What is a Federal Grant

Do you need money from the federal government? Well, you can get it if the government decides to award the federal grant to you. 

But what is a federal grant? Basically it is financial assistance given from one of the several federal agencies. When it is given, it is suppose to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States. 

There are two types of federal grants namely project and formula grants. 

Those covered by the project grants are those aimed for the arts, education, health care, scientific research, social services and technology development.

The formula grants on the other hand are mandated by law and there are various levels for this type of grant namely categorical, block and earmark grants. 

Categorical grants have a narrowly defined purpose and recipients must have the same amount of money needed to avail of this program. To get a block grant, you don’t need to produce the same amount of capital. Of the three, earmarks grants are quite controversial because lobbyists not ordinary people are the ones involved in securing it.

But how do you apply for a federal grant? To apply for it, you have to fill up an application form and then attach certain documents with it. The most important of which happens to be your proposal. 

Your proposal should not only have a nice cover letter. It must have something worth reading from beginning to end. 

While introductions are nice, those reviewing the proposal would like to know more based on the problems your proposal wishes to address, the objectives, how you propose to do it, how much money you will need, the length of time of the project, the measures of success and in the end, a summary of what you are proposing. 

If you are able to submit a good proposal which falls under Executive Order 12372 and you are able to get the support of business and community leaders as well as elected officials, the chances of it being awarded are much higher. 

Before you send out your proposal for the federal grant, write it one or two times and then have this checked by an outside party. If you are not happy with the proposal, rewrite it again because everything should be clear and concise. 

When the final draft has been made, bind everything together using either clamps or hard covers. To get good points, find out from the Federal agency you are writing to which one they prefer. Send this by registered mail and just wait for a reply from the government. 

Aside from the federal grant, this is also offered by private non-profit organizations such as foundations, not-for-profit corporations or charitable trusts which are all collectively referred to as charities. So don’t lose hope if your application for a federal grant was given to someone else. 

You just have to go through the same process because this is the way it is done when you need funding for a special project. 

The federal grant is one way for the government to give back the money that it gets from the taxpayers. If after careful review the committee sees that your project will benefit your community or even a greater number of its citizens, there is no doubt that this will be awarded to you. 

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Should You Hire a Professional Writer for the Federal Grant

The application form and the proposal are the two of the most important things that the Federal Government review before they decide whether or not to give you the federal grant. Since writing it is a time consuming process, you may have to ask if it will be better to hire a professional writer to put this down on paper. 

If you do hire a professional writer, this person can sit down at once and begin writing it as long as all the information he or she needs is available. Since they are not doing other duties which is quite common in an organization, you are sure that this will be finished way before the deadline. So they are on the same page as your organization, monitor their progress and review what they have done so far. It is common for revisions to be made several times before you see the finished product. 

Since these individuals are temps, you only hire them once when they are needed. This will make it easier for you to also dismiss them if you don’t like how they are writing the grant proposal. The only problem with hiring someone outside the organization is that they may not be familiar with the project that the organization is currently working on, which means they have to read up on it and this will take some time. 

Organizations that hire a professional writer will have to pay them a certain amount of money to get the job done which means shelling out more money when this could have been used for something else. If you decide to continue on this course, make sure that their fee is reasonable and in direct correlation with the complexities of your project. If they want a percentage based on the amount you could get, forget about them and look for someone else. To get your money’s worth, you have to interview various applicants and see their previous work. If they have done this before and have successfully helped another organization get a grant, so much the better. 

But before you do that, it will be a good idea first to see if someone within your organization can do it. If someone on staff can do the job just as good as hiring a professional, there will be no need to bring out the extra cash. If all else fails, then this is the only time you should consider hiring someone from the outside. You can try getting help from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), American Association of Grant Professionals or the Philanthropy News Digest that has a list of qualified people based on their areas of expertise. 

To get a federal grant, you have to write a proposal that is much better than what other organizations are able to present. This will be very easy if your organization has been doing this for a very long time but if the one you are working for is just starting out, don’t take chances and get help. Don’t forget to review before sending to the federal agency you are applying as this will give you time to make some revisions if it is needed because once this goes to the mail, there is nothing you can anymore except wait. 

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

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K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

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How to Write a Federal Grant Proposal

Winning a federal grant is not easy when people from all across the country apply for this each year. To help you out, here is how you do it. 

The proposal is made of many parts and when this is put together, it should be able to give the reader an idea of what you want, how this is to be achieved, how much will it cost and what are the short and long term objectives. 

Before you apply for a federal grant, you must already have an idea as to what you are proposing as this will help you figure out what is your need statement. 

The need statement is the starting point of writing a grant proposal because this is what the funders will be looking at when they decide whether to grant this to you or not. When it is being written, focus on the people you serve and not your organization, use statistical facts and expert testimony, avoid circular reasoning and it must be easy for the reader to understand.   

