Grant Assistance

Guide to Grant Assistance

Are you looking to start a community project but need help funding it? Do you know about the opportunities grants can provide, but need help finding specific grants that suit your organization’s needs? My office can help you…

Find the opportunity- This guide provides a variety of information to help you begin your search.  If you need additional help, my office’s staff can help you sort through the myriad opportunities to narrow down where to look.

Letters of support- Our office is happy to write a letter of support for applicants within the 2nd Congressional District who meet certain requirements. To request support, please complete and submit our Grant Support Request Form. Click here to download our Grant Support Request Form.

For more information about how my staff can help you with grants or to request a letter of support, contact Sarah Blei at 850-785-0812 or sarah.blei@mail.house.gov.

Grants.gov – This website is managed by the US Department of Health and Human Services and is a good place to start for any grant seeker. It has a variety of tools and resources to help you determine who is eligible for grants, find opportunities right for you and directions on how to apply. Grants.gov also has the capability to help you register your organization for a Dunn and Bradstreet number (DUNS), which is required to apply for some funding announcements.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance – This website describes over 1,000 federal grant opportunities and non-financial assistance programs. Grant seekers can access online tools to learn how to write an effective grant proposal and get more information about the granting agency’s program objectives, requirements, application procedures and contacts.

Note: While Grants.gov only lists current, non-expired grant opportunities, the CFDA lists all opportunities including those that have closed.   

The Grantsmanship Center – This website offers a variety of helpful resources to both grant makers and grant seekers. You can find information about top funding sources separated by state, county or congressional district and get information about grant announcements, awards, deadlines, etc.

The Foundation Center – The Foundation Center is a major source for private philanthropy information in the United States. It focuses on providing  help to people on many levels (i.e. grant seekers, policy makers, researchers, general public) understand and make the most out of the field of philanthropy. The Foundation Center also maintains a database of grants and granting agencies.

The Community Foundation  – This website is a great source to find funding assistance for nonprofit agencies, completely separate from federal grants. The Community Foundation is an organization that strives to connect donors and volunteers with the organizations that need their help.

Community Foundation of North Florida

Community Foundation of Northwest Florida

A majority of grants are awarded to state/local governments or non-profit agencies with 501(c)(3) tax exemption status. Other government websites and resources may be more suitable for personal needs.

            Personal Needs - Benefits.gov

            Student Loans - Studentaid.ed.gov

            Small Business Assistance – sba.gov

            Business Opportunities – USA.gov/Business/Business-Gateway