Discussion about grants, grant writing classes, seminars, courses, classes, and how to obtain government grants.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
USGG Website Site Selected
Hi Mrs. Santicola,
Long time no see, Happy New Year since the last time a few years ago I've seen you. I am studying for my bachelor's degree in Information Technology and we have a class work assignment in web design for our final grade. I was hoping that I could use your website as one of my favorite links to go to for grantwriting courses and information for church leaders that would like to get grant funding for their ministries, if it is ok please respond back to me via email giving permission to use your site. Thanks in advance and if you can not do this it's ok too. It's just good emailing you and corresponding with each other. I still believe you are awesome! Oh and I managed to get $6000 in grant funding and also wrote for an organization who took my advice and are up for monies with Parks and Recreation.
I just wanted to give you an update on what has happened since your class. We just got a $700,000 grant for our Hope House Project from Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, and another $100,000 from the Besser Foundation. We also have $250,000 pending which we think will be approved, so that means we are at about $1,000,000 without running the capital campaign yet! We need $1.5 million for the total project. Thank you so much for your workshop!
Lyle J. Dorr, MA LPC Executive Director Child and Family Services of NE MI, Inc.
I attended the grant writing workshop that was taught by Beverly Santicola. The class was well organized and full of useful information. The help does not end when the class ends, she is constantly sending us (class alumni) information and tools of how to locate money. She is very generous with her giving of information and knowledge in the art of grant writing and the art of finding the money.
Eric Burnett West Virginia State Police District Commander
Just wanted to share with you that my newly established non profit: Lights of Tomorrow was awared 501 c 3 status effective 11/15/09. I received word today that I will receive my Determination Letter in 2 weeks. Thank you for all your training and encouragement. Now my next step is to write grants to fund some of my endeavors. Check out my website to see how far we have come already. www.lightsoftomorrow.com . Thank you and stay blessed.
Your presentation style and organization of the material with samples of actual proposals really helped clarify the process. Thanks so much for the prospect research you did to find foundations possibly matched to The Brook School's mission.
The Stimulus Bill has two grants for colleges that want to establish or expand health informatics programs. Essentially it's for schools that want to use electronic health records software in medical education. The following article explains who is eligible, what's available and what colleges should do to prepare to apply.
Small businesses are the foundation of the American economy, and the spirit of independence and entrepreneurship is alive in millions of Americans today. Having a good idea is not enough, however. One of the most essential needs of every man or women wishing to start a new business is money. Whether you need funds to start a business, invest in a new opportunity, or meet personal expense, do not look to the government for help!
Countless late night commercials on television tout the ease of obtaining free government money, misleading entrepreneurs about this important source of funds. True, the federal, state and even local governments give out billions of dollars every year in “free government grants.” Yet this money is earmarked for specific agencies and projects that usually preclude any type of personal or small business use. The reality is that qualifying for a government grant is difficult – even for organizations the money is meant for. Nearly all government grants are designed to help non-profit organizations pay for specific programs benefiting the greater community. Without non-profit status through from the Internal Revenue Service, odds are that you are not eligible for those grants.
So Who’s Getting All That Government Money?
Getting any type of grant – but especially one offered by the government – takes an understanding of what the granting agency is looking to fund. The key to obtaining grant funds lies in being able to make your project request match a specific set of criteria; being able to prove your project’s worthiness; as well as having the unique ability to make the funder see the potential in your idea enough to be willing to help pay for it. Government grants are most commonly offered to these types of organizations:
schools libraries emergency services agencies hospitals community agencies service groups churches
Unfortunately, obtaining government funds is virtually impossible if you are a small business or a personal entity. For small businesses looking to expand, some special circumstances do exist, whereby small grants may be available. If you are willing to adhere to strict criteria – usually in regards to hiring certain types of employees – you may be eligible for government assistance. For instance, if you are willing to hire five former inmates in your factory, you may be able to obtain grant monies to help pay their salaries for the first year. The downside is that you may be required to keep these employees on staff for 3-5 years in order to get that grant in the first place.
For individuals, however, the doors of the government are usually tightly closed. Grants are instead given to nonprofit entities that help the needy. So if you are looking for help as an individual, it may be better to contact a local nonprofit organization or United Way to find out if there are any programs or services that you may be eligible for.
Buyer Beware!
