Want Free Money? The Truth about Government Grants

Government grants are grants supplied to individuals and organizations to be used for a public purposes or a purpose dictated by the grant provider. These grants do not need to be repaid, nor do you need any collateral used to secure the grant. Grants are given solely on the merit of the proposal or request.

You may have noticed those advertisements with the man in the crazy question mark suit that promise to help you find grants. You may find many online links that promise to lead you to free money. All of these advertisements will require that you pay a fee. Unfortunately, this information is often outdated and misleading. The truth is that you do not need to pay for government grant information. You can find current and free information on U.S. government grants, and grants from other organizations online.

You may also be misled to believe that government grants can be used for your own purposes, but they are to be used for specific reasons. Government grants are not granted for personal finance assistance, tuition, or business start-ups. However, other government organizations will help you with these personal financial needs.

If you are looking to make a livelihood in research or community service, a government grant is a good way to get started. Government grants can keep you involved in important social and charitable work. For instance, if you are passionate about making sure low-income people get appropriate housing, you can apply for and secure a government grant that will not only fund your plan but also give you an allowance to live on.

There are several different types of government grants available to the general public. They are project grants, formula grants, and earmark grants.

Project grants are given to fund projects for medical and research purposes. To acquire a project grant you must meet certain qualifications. Typically, and grantee is given three years to complete a funded project.

Formula grants are given to groups and individuals who will use the money to ensure a law is carried out. They are broken into two distinct areas. The first is a categorical grant, which has narrow guidelines, and the recipient must come up with enough money to match the amount given in the grant. The second is a bloc grant where individuals have a bit more freedom on how they use the money provided the grant is used for the stated purpose.

Earmark grants: The U.S. Congress specifies the use of Earmark grants. These grants are not awarded through contests as other grants are and are used for research of sociological or cultural issues.

The best place to find out and learn more about government grants is at the government websites designed specifically to promote and manage grants. There is government website that you can use to search, apply for, and secure government grants. The websites have a system set up that once you learn it you will be able to apply for grants on a weekly basis if you wish. There are reports of organization completing grant requests in 15 minutes.

Find Government grants at:

National service grants http://www.nationalservice.org/egrants/

US Government grants http://www.grants.gov/

Find Personal Financial Assistance at Benefits.Gov http://www.govbenefits.gov/govbenefits_en.portal
Find Student Aid at FederalStudentAid.Gov http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp
Find small business start up loans at SBA.org

http://www.sba.gov/
More information on Grants Loans and other Assistance for Non Profits

http://www.usa.gov/Business/Nonprofit.shtml

Andrea Hermitt is a featured writer for Xomba.com. Read the rest of her work here .