After the need statement, you have to write down what are your goals and objectives. By stating this in quantifiable terms, you have an idea who in the community will be best served and what your organization hopes to accomplish. 

For the reader to be convinced that such goals and objectives can be met, you have to show what methods you will be using to make this happen. When this section is being written, you have to explain why such methods were chosen and if such activities are feasible. 

After these actions are taken, you have to answer the question which is how are you able to evaluate the project you are proposing. It should answer whether your hypothesis was right, were the objectives were met, did you make a significant impact at all, what was the feedback of the people and what changes need to be made to make it more successful in the future. 

In the end, the big question will be how much are you asking for in your proposal. If this is a direct federal grant, you may be able to get a huge sum. This is less likely for the pass through grant since you only get a small slice of the pie. 

It would be nice if you have funding from other sources so the government will see that you are asking other organizations for their help and support. 

In every grant proposal, you must never forget to talk about your organization and what does it do exactly. This is what distinguishes you from other organizations out there and if you have had successful accomplishments in the past, it would be nice to bring them up as these are plus points in the eyes of the reader. 

Once you are finished putting the most important parts of the grant proposal, it is time to put it together. If it consist of a lot of pages, better put in a table of contents. 


The grant proposal must be reviewed before it is submitted so that you will have time to make those finishing touches.  When it is ready, send it and hope that after all your hard work, you will be able to win the federal grant. 

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

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How To Apply For Federal Grants

The government has been providing a lot of money of financial assistance which can be taken advantage of through grants.  The federal government has 26 Federal agencies and about 1,000 grants available to different organizations every year.  

Grants are provided by the federal government so that different organizations would be able to continue the services they render to the public, whether it is an art, education or research institution.  Contrary to what people usually think, federal grants are not free money.  It is a financial obligation that the recipient should fulfil or else face legal issues. 

If you think that you and your organization is ready for a grant then you can start applying for one. Applying for a grant is completely different once your granted with it.  There are responsibilities that come with the grant.  So you have to be forward in your way of thinking, are you ready to handle the obligations if your application becomes successful?  

Once a federal grant is already awarded, you have to have an ability to monitor the funds allocation and expenditure.  The federal agency who rewarded the grant will be conducting auditing and monitoring on a regular basis.  Any changes on the program, may it be the phasing of the project requires you to inform the agency at once.  

Once you have identified that you are ready for the grant, then research and look for grants applicable in your field.  There are different resources you can check to look for grants.  There are public libraries which have listings of grants, these books are updated yearly.  Make sure to be prepared in copying the grants listing since these books cannot be taken out of the library.  

Aside from public library books, there are great online websites that you can check to look for federal grant lists.  But not all of the federal grants can be found in the internet, though some can be found in it.  Most of the grants that can be found in the internet, also have the application process included. 

When you already have the lists of grants that you find suitable for your organization, identify which one is the best match for your needs.  Rank it according to the most suitable to the least.  The idea here is that you would identify what would be best suited for your program and have higher possibility of grant approval.

When identifying grants you want to consider the following factors: 

• A grant is an obligation.  It is important to fulfil this obligation without sacrificing the goal of your institution or organization.

• Is the grant covering the program or project that need the financial assistance.

• Is your organization able to meet the requirements asked by the deferral agency.  

You also have to follow the application process.  When completing the paperwork, there would be guidelines on how to, you have to follow them exactly.  Be concise and exact when answering the application questions. You can provide additional information as attachments for reference.  

You can ask somebody to read the application process to be sure that it is understandable and all together informative.  They can also help in proofreading the application form and other answers which are out of place.  Writing a grant somehow is similar to writing a business plan. 

If you are having difficulties writing grant papers, there are books and articles which can help you in writing good application for grants.  There are some who would hire grant consultants, i.e., Chambers Consulting Group, LLC.  to make sure that their grant application would be written in a professional manner and follow the agency guidelines.

Check the application deadline, you do not want to spend too much effort on something which you cannot finish and submit on time.  If you have inquiries, usually there are numbers where you can call and ask questions. When you call, just make sure that you have the questions on hand. 

You do not want to waste your time and also other people’s time with small talk.
  

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

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Federal Grants for Teachers

In the educational system, students are not the only ones who can get federal grants. In fact, teachers can do the same thanks to the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007.

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 entitles qualified candidates to get a federal grant of up to $4,000 a year and have the intention of teaching public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families. 

You must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing the program of study for which you received a TEACH Grant. In the event that you fail to honor your commitment, you are required to repay this loan to the U.S. Department of Education. You will also have to pay interest from the date that the grant was disbursed.

If you are really interested, you are advised to contact the financial aid office at the college where you will be enrolling. 

To apply for the federal grant for teachers, you must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

You must be U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. 