Apart from infomercials, small business owners and other individuals are fall victim to unscrupulous grant writing services which promise to find government grants to meet business or personal expenses. We advise you to be extremely cautious about such promises. First, no grant writer – no matter how experienced – can guarantee success. The people doling out grant monies must review each application solely on its ability to meet their criteria. No matter how great your proposal, if it doesn’t meet the grantors requirements, it will not get funded. Thousands of very worthwhile projects go unfunded every year, despite desperate community need. In such a scenario, it becomes impossible for a grantor to give a business owner or individual money to expand a business, write a novel or pay bills.
Your Options
Unlike non-profit groups, whose main reason for existence is to offer services to the community that isn’t available elsewhere, for-profit entities exist to make money. Grantors don’t want businesses to make a profit from their generosity. They want to invest in the community; not individual business owners. That said, some communities do offer small grants to help bolster economic growth and may offer grants to businesses willing to relocate to specific areas or neighborhoods. These grants are usually fairly small in size, however, and may not be worth the cost of moving in order to qualify.
Further, minority business owners may also be eligible for grants. However, this does not mean there are loads of grant opportunities available for minority owners, as many research firms may suggest. Yes, there are some opportunities for women and other minority small business owners out there, but the few available are often limited in both size and scope. For those interested in looking into their own grant acquisition availability, the Small Business Administration (www.sbaonline.sba.gov) should be the first place to check, rather than a grant writer or research firm. Additional resources include the following:
The Federal Reserve Online (www.gpoacess.gov/fr/advanced.html) is a free grant seeking service offered by the United States government. It lists every federal government grant currently available, and allows users to download all forms and applications they may need to apply.
The Foundation Center (www.foundationcenter.org) offers the nation’s most comprehensive listings of grants available as well as educations tools for grant seekers.
Additionally, almost every federal agency offers its own grant opportunities. Sometimes, getting the information you need is as simple as logging onto the individual agency website. Here are just a few that offer some granting opportunities to organizations and small businesses:
The U.S. Department of Education (DOED) www.ed.gov Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) www.fema.gov Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) www.imls.gov Legal Services Corporation (LSC) www.lsc.gov The U.S. Dept of Commerce (DOC) www.doc.gov The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) www.fda.gov The U.S. Armed Forces www.defenselink.mil The U.S. Department of Agriculture (and Rural Development) (USDA) www.usda.gov The Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs www.exhanges.state.gov U.S. Department of State www.state.gov National Institutes of Health (NIH) www.nih.gov AmeriCorps www.americorps.org National Science Foundation (NSF) www.nsf.gov U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) www.usgs.gov U.S. Customs Service www.cbp.gov National Park Service (NPS) www.nps.gov Labor Department (DOL) www.dol.gov National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) www.nasa.gov National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) www.arts.gov National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) www.neh.fed.us Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) www.atf.gov US Coast Guard www.uscg.gov US Fish and Wildlife Service www.fws.gov U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) www.doe.gov Although it does seem as if the government is handing out a lot of free money these days – and it is – the problem is that very little of it is going to small business owners or individuals. Unless you are a large scale business entity or a non-profit organization with a great program that needs funding, the odds are that you will not be able to avail of government grant opportunities. While it is understandable that you would like to look into possible grant opportunities for yourself and your business, it is important to know the limitations of this so-called “free money” and to realize that there is not as much of it out there as many would have you believe. If you are searching for free grant money, begin your search on your own. Do not pay someone who promises to get you the funds you need – no one can promise that and the odds are that ultimately you will pay through the nose.
Just a short note to thank you for the loving way you teach the grant writing class I attended at Pastor Gordie's church. The information was excellent, but what I especially appreciated, was the personal approach and honest way you delivered it. Your heart is in your work, -- that's very clear, -- and it's obvious that the Lord is in your heart. I will keep you in my prayers, and look forward to the day when I read in the paper that San Pierre has been brought back to life by a lady who has a heart the size of Texas.
“Having just completed another grants workshop (by the Foundation Center), I found Bev’s excitement about the personal satisfaction of making a difference highly motivating. The content in the USGG grant writing workshop expanded on what I already heard from the Foundation Center.” Lilyan Snow, Baby Corner, Mercer Island, Washington
I just wanted to let you know that I had sent in my first grant proposal a couple of months ago, and we got it! I had never written a grant proposal before, and couldn't have done it without your help through the workshop. We got a $9,000 capacity building grant. Thanks!
U.S. Government Grants
2929 Buffalo Speedway, Suite 213
Houston, Texas 77098
713-840-1380 or 1-866-843-3493
Fax: 713-960-0537
Email:
santicola@sbcglobal.net
