Applying for a Grant - Where and How

 by: Rebecca Game

Applying for a grant used to be a difficult and tedious process. The applications were long and often difficult to obtain. Even worse, loans used to be difficult to locate. Unless you were extremely familiar with government loan programs, in all likelihood, finding a grand and applying for a grant meeting your specific needs may have been nearly impossible to find.

Fortunately, that has changed in recent years. Grants.gov, a web site listing all available government grants, was created as part of the President's Management Agenda (PMA) and related e-Government Strategy. Grants.gov is one of 24 PMA initiatives devoted to improving services offered by the government over the Internet. According to Grants.gov, the site was created as a partnership with the 26 Federal agencies that offer grant programs. It is organized by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, which is also the largest grant-making agency.

By visiting Grants.gov, it's easy to see how simple it is to apply for a grant. Gone are the days of preparing extensive paperwork and printed documentation, as well as mailing the paperwork to the agency awarding the grant. Instead, applying for a grant is now done electronically through the site, offering individuals and businesses the opportunity to flawlessly submit a grant application online.

There are five steps involved at Grants.gov in applying for a grant.

1. Find an appropriate grant opportunity in which you'd like to apply.

Visit Grants.gov/search/searchHome.do for specific information on grants available to you. Be sure you meet all criteria, or your time spent will be wasted because your application will be voided in that instance. Jot down the grant's CFDA Number or Funding Opportunity Number, which will be needed for Step 2, below.

2. Download the application package.

Once you've determined which grant or grants you'll apply for, you're ready to download your grant application package. Visit http://apply.grants.gov/forms_apps_idx.html for information. Your first step is to download PureEdge Viewer, which is a free software package required for filling out the application. The software is available to both Macintosh and PC users. Instructions are included as to how to install and use the software. After installing PureEdge Viewer, you're ready to download your specific application package. Have the grant's CFDA Number or Funding Opportunity Number for this step, which should have been obtained in Step 1, above.

3. Register with Central Contractor Registry (CCR).   (continued...)

Applying for a Grant - Where and How
  Page 2

About The Author Rebecca Game is the founder of Digital Women ®, an online community for women in business. A 30 year entrepreneur and dedicated to helping other women find business loans and business grants. Visit her site: Business Grants for Women or at her main site: http://www.digital-women.com.

Additional Government Grants Resources

Federal and State Technology Partnership Program
The Federal and State Technology Partnership Program works around the objective of being able to boost and strengthen the technological competitiveness of small business establishments in the United States of America.

---

Child Health Research Career Development Award Program
In accordance with this mission, the National Institute of Health has collaborated with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in an attempt to establish the Child Health Research Career Development Award Program.

---

Free Money Through Grants: Fact or Fiction?
It's posted all over the Internet. You hear it on the radio, and see it on television. The United States government is giving away free money in the form of federal grants. While it's true that the g...

---

Eradication of HIV from CNS Reservoirs: Implications for Therapeutics Grant Program
The National Institutes of Health has collaborated with The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) in an attempt to establish the Eradication of HIV from CNS Reservoirs: Implications for Therapeutics Grant Program.

---

American Schools and Hospitals Abroad Program
Much of the international aid provided by the United States government goes to support education and healthcare efforts around the world. Many of these programs are design to encourage the spread of American values to other countries.

---

Low-Income Housing Repair Loans and Grants
The United States Office of Rural Development has been running the Low-Income Housing Repair Loans and Grants program wherein they intend to assist very low-income income homeowners in rural areas in the difficult and costly process of putting their homes up for repair.

---

Downpayment Assistance Program for the First Time Home Buyers in North Carolina
In an attempt to contribute to the eradication of this problem, the North Carolina HFA has established the Downpayment Assistance Program for the First Time Home Buyers wherein they provide interest-free, deferred second mortgages up to $8,000 to cover the downpayment and closing costs of a chosen property.

---