Understanding Government Grants

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What is a government grant?
Essentially, a government grant is a financial aid awarded by a federal agency. The government has established a grants program to help satisfy the business, educational, housing, medical and personal needs of eligible applicants.

It includes free money for businesses in the form of small business counseling grants, start-up or expansion capital, women-owned and minority-owned business funds, etc. Tuition grants, scholarships, grants for research, etc. are some of the education grants provided by the government. Apartment grants, land development funds, new construction funds, etc. are some of the housing and real estate government programs. Personal assistance, home repair, childcare, debt consolidation, medical bills, etc. are some of the categories for which grants are provided through it's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

Who grants the grant?
The Federal Government has 26 separate and distinct agencies that offer grants through their numerous departments.

The US government has already carried out more than 1,000 federal programs for the year 2010, and has funded almost 1.691 billion dollars to individuals as free grants. Besides, about 24,000 State Programs, 30,000 Private Foundations and 20,000 Scholarship Programs are available for the benefit of the citizens.

How many grants can I apply for?
An individual may be granted money under multiple categories as long as he or she is eligible for the grant. The scope of eligibility even extends up to those individuals who have a prior record of bad credit or bankruptcy. Government grants do not ask for credit checks, collaterals and co-signers because they do not have to be repaid.

How is a grant monitored?
Organizations that receive government grants are subject to strict supervision. They must meet detailed government performance standards during the project and funding period of the grant. Program goals must be developed meticulously, approved and executed precisely as specified in the grant application. Project changes, if any, must be approved by the government. Each phase must be completed on time and with verifiable success. Expenditures must be strictly accounted for and money not spent must be sent back to the Treasury. The government conducts comprehensive audits at least once a year.

Failure on the part of the grant recipient to do any of the above can result in penalties ranging from economic sanctions to prison.

So, How do I apply for one?
To apply for a grant online, you can examine the list of freely available grants through the government's official website at www.grants.gov, or through some companies that offer services for applying to these grants. Seeking the help of companies that aid in the grants application , such as www.governmentgrants.us, reduces the scope of errors in the application procedure, making it easier to get a grant.

In this day and age, a grant application to meet your business, educational, housing, medical and personal needs can be made with the click of a button. All you need to know is which agency to apply to and which company to approach to help you write a grant proposal that fits your needs.

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