Be currently involved as an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate student in a postsecondary educational institution that has chosen to participate in the TEACH Grant Program and in a course that is necessary to begin a career in teaching. 

Once in the program, you have to maintain a GPA of at least 3.25 during your academic years. 

Lastly, you have to sign an agreement which basically says that you have to repay the money that was given if you fail to teach for the assigned period. This document you sign known as a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve is renewed annually. 

Your chances of being given by federal grant are much higher when you will teach subjects such as Bilingual Education and English Language Acquisition, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Reading, Science and Special Education. 

If the field of expertise you want to pursue is not mentioned, you can check with the Department of Education in your area or in other states where there are shortages. 

To know more about what it takes to be a teacher in a low income school, you can check what is written on section 9101(23) of the Elementary and the Secondary Education Act of 1965 or in section 602(10) of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.

The truth is that the educational system in this country has gone lower and lower and one way to improve that is to get qualified teachers who have the commitment and determination to make that change. 

A lot can happen in the next four years and after doing your time, you can move on to teach in other schools or choose to stay and leave a mark for those who have to study in low income schools. 

By applying for a federal grant, it is only right that you give back what was taught to you so everything you have learned will be put to good use and you can see that in the eyes of the students. 


Just remember that if you fail to complete the required teaching service as explained above, you will have this back to the government as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan with interest charged from the date of each TEACH Grant disbursement.

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

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Federal Grant Categories

To date, more than 1,000 federal grant programs are offered by the 26 federal agencies. These consist of 21 different categories and you should read on to find out more.

Anything that has to do with crops,  livestock and the land belongs under Agriculture. 

If it has something to do with preserving the nation’s history, this falls under the category of Arts and the Humanities, Recovery Act or Regional Development

Any ideas that will help improve the economy are the category Business and Commerce. This is not only for the US but also with nations that the country has economic ties with to improve the situation over there. 

To fight against alcohol, abuse, drugs and other vices, such proposals fall under the grant category of Community Development. 

Every year, the country faces natural disasters. While there are federal agencies around that help in the effort, any ideas that have never been done before are most welcome as there is also a category that focus on Disaster Prevention and Relief. 

There are some who say that there is something wrong with educational system in this country. If you want to help resolve this issue, you can submit a proposal under the category Education. 

A lot of people have lost jobs this past year and that number is expected to grow. If you have a proposal that can help the unemployed find work, a proposal can be sent under the category Employment, Labor and Training or Social Services and Income Security

Renewable energy is the answer to save the environment and decrease the country’s dependency on foreign oil. This will also help reduce the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere that also contribute to climate change. If you have ideas, you can write a proposal on Energy, Environmental Quality or Natural Resources. 

Part of reducing the dependency on oil is the promotion of hybrid cars. While American made vehicles are not there yet compared to the Japanese, progress is being made. If you can develop a car that is going in that direction and need funding, write a proposal under the category Transportation. Technological advances in other fields should be addressed to Science and Technology.

We try to follow a certain diet so we get the right amount of nutrients daily. While eating is not enough, this should also be combined with exercise. Such a proposal takes a lot of research and this can be done if you are able to write a proposal under the category Food and Nutrition or health. 

If people don’t have jobs, they will eventually lose their homes especially when they are still paying for it. If you have ideas that could help people keep their homes, a proposal should be sent under the category Housing. 

Figures are what people look at to make a point. Since getting a census is not always effective, if you have a better way to do it, a proposal will be serve under the category Information and Statistics.

While the government is in charge of making federal and state laws, it is still the people who should be heard. If there are problems and you have a way to address it, a proposal should be sent under the category Law, Justice and Legal Services.


The amount of money you get from the Federal Grant varies. You should send your application together with the supporting documents that mention how much you need so this can be properly evaluated. 

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

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Federal Grants For Minorities

It is the government’s responsibility to provide the needs of its people regardless of its gender, ethnicity of religion.  But in the present, minorities are always in a position where they would encounter difficulties in the field they are in.  Freedom, however, does not erase prejudice and discrimination, it is imbibed in the culture which would take a long time to be changed.  Federal grants for minorities ensure that the minority would experience equal rights and opportunities. 

Minority federal grants can be divided or categorized into two groups:

• Ethnic minority grants -  are grants designed to offer financial assistance based on ethnic challenges.  Such as grants offered to African American or Latino/Hispanic students.

• Non – ethnic minority grants – are grants provided to individuals who have physical or mental barriers that placed them on disadvantaged position.  These are grants offered to students who have physical disabilities, mental and learning challenges like autism, and even women education grants.  

Educational grants provided to minorities are somehow similar to scholarships.  The difference is that scholarships are based on the financial need and merit of the students, while educational minority grants are based on financial need by the marginalized students or ethnic minority students.  

