Government Funding

Much of the revenue the federal government collects is cycled back to the local level. A portion of total government funding is distributed in the form of grants. Federal government grant is often used to provide grants to local government and organizations. Therefore, the federal government not only gives grants, State and local governments do, too.

Government grant funding provides economic assistance to States, local communities, and organizations. The purpose of funding is broad. There are more than 1,000 different funding opportunities distributed with 21 different giving categories. A sample of the 21 categories include:

Agriculture
Education
Economic Development
Health
Housing
Humanities
Law and Justice
Natural Resources
Transportation

Eligible organizations or individuals may apply at the federal, State, or local level. On the federal level, Grants.gov stores most government funding opportunities. The site also is how applicants apply by first registering, then downloading an application, and then uploading the final submission.

Some government funding opportunities are offered on the State or local level. Generally, every state has its own web site and posts competitive grant opportunities on their site. In addition, many cities and towns have their own government sites and post grant information on them.

Partnerships to Win Grant Funding

Winning grant funding is often not a solo effort. Collaboration is encouraged in the government grant funding process. For example, the federal government may award a “block grant” to certain area with a specific need. Then local organizations in that area may apply for funding, but usually must demonstrate that they involve the local community in planning. Some grants may require an organization to provide jobs to people in need in a specific community

Getting a Foot in the Door

Government funders award grants to those who demonstrate capacity to use grants wisely. Therefore, those who have already won government funding are more likely to win more. This is difficult for those who do not have a track record of government grant funding. Partnering as a sub-contractor with an organization with a track record of government funding is a good way to get a foot in the door. This is a particularly good strategy for individuals who was government funding.

Applying for Government Funding

Writing government grant applications can be daunting at first. There is a great deal of legal and contractual language in funding announcements. However, the government is required to make it possible for any citizen to understand the process. Therefore, there are sometimes public meetings discussion a particular funding opportunity. These meetings present information that will strengthen your application. Also, there may be helpful information published online. The telephone still works. Even at the federal level, there is usually a phone number to call.