The federal government gives out grant money.
If you are looking to start a small business, begin an environmental conservation project, further your education or start a nonprofit organization, the U.S. government gives out grant money for the aforementioned pursuits and more. Grants are literally free money, not loans: They do not need to be repaid. There is a straightforward, effective and simple system for obtaining grant money from the federal government.
Instructions
1. Come up with several compelling reasons why the federal government should issue you a grant. If you are starting a small business, figure out how your business will help your community's economy. If you are beginning a nonprofit organization, list concrete examples of how your organization will aid those you want to serve. If you are looking to further your education, write down how your education will allow you to serve your nation. The government needs to know that their grant is going to benefit a community and not simply enrich someone.
2. Figure out what grants are available to you. One way to do this is to search the Web for available federal grants. There are many websites, such as Grants.gov and Business.gov, that list federal government grants for individuals, small businesses and nonprofit organizations.
Networking is another excellent way to find out about grants. Ask small business owners, employers, university counselors, nonprofit advisers and/or business contacts about federal grants. Make a list of all of the grants for which you would like to apply.
3. Write a grant proposal. Grant proposals are informational papers that tell who you are, how you (or your business/organization) will benefit the community, why you need the grant money and what you plan to do with the funding.
An ideal grant proposal will make a convincing case as to why you should receive the grant funding. If you do not have experience in proposal writing and the guidelines for the grant that you are applying for do not say that you must write your own proposal, it may help to hire a professional grant writer. Grant writers have extensive expertise in proposal writing and will produce high-quality work. Grant writers charge around $60 for their services.
4. Apply for the grant. Submit your grant proposal along with any other necessary information such as application materials, school transcripts and letters of recommendation to the agency before the application deadline. Whether you are issued the grant money, send a thank-you note to the decision maker after you hear a response on your application.
