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. 

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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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"

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/

Visit our Other Links

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Federal Grants And Housing

The United States has been facing an economic slowdown, the economy is facing an economic crisis which is in fact affecting a lot of other countries.  Because of this crisis, there would be times that we hoped that we could have something, like our own home, but uncertain on how to.  If you would like to have your own home but circumstances prove to be difficult, then federal housing grants could be an option.  

There would two types of federal grants that you can apply to: 

• Urban Development Grants – this federal housing grant is to help low-income families to own their own home.  But there are certain qualifications that you would have to meet before you are approved to have a federal grant.  To apply for this grant, you would need to have a steady employment that would enable you to earn enough to pay the mortgage.  The house should also qualify in the quality standards set and relatively less below the value cap. 

• Rural Development Grant – this type of grant is for moderate-income earners in a rural area.  The home should be in a rural area and should also meet the standards and requirements set.  The same with the urban development grant, you are also required to have steady source of income, good credit history and should have enough money to pay the remaining costs.

The government is taking a step in further improving the possibilities of increasing the number of people living in their own homes.  In 2009 about $11.5 billion is allocated by the government to federal grant money to help those who would need allocations.  

Federal grant money allows the recipient to make a down payment immediately to the house that they want to buy.  Aside from this, federal grants can also provide financing to those who would need home renovations.  There are also block grants which would allow the grant recipient do some home repairs because of weatherization.  This grant is formally known as the Community |Development Block Grant Program which extends support to both low and medium earners. 

This fund can be used for community development activities, construction of school buildings, starting job creation/ retention activities, restoration and preservation of historic properties in some depressed neighbourhoods. 

Federal grants for housing are available for businesses, non-profit and non-government organizations and even to individuals and their families.  Information about the federal housing grants can be acquired first-hand by contacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), they also have a website where housing grants can be checked.   The Catalogue for Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) also offers a information about the housing grants.  

Upon getting information about the federal housing grants, there are application forms readily available in the internet, or you can get the forms directly from the HUD office.  Make sure to read the application thoroughly and complete it in the same way.  

Follow the structure and format requested.  Also provide the necessary information and documents required to make sure that it would be processed accordingly.  There are grants which require the applicant to show up personally to complete the process. Make sure that you attend to the appointment and bring all the documents that you were instructed to bring.   

If you are a tenant, they you can also ask if are legible for tenant assistance.  There are grants that would provide you an allowance that would cover your household expenses.  Your landlord needs to agree with you so that you would be able participate in the program and get the grant.  

When applying for a federal grant, you would have to remember though, that it does not come “free” at all times.  It also follows a set or rules and requirements that you would have to abide to, so that you would be able to receive the grant.  Since not everybody is eligible to get the grant, it is important to know if you are qualified before you even apply.


Federal housing grants are made available to the public so that people would benefit from them, so start asking around and processing the application!

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

Virtual Office Jobs