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So now that you know how to write a great grant application, where do you go from here?
Your grant application actually starts and ends with Congress. Congress passes laws that will make funds available (called appropriation of public funds) to the different government agencies to fund major projects that would help some specific sector of the public.
Now, you have to remember that the funds themselves are free. They are public money, collected from the public, to be used for the public. But as to who is the proper authority to approve the use of such public funds, the Congress has that authority. It's even got a nickname - “the power of the purse.”
Congress decides how much money for government grants is allocated to each program. Anyone may apply for a grant, whether you are individual or the representative of an organization.
It should be noted, however, that individuals seldom get awarded grants by government since the projects required are essentially large-scale and must be community-based.
It is hardly doable for a single person to pave a street in a particular neighborhood or construct a new water-saving facility, and the like. As a result, most government grants are awarded to community-based organizations, such as schools, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, etc.
Tip! Applying for free government grant money takes a lot of skill. The art and science of applying for grant programs is called grantsmanship. Grantsmanship is no walk in the park and no stroll at the beach. The application process alone requires a lot from you, namely, money and time.
Upon approval of the federal budget, funds for free government grant are made available and announced in the Federal Register. The approved programs for free government grant application will appear in the Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).
The CFDA database can be accessed online at: CFDA.gov.
Entries include:
How grant money should be used
Application process
Detailed contact information
Criteria for reviewing and awarding of applications
Expectations from successful grant applications
Free government grant application could be made to programs related to your proposed projects. For instance, Congress has allocated $20 million to the Department of Health and Human Services or HHS, specifically for projects that aim to prevent cancer. So if you or your organization has a project in mind that relates to the HHS free grant objective, then you submit your application directly to the said federal agency.
Where else can you apply for a free grant? There are several other federal agencies with which you can apply for free federal grants. To inquire or submit your application, just access the websites of these different government agencies.
Tip! A federal grant is onerous, which means that there are conditions and obligations that require compliance. And often, these obligations and conditions are major, the amount of money you receive from the grant dependent on how large-scale or important the project is.
In addition, if you are a student and would like to avail of free government grant or student aid programs, then you can forward your free government grant application to Federal Pell Grants that extend financial assistance to students. You need to check on your eligibility first before making that free government grant application to Pell Grants.
The amount of Pell grants are based on financial need. Aside from that, the amount received by applicants would depend on the costs incurred to attend school, their student's status whether full or part-time and their plans to attend the entire academic year or less.
You can also forward your grant application to campus-based aid programs. The amount received by the students who submit their application would also depend on need, other free government grant applications made and the total funds available.
If you want to avail of other student-aid program, you apply at the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This student aid program not only provides free government grant (which you can apply for online or on paper) but also, loans and campus-based student aid programs. FAFSA can be accessed online through FAFSA.ed.gov.
How to Apply for an FAFSA Before starting the application process, there are a few things you need to consider. More specifically, you need to get and organize the documents specified in the following checklist:
Your Social Security Number (can be found on Social Security Card)
Your driver's license (if any)
Your 2005 W-2 Forms and other records of money earned
Your (and your spouse's, if you are married) 2005 Federal Income Tax Return - IRS Form 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, foreign tax return, or tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or Palau
Tip! “Free money! No-obligation, totally free!” Then, enter a smiling entrepreneur who breathlessly enthuses, “I got $40,000 for my small business!”Sound familiar? You probably saw that pop right on your screen while surfing on the Internet. Heck, I won’t even be surprised if you say you read it from your local newspaper or heard it over the radio. It’s practically the longest-running money-making scheme around – and the most tempting.
Your parents' 2005 Federal Income Tax Return (if you are a dependent student)
Your 2005 untaxed income records - Social Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, welfare, or veterans benefits records
Your most recent bank statements
Your most recent bank statements
Your most recent business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond, and other investment records
Your alien registration number or permanent residence card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
After procuring all the necessary documents, it's time for you to print a FAFSA on the Web Worksheet. You can download a copy of the worksheet from the FAFSA website. Write in your answers and gather your parents' information then transfer the data to FAFSA on the Web.
To sign your FAFSA, you have two options: sign it electronically with a U.S. Department of Education Personal Identification Number (PIN) or by mailing in a signature page. Application for PIN may also be done on the FAFSA website.
Tip! This should be obvious. When someone offers you “guaranteed” free grant opportunity for something like $24.95, you should be aware that this is not government practice. Most likely, that ad is a scam to steal your hard-earned income.
And finally, check your eligibility for federal student aid on the FAFSA website.
How to Apply for Free Grants at Grants.gov .
Another good site to find and apply for free government grants is Grants.gov, a website that lists all available government grants. Grants.gov was created as part of the President's Management Agenda (PMA) and related e-Government Strategy. It is only one of the 24 PMA initiatives devoted to improving services offered by the government over the Internet in partnership with the 26 federal agencies organized by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (the largest grant-making agency).
To apply, just follow the easy five-step guide below: Visit the site to find the right grant opportunity you'd like to apply for.
You can jump directly to this link (just copy and paste it to your browser): grants.gov/search/searchHome.do. The page contains specific information on grants available to you, including the criteria required.
Be sure you meet all the criteria in order to avoid wasting time making grant applications which may end up voided because of non-compliance.
Each grant opportunity is assigned a CFDA Number or Funding Opportunity Number. Just jot down the assigned number for your grant and then proceed to the next step:
Tip! Almost as important as your business plan is your grant application. After all, the grant is essentially your source of capital. If you have no capital, then you have no business starting your business in the first place. Below are some tips to help you write that winning grant application
Download the application package.
Go directly to apply.grants.gov/forms_apps_idx.html for information on the application package for your chosen grant opportunity. A link is provided there for you to download the free software package called PureEdge Viewer, which is required to fill out the application.
-After downloading and installing PureEdge, you are now ready to download the specific application package, using the grant's CFDA Number or Funding Opportunity Number.
-Register with Central Contractor Registry (CCR)
-Grants.gov uses e-Authentication so security is not much of a problem. Any information you send electronically in an application will be done via secure servers so they won't get compromised by third parties.
In addition, Credential Providers (a part of the e-Authentication technology) helps ensure that you are what your credentials are saying you are. Operational Research Consultants or ORC is the credential provider of Grants.gov.
When you apply for a grant, you will be given a username and a password, which you will need in order to register with Grants.gov as an authorized organization representative. Afterwards, you will then be asked to validate your registration.
Register with Grants.gov
Each Central Contact Registry (CCR) of an organization is assigned an e-Business Point of Contact (EPOC), so once you register with Grants.gov, the EPOC will send an email notification with your CCR, informing them that the grant applicant has registered to submit grants.
Tip! Because grants are essentially free money, the funds available for them are limited. After all, government can only spare so much money for those in need and at the same time keep funding other projects they may have. For this reason, student grants will not usually fully fund all your educational expenses.
The EPOC will then need to log onto the EBiz section of Grants.gov and assign the “Authorized Applicant” status to the grant applicant. This will also automatically trigger the program to send an email notification to the applicant, designating him as AOR and able to start submitting applications through the site.
As mentioned, there are several other federal agencies where you can apply for free grants. But if you want it fast and easy, then there is no better way than to do it online. Online applications move the process along much smoother and quicker than through traditional paperwork applications. In addition, websites such as Grants.gov offer user-friendly instructions and support tools, including a tutorial, a help section, a user guide, a quick reference section, and a FAQ page to help you along. | 
