World’s leading producer of aluminum and aluminum products, Alcoa and its community foundation is one of the largest corporate foundations in the U.S., with assets totaling over 436 million dollars. The Alcoa Foundation offers many forms of grants to expand business and educate workers. The Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Foundation makes annual business expansion grants designated to support programs that address challenges and opportunities in the African–American community within the state of Arkansas. The Battle Creek Community Foundation is a public foundation built by individuals, families and businesses that care about their community and offer local entrepreneurs grants to expand business outreach. Another great private foundational resource offering annual business expansion grants is the Citi Foundation. The Citi Foundation offers grants to expand business in the areas of microfinance and  icroenterprise. While private foundational grants are far and few between, if you put forth the effort your efforts will pay off, especially when seeking business expansion grants.

Another popular alternative is good old Uncle Sam. Grants.gov is your online destination to begin your search for grants to expand business. Employment and Training Administration offers business expansion grants to train new workers and retrain old employees. Federal government business grants and opportunities are offered in the areas of health, technology and infrastructure supply and support. The National Institutes of Health offers many Information Technology grants to expand business in the area of computational technology and biomedical computational science. Community mental health providers and centers can often times secure business expansion grants from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development program.

Don’t forget about grants to expand business through direct profit is also available at the state level. A good example is the Construction of State Home Facilities program, sponsored by the federal government. Federal funds which can be used indirectly as business expansion grants are allocated to individual states. In turn, these states accept construction bids which are in turn funded by the mandated allocations. Indirect grants to expand business can come in many forms for the business owner smart enough to take advantage of them.

Entrepreneur’s, sole proprietors and corporations can all benefit by researching and applying for business expansion grants at the private foundation, state and federal levels. The savvy business owner knows it’s important to make use of grants to expand business.

Generally, most people who are looking for money to start a business stand a much better chance of getting a small to medium business loan opposed to a federally funded business grant. It’s important to know the difference between business grants and business loans, because the federal government offers both. Many of the available federally mandated opportunities are available to business owners in the industries of tourism, child care, agriculture, environmental management, manufacturing and technology. Business grants are very difficult to get due to very stringent governmental requirements that applicants must meet. Business grants are sparingly awarded and notoriously hard to win by the typical mom and pop small businessperson unless you qualify as a minority business owner.  It pays to look at both business grant opportunities as well as federally subsidized small to medium business loans.

If it’s a grant you seek for your business, the major awarding federal agencies are U.S. Department of Agriculture, known as the USDA; the U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Institute of Standards and Technology; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also known as NOAA, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Education; U.S. Department of Energy; the National Science Foundation or NSF and the National Institutes of Health known as the NIH. You can easily navigate to any of these web sites from the primary federal Internet portal at Grants.Gov.

If you are a small to medium business owner, or are thinking about becoming one; and your business is in the industries of tourism, child care, agriculture, environmental management, manufacturing or technology – you may want to pay a quick visit to SBA.Gov to look over available loans, opposed to business grants. The business may be a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or any other legal business entity. The SBA or Small Business Administration offers low-cost loans to independently owned and operated businesses or business start-ups who:

• Are organized for profit;
• Has a place of business in the US;
• Operates primarily within the U.S. or makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labor;
• Is not dominant in its field on a national basis.

At the SBA website, explicit and easy to follow instructions with videos can also be found detailing how to register with the U.S. Government so as to be eligible for all available loans and associated business grants up for award.

The best known and easiest grants for college by far to get are financed by the federal government and are called a Pell grant. It’s simple to apply for a Pell grant, and after completing the FAFSA application form, usually most the paperwork is done by the college itself on your behalf with very little work required on your part. The general conditions you must meet to qualify for a Pell grant are:

• Be a U.S. citizen or citizen of a U.S. protected territory
• Poses a valid social Security number
• For males aged 18 to 25, you must be registered with Selective Service
• Be free of criminal drug or moral aptitude convictions
• Meet financial needs criterion
• Enroll in a state approved institute of higher learning

For people who do not qualify for federal aid, there are alternative college grants available. Most colleges have in-house scholarships – which work pretty much the same way as college grants. Your college guidance counselor can walk you through the process.

Other forms of grants for college are occupation specific. There are massive shortages of educated, qualified personnel in several occupational specialties. Nursing and information technology are the top two occupations that have money available.

If you’re considering a nursing career, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing is an excellent resource. They offer access to full scholarships and college grants to those who qualify. Another great resource is called a State Specific college grant, especially if you live in a state where the nursing shortage is at critical levels. Don’t forget that if you’re male and entering the nursing field, you’re classified as a minority student and there are special grants for college and other opportunities available for you.