Actually educational grants for the minorities would also be the same as the popular federal grants like the Pell Federal grant.  Although, these grants are open not just for minority students, most of the grant recipients are from those sectors. 

If you are a minority who have hopes of starting your small business or maybe expand your business, there are also grants set aside for this purpose. The Small Business Association offers the financial assistance to small businesses. You can contact them directly to get informed about any application process or visit their website in SBA.com for latest information about financial aid.  

Here are other federal grants for minorities that can be checked out: 

• Bilingual / Bicultural Service Demonstration Grants – its objective is to help minorities who working with Limited-English- Proficient. This is a project based grant that aims to improve and linguistic competence of professional minorities.

• Community Programs to Improve Minority Health Program – this program is directed towards minority communities and supporting, developing, and conducting health care in the area.  It would include educational awareness seminars, testing and even access to treatment.

• Cooperative Agreements to Improve Health Status of Minority Populations – this program is geared towards expanding health knowledge of the minority to prevent untimely death and heal conditions.

• Family and Community Violence Programs – this is geared towards the prevention of violent occurrences in campuses and the community.

• Project Grants for Facilities to Improve the Health Status of Minority Populations – this intends to build or improve existing facilities addressing health and population of the minority.

• State and Territorial and technical Assistance Capacity Development Minority HIV/AIDS Demonstration Program – this is to promote better understanding of the disease in minority communities. 

When applying for a minority grant there would be necessary documents that are needed to be prepared.  Information about the proof oh=f household income, that you are indeed a minority, information about any past grants, how much money is needed and who would benefit from the funding.  

Although applying for federal grants can be exhausting, and at times disappointing, it is important not to give up! Federal grants exist for the simple reason to help the marginalized and those in need.

And if we need it, then we have the right to apply for one. 

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

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Federal Grants And Disability

Federal grants are money and financial aid provided to individuals and groups to improve their lives.  Yearly, there are big amounts of money allocated for people to use.  Disabled and handicapped people are also qualified to avail of these financial aids provided by the government.  

So how can you avail of grants like these?  The process could be simple but the application and getting the grant can be a little difficult.  There are different grants available to disabled people like personal and business grants.  There are also grants offered for disabled veterans. 

The best way to start applying for disability and handicapped federal grants would be to identify, first, what federal agency you are going to work with.  Just the same when you are applying for federal grants for a personal organization, you need to have a list of federal agencies that provides grants.  

You can check the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance and look for the agencies that can best adapt to your needs.  There are also books that have lists of federal agencies on them, actually, you do not have to buy the book.  There are books readily available in public libraries which got updated annually.  

With the current administration there are more federal grants available for individuals with disabilities and are veterans.  Actually, grants for the disabled and handicapped are not that limited to those who have physical disabilities.  There are also individuals who are mentally incapacitated who can also get federal grants.  

Federal grants for those who mentally incapacitated are provided to ensure that there would be facilities available for their intellectual growth and development. The federal grants available are meant to deal with the cost of having the disease diagnosed, intervening with the disease and getting a professional to assist with the mental therapy.  Disabled people can also avail of facilities designed to help them to deal with their disability.  

An employer is also incurred to pay the extra cost as included in the provisions of the grant. Sometimes, they have to make changes in how they managed their employees to deal with the disabled employees.  Included in the grants would be to improve workplace facilities,  welfare facilities, extra attendants for the mentally- challenged,  and additional coaches and caretakers for the mentally- challenged employees.  

As mentioned, the grants can be easily applied to but are difficult to get.  People can only be entitled with these grants if they are fully qualified.  According to Federal rules, the condition can be considered as a mental disability if it occurred or started before the age of 22.

There are different kinds of grants for the disabled, there are grants where disabled students could apply for financial aid.  There are also federal grants available for the disabled who would like to set up their own businesses.  Unfortunately, there are few grants like these which is why competition can be hard at times when applying for grants like these.  

When applying for disability grants, here are some pointers you can consider:
• You can only apply for a disability grant if you are a registered disabled person or a disabled person owns your home, if you are living with  a disabled person and if you are a landlord who has a tenant who is disabled.

• A test would be administered to assess the applicants.  Disabled children under the age of 16 can have their parents submit or file the application in behalf of them.


• There are grants that can help people cope in creating friendly and easy-access homes for their disabled family members.  It is important to get an occupational therapist to justify the recommendation for you in getting the federal grant.  

I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles/blogs on my site. Your feedback is important to us....and we wish you the very best!

+KJC

PS. You can now download "Taking You Beyond Where You Are Blogspot" on your Android Device; download the app today. 

K. JEVON CHAMBERS, Th.D.

CHAMBERS CONSULTING GROUP

"Taking You Beyond Where You Are"

Email: consultchambersgrp@ymail.com

Website: http://kjevonchambers.weebly.com/

Visit our Other Links

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