

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Find funding programs and learn how to write grant proposals:

1. Search or browse the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance by Keyword and other indexes for grants, loans, business and nonfinancial help.
2. Contact Federal office given in CFDA program description: if indicated, use CFDA Appendix IV: Federal Regional or Local Office Addresses (by Agency or by State).
3. Search Federal Web sites given in each CFDA program description for more information and for State Administering Agencies responsible for managing these programs.
4. Check current Federal grants postings at Grants.gov and apply online.
5. Search also foundations for project funding: use the Foundation Center Web site or Foundation Center book collections in libraries to identify national, State, and community foundations.
6. Learn how to write grant proposals: follow CDFA's Developing and Writing Grant Proposals, or take the Foundation Centers Proposal Writing Short Course.

Key Federal Funding Sources

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• Grants.gov
• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
• Indexes and Listings Indexes and Listings
• Writing Grant Proposals
• Federal Agency Contacts in States
• State Single Points of Contact

Grants.gov
Federal grants Web site that allows organizations to electronically find and apply for current competitive grant opportunities from ALL Federal agencies. Grant seekers can check on notices of funding availability posted in the last 7 days; sign up to receive e-mail notification of future grant opportunities; and apply for Federal grants online through a unified process. For full Federal program descriptions, see CFDA below.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (General Services Administration)
The Catalog (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
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
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
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 government (both Federal and State) grants development and may provide guidance to grantseekers. For help in identifying State-level grants, other State government agencies Web sites include: State and Local Agencies by Topic, the Library of Congress' State Government Information and National Association of State Development Agencies.

CDFA in Print (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. To order a copy of the Catalog from the Government Printing Office, search "Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance" or "CFDA" for cost and availability.

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