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Who Can Get
a Grant?
There are many
different kinds of grants available, and they are aimed at several
different kinds of recipients.
Some grants are
designed to benefit individuals. This is the smallest category of
grants, but for those who are qualified to benefit, the rewards can
be substantial.
Grants to
individuals include scholarships and fellowships to students.
Government education aid ranges from the standard Pell Grant
available to undergraduates, to underwriting professional education
to fill shortages, to training for blue-collar jobs in economically
depressed areas of the country. In addition, thousands of privately
funded scholarships are available for young students, mature
students returning to college, and professionals at the height of
their careers.
Some foundations
provide assistance with healthcare needs for individuals, and some
corporate funding is available for treatment and drug therapies.
Certain foundations offer highly targeted grants, such as grants to
widows of men in certain occupations, or persons with specific needs
in designated communities. Artists and writers may find grants to
support their work. Individuals who work for social justice or make
contributions in their professions may be eligible for personal
financial support.
One of the
questions I'm most often asked concerns grants to support
businesses. If you are looking for money to help underwrite a new or
existing business, there are a variety of resources to explore.
The U.S. government
offers assistance through the Small Business Administration. SBA
offers few direct grants, but the agency underwrites a broad range
of loan programs and provides extensive consulting support. SBA also
funds a national network of non-profit organizations which offer
microloans to startup and growing businesses. These microloans are a
promising alternative source of funding for businesses which might
not qualify for loans from standard lending institutions.
Both SBA and
Department of Commerce offer support to women and minority-owned
businesses. Economic Development programs at the national, state and
local levels sometimes offer grants to businesses.
In general,
however, the best offers from the government are available when a
government agency has identified a need and designed a program to
fulfill the need. Many such programs exist in the areas of training
and housing, among others.
The greatest
numbers of grants, whether from foundations, corporations, or
government, are available to non-profit corporations. Tax laws make
it possible for wealthy individuals, families, or businesses to
redirect money they would otherwise have to pay in taxes, to
underwrite charitable causes.
This money must be
granted, however, to organizations which have qualified for
non-profit tax status. In the United States, that means
organizations which have obtained 501(c)(3) status from the Internal
Revenue Service. In Canada, and most other countries, the government
taxing authority offers similar designations to qualified
organizations.
Non-profit
corporations may be established to receive money that will be used
for a charitable purpose, for the benefit of the community. If you
have a community project, you can use the non-profit structure to
find grants to fund your work, and to provide a salary to you while
you do the work you enjoy.
It is often
possible, also, to create a parallel structure of a business and a
non-profit corporation, and thus provide indirect support to a
business. An example might be a dance studio that offers classes to
both private pay and low-income students. A parallel non-profit
might be established to receive grant funds to provide scholarships
to low-income dance students.
If you would like
to learn how to write grants for a community project, or to start a
new career as a Certified Grant Writer, check out our Grants
Training Classes at:
www.GrantMeRich.com/classes.htm
2008
(c) Live Oak Tree, LLC
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