Finally, don’t forget about private foundations and large corporations who offer scholarships and college grants that will help pay for some, and many times all of your secondary education. One of the most generous corporate entity is the soft drink giant Coca-Cola.

Some simple tips to remember when applying for college grants are:

• The biggest reason college grants applications are rejected is due to poor writing. Check your spelling, grammar and thesis statement of need.
• If your college grants application requires a photo, take the time and expense to  have a new headshot taken: There are no second chances on first impressions.
• Communicate your enthusiasm for the subject you want to study very clearly.

In the workforce of tomorrow, a college education is very important. Take your time, talk to your college admissions officer or guidance counselor about the available grants for college and remember, there are many alternatives available in the sometimes confusing world of college grants.

Commercial grants are grants offered by select private foundations and at the federal, state and local levels which can be used for commerce related purposes by businesses and public entities. Commercial grants can be used for property or building purchases, building construction that benefits your local area as well as to demolish and reconstruct after a natural disaster. Commercial grants are available for land development, labor costs, enforcing or meeting public building codes with safety improvements and more.

Private foundation commercial grants, also called commercial charitable gifts, can be hard to come by these days because of the continued tumultuous U. S. economy.  Private, corporate and community foundations as well as community groups are a good starting point of inquiry. Remember, if you’re going to invest in your community, looking in your own back yard first may garner the results you need.

Commercial grants are grants offered and at the federal, state and local levels, while time-consuming to research and apply for, are well worth the effort and can also be used to bring old structures into the modern age of operational affordability. Just some of the funding available at these levels are:

• Solar Energy. Eligible solar energy property
  equipment that uses solar energy to generate at least some electricity is one
  growing area. This can be used to heat or cool a structure, provide hot water
  or even to provide solar processed heat;
• Fuel Cell Installation. Eligible properties generally include fuel cells with a minimum capacity of 0.5 kW which have an electricity only generation efficiency of thirty percent or greater;
• Installation and Construction of Small Wind Turbines. Eligible small wind electric generated property includes wind turbines up to 100 kW in capacity.

Other commercial grants are offered to provide and upgrade:

• Geothermal Heat Pumps;
• Micro-turbines;
• Hybrid Combined Heat and Power Alternatives, also known as CHP.

Qualified private facilities may be allowed to sell excess generated energy to qualified public facilities. Qualified public facilities include wind energy facilities, closed-loop biomass facilities, open-loop biomass facilities, geothermal energy facilities, landfill gas facilities, trash facilities, qualified hydropower facilities, as well as marine and hydro-kinetic renewable energy facilities.

It’s true. In business it’s all about location, location, location. Your location will determine what funding is currently available for your commercial organization. The wise and savvy business owner will take the time to seek out private and government sponsored commercial grants.

A federal grant cannot used to obtain property or purchase services for the direct benefit of the federal government. There are several federal agencies which offer over one thousand combined federal government grant programs. Each program offers federal government funding opportunities that supply a financial lifeline designed to benefit the greater good of the nation as a whole. Those who qualify for a federal government grant are:

• Individuals
• Corporations
• Native American tribes
• For profit businesses
• 501-C-3 nonprofit organizations
• Counties, cities and states

There are several types of federal grants available, and all are agency-specific. The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control tend to offer money for health related research and disease identification and control. The National Science Foundation, which is split into several sub-entities, often overlaps federal government grant opportunities with the NIH, the CDC and sometimes the Department of Defense. The Department of Defense is charged with protecting our shores, land and citizens. The Department of Labor fosters and promotes the welfare of job seekers, wage earners and retirees by working to improve workplace conditions while protecting their retirement and health benefits as well as monitoring national economic resources.

Not all federal government grants are allocated to health, defense, scientific or national economic interests. Some federal agencies were designed strictly with the preservation of American culture in mind. The National Endowment for the Arts; the largest national source of funds for the arts, is a public agency dedicated to bringing the arts to all Americans and providing leadership in arts education.  The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal government grant agency and is dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation and public programs in humanities. The Department of Education sponsors grants to assure equal access to education and encourages educational merit inside federal education programs.

In the last decade, the federal government has changed the way it does business. The primary means of researching, locating and applying for federal government grant opportunities is now handled almost exclusively by the Internet via the federal government funding portal at Grants.Gov. There anyone with a computer and Internet access can research and apply for current and future funding opportunities for all twenty-six branches of the federal government. If you are willing to navigate the maze of federal agencies, research offered opportunities and learn to write your funding request in the way the government requires, whether you are an individual or a corporation – you can find a federal government grant tailored just for you.

