Writing a Good Grant Proposal

Individuals seeking grants often turn to grant writing services, led by professionals that charge a huge amount of money for something you can do yourself. There are many ways that you can improve your own grant writing to create a quality grant proposal. Great grants should include an executive summary, which is a clear, simple introduction to the proposal, a statement of need, which demonstrates why the grant is necessary, a description of your program/project, a statement of your budget, information on your organization, and a succinct conclusion that ties all of these elements together. If all of these sections are written well and properly, receiving funding is almost a certainty. Read more at Writing a Good Grant Proposal

Write Foundation Grants Fast

If you have a big idea that you want to see come to fruition, consider reading “Five Days to Foundation Grants,” written by Pamela Grow! The author, who is both a fundraiser and grant-making, offers many tips about how to write and gain foundation grants successfully and quickly. The book is organized into five days, in which the reader researches, establishes a grant drawer, assembles testimonials, learns how to communicate how their organization is unique, and then finally begins to write their grant. The book even comes with a Grant Proposal Toolkit, which comes with a variety of samples that were actually funded. Read more at Write Foundation Grants Fast

Where to Find Scholarships

The cost of getting a college education has increased dramatically over the last ten years, so finding other ways to pay for it is essential. Other financial options are student loans, grants, financial aid and scholarships. Loans too and be costly in the long run so choosing one of the options is best. Scholarships are funded by organizations or companies and they usually have various of types of qualifications. If your wandering where to find scholarships you can go to your college financial aid office or search the internet. Government websites are a good place to start as they will have other resource links that can also be helpful. Read more at Where to Find Scholarships

U. S. Government Grant Department

If you are wandering about all the different grants that are available the best place to look is The U.S. Government Grant Department. This website will list all the different categories such as education, housing and urban development, justice, transportation, development and small business administration just to name a few. In total there are 26 federal agencies that award grants and each will have different requirements and ask for different information so it is important to real all the information regarding the grant you are wanting to win. Also none of the 26 federal agencies will provide assistance regarding any grant. Read more at U. S. Government Grant Department

Types of Grants and Where to Find Them

There are so many different types of grants available to those that need funding or require assistance. The most common are government grants, which are funds dispersed by the federal government for numerous reasons. State grants are also available, which are specific to one state, such as California or Texas. In addition, there are Pell Grants, which are federally awarded based on an applicant’s FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and project grants, which are available to individuals requesting funds for a specific development or plan. Other grants may not fit neatly into one of these categories, such as grants for small businesses. Read more at Types of Grants and Where to Find Them

Top Ten Things You Should Know About Grants

Many people know very little when it comes to grants, and assume they are for education purposes only. Grants can be used for so many things like starting a small business, buy a home and even pay bills of various types. Here are top ten things you should know about grants. Know what requirements are needed for the grant, know what type of grant you are wanting, Beware of websites that require a fee, as these are usually scams, make sure you are eligible for the grant you find, and the most important things to know is how to write a grant, providing all the information and proper submission of the grant you want to obtain. Read more at Top Ten Things You Should Know About Grants

Free Grants Community

The Free Grants Community is a great group of individuals that allows people to access the latest information on federal assistance and free money available! There are a wide variety of avenues to consider in the Free Grants Community, including reverse mortgages, microfinance opportunities, grants and opportunities for small business owners, many types of federal aid, and much more! This community can answer many questions that you have about federal and state assistance available, such as the parameters for each type of assistance, how you can qualify, and how to increase your chances of receiving and award! In addition, this resource can offer tips and tricks for grant writing for large projects. Read more at Free Grants Community

Scholarship Information

One of the easiest ways to pay for higher education is through scholarships, or financial awards given to students in undergraduate and graduate studies. There are four primary types of scholarships: merit based, need based, student specific and career specific. Merit based scholarships are awards disbursed based on how well the student has previously done; if a student has done very well in high school or early on in undergraduate education, they could receive a merit based scholarship. Need based scholarships are given to students based on if they have demonstrated financial need, such as if their parents can’t pay for their tuition. Student specific scholarships are given based on particular demographics of students, such as gender and religion, while career specific scholarships help students with particular career goals in mind. Read more at Scholarship Information

Refine Your Federal Register Search

It can be overwhelming to try and find a federal grant that fits your specific needs online. This is where an advanced search comes in handy! Reformulating how your search for grants can help you come up with more relevant and recent results; for instance, using the Notices section will undoubtedly show more recent grants as Notices of Funding Availability. In addition, a specific year can be searched in order to further narrow the grant possibilities and results. Using the tools of the Advanced Search function weekly or even daily can enable you and your company to learn about new funding opportunities as soon as possible. Read more at Refine Your Federal Register Search

Qualify for a Pell Grant

One of the best options for financing your college education is getting a pell grant. In order to obtain a pell grant you must qualify for a pell grant. The required qualifications will vary from pell grant to pell grant so it is very important that you read all the information in order to know if you qualify. Most financial aid offices will have someone available to help and answer any questions you may have, some may even be able to help you fill out the forms. It's also important to know that the rules and laws change often regarding pell grants so be sure you know what is new and current information. Read more at Qualify for a Pell Grant

Obama?s MyRA: What It Means To You

In his most recent State of the Union Address, President Obama announced the arrival of MyRA, a new retirement savings plan that allows individuals that don’t have retirement plans from employers to save their money as well. This program promises to be federally run, be deducted from after-tax pay, and will offer a fair return rate. However, because the President is creating it by Executive Order, employers are not obligated to offer it to their employees. There are strengths and weaknesses to MyRA; while you are guaranteed to not lose money that you invest and can borrow from it without penalty, the return rate is extremely low compared to inflation and the S&P 500, which may not be enough incentive for low income individuals to invest in it. Read more at Obama?s MyRA: What It Means To You

Microfinancing In The United States

One of the largest growing trends in finance in the United States is microfinancing, or a process of business and individuals receiving large numbers of small loans and other transferable services. Microfinancing can be a great option for small, start-up companies because it allows for appeals to the individual customer; if someone donates a small amount to a company they feel ultimately more connected to the project. One of the best resources on how to best facilitate microfinancing for your company or small business is by reading Alex Counts’ book “Small Loans, Big Dreams: How Nobel Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus and Microfinance are Changing the World.” Read more at Microfinancing In The United States