Grant writing for private and corporate foundations is different than government grant writing. When learning how to write a grant asking for funding from private or corporate givers, while the format varies slightly between giving agencies, it still contains the same basic elements.

Formatted Heading: The granting agency will supply instructions on exactly how they want those who do the grant writing to format this important element. Usually not applicable in government grant writing, explicitly mandated margin breaks and wording will usually be required by the private and corporate giving sectors. Follow these directions in an exacting, explicit manner.

Executive Summary: For many who are new to learning how to grant write, this is one of the hardest parts of grant writing.  Again, usually not applicable in government grant writing, this element of your funding request concentrates on the sum of the whole and outlines the organizational structure, the mission and provides the reviewer a quick synopsis of the thesis.

Specific Aims: This is a required element in both government grant writing and when asking for private or corporate funding. Specific aims are line-item summations of individual goals with measurable outcomes which will be realized if the granting agency honors your grant writing request by giving you money.

Body of the Grant Writing Request: This is also known in academic circles as the thesis statement. This element is used in both private and government grant writing requests. This element can be challenging for those just learning how to grant write. The body or thesis is the total summation of your request. This element of the grant writing request contains an introduction to your organization, explicit details of why you need funding and an exacting description of the outcomes and measurable goals expected. This is also where the budget and the organizational ladder are located.

Conclusion: The conclusion is s simple, yet important element in grant writing. The conclusion usually consists of a short paragraph simply restating the executive summary, the specific aims and the thesis statement. For those just learning how to grant write, this can be the most challenging area. This is where the grant writer literally asks for the needed funding and shows how it will serve a greater good.

While consisting of many of the same elements, government grant writing is much more challenging because the format is already completely defined. Many times it’s a matter of plugging in data and information in a re-formatted government form.

Easily mastered with some practice and diligence, learning how to grant write is really just a matter of following a few simple, but standard rules which most granting agencies mandate. Whether learning how to grant write for your organization or for personal profit, grant writing requests can be fun and exciting if you take time to learn.

The Higher Education Act of 1965 was enacted to make financial assistance available to economically distressed students already attending college, as well as those working to earn a postsecondary degree. While the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant was the main focus of this bill at its inception, it was the year 1972 when the Higher Education Act was actually amended to make way for the Federal Pell Grants Act which included needed funding for economically and socially disadvantaged prospective students. This opened the door to educational opportunities for those in social and economic groups that would have otherwise been unattainable.

The Pell Grant is designed to help fund some or all of the costs involved in earning an undergraduate degree inside nationally accredited institutions of higher learning. While not all colleges and universities participate in this program, it’s estimated that nationwide, all public colleges and ninety-percent of all private universities participate in offering government Pell Grants to their student population. If you’re a current or
prospective college student and think you may qualify, it all starts with completing what’s known as a FAFSA.

FAFSA stands for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid” and college admissions officers are charged with providing the detailed information needed to get things started. A government Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid, but recipients must meet certain financial and personal accountability criterion. For those seeking Pell Grants, here are the basic things the approving agency looks at:

• The eligible amount awarded depends on your severity of financial need, the associated costs to attend school; your status as either a full-time or apart-time student, and whether you plan to attend school for a full academic year or less;
• Your parents income if you plan to live at home while attending college;
• Which school you plan to attend;
• Other available financial instruments awarded like scholarships;
• How many college credits you may already have;
• Whether or not you have certain past criminal convictions, and;
• If you have registered with Selective Service if under age 26.

Many times, if you’re not qualified for a Pell grant, you will be offered an option to apply for a low interest federal student loan.

Even in uncertain economic times, since the mid-sixties the federal government has been helping both current and prospective students achieve their dream of a college education by offering those who qualify government Pell Grants.

Government grants for women come inside of three distinct categories:

• Public assistance funded by government grants.  Your search for public assistance funded by government women grants starts at the federal government public assistance search and application Internet portal called Benefits.Gov.

Federal contract opportunities. If you are a female business owner, federal contract opportunities sponsored in part by grants for women can make the difference between the success and failure of your business.

• Government grants for women and minorities. In addition to federal public assistance and federal supply contract opportunities, there are government women rants and minorities available for application. Your first step in seeking government grants for women is the federal government Internet grants registration and application portal Grants.Gov.

While federal women grants are available for those willing to dig in and put in the elbow grease, private and corporate foundations also offer a multitude of grants for women to take advantage of in everything from help with day to day expenses to education.

Just a few of the more prolific awarding private and corporate foundations are:

The Soroptimist Foundation: The  Soroptimist Foundation is an international organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world by awarding grants for women within the scope of their mission.

3Arts Foundation: The 3Arts Foundation supports Chicago artists working in the fields of music, theater, and visual arts by awarding women grants to further their work. Their focus is on women, people of color, and people with disabilities.

The Allyn Family Foundation:  The Allyn Family Foundation awards grants for women to organizations in the areas of health, education, and welfare.

The Buck Foundation: The Buck Foundation supports of children and youth, grants for women and minorities with a focus on fostering peace and social justice.

The FISA Foundation: The FISA Foundation’s awards women grants in support of culture of respect and to help improve the quality of life for women, girls, and people with disabilities.

The Macy’s Foundation: The Macy’s Foundation focuses it’s giving primarily in the areas of grants for women’s issues, arts and culture, education and HIV/AIDS – with special emphasis on minority issues within each of those four areas, as well as the
environment.

The Mama Cash Foundation: The Mama Cash Foundation supports pioneering initiatives by offering women grants worldwide in an effort to contribute to strengthening the women’s position and improving their overall rights.

The old saying that women are special and thus have special needs is very true. This has never been more evidenced than in modern time by the sheer availability of grants for women in support of everything from daily financial assistance to the support of equal rights.

Government grants for women come inside of three distinct categories:

• Public assistance funded by government grants
• Federal contract opportunities
• Government grants for women and minorities

By Congressional mandate, Uncle Sam must set aside a specific percentage of collected taxes and revenue yearly. Congress mandates that money be used to aid the greater public good in various ways. The federal government in turn passes that cash down to the states, not for profit agencies and small business owners, and that’s where you can get your hands on the much needed help in the form of government grants for women and minorities.

• Public Assistance funded by government grants

Your search for public assistance funded by government grants for women starts at the federal government public assistance search and application Internet portal called Benefits.Gov. A quick search resulted in over one hundred pages of public benefit options funded by grants for women. Health care assistance, child and day care assistance, money for nutrition and food; payments for female Vietnam veterans with children, substance abuse and treatment – all these opportunities are funded at least in part by rants for women.

• Federal contract opportunities

If you are a female business owner, federal contract opportunities can make the difference between the success and failure of your business. Uncle Sam awards literally hundreds of millions of dollars every year funded in part by grants for women and minorities. When seeking out these opportunities, savvy women business owners should make their first Internet stop at the federal government business website called FedBizOps, or FBO.Gov. Funded in part by grants for women, here the woman or minority owned business owner can register to provide lucrative services and get the business locked in by federal contract. Just a few contract opportunities funded by grants for women are in the areas of:

• Clothing
• Manufacturing
• Mental health and counseling
• Food
• Materials supply
• Government grants for women and minorities

In addition to federal public assistance and federal supply contract opportunities, there are government grants for women and minorities available for application. Your first step in seeking government grants for women is the federal government Internet grants registration and application portal Grants.Gov. Here, you can locate federal and state sponsored government grants for women offered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, you can access grant funding opportunities in the Arts and much more using a simple keyword search.

It’s true that most women live their lives inside a delicate balancing act between raising a child as a single parent, maybe going to school and working, and many women have stated their own small business on the side to help make ends meet. Now it’s time Uncle Sam helps give back, so look for and take advantage of government grants for women.

Statistics show more women complete their undergraduate degrees than do their male counterparts. Yet when it comes to women education grants, many educators still argue that educational institutions fall short in engaging their female students on all levels.
It’s also said women education grants are unavailable for non-traditional roles and interests. Here, I’m going to show you how to find education grants for women.

While not specifically offered to women, the federal Pell grant should be your very first choice. Your college admissions officer or school guidance counselor can help you fill your application out. They can also clue you in on available school specific women education grants which might be available. Other government offerings include:

• $30,000 women’s education grants for students who want to become teachers;
• $5000 in education grants for women for accounting, veterinary and students pursuing nineteen associated professional career opportunities;
• Women’s education grants covering tuition, books and fees to Vietnam vets, Gulf War vets and now returning Iraqi War veterans;
• Childcare and food supplement assistance for those receiving women education grants;
• Help with utilities, one-time rent or mortgage payments and more for education grants for women recipients.

If for some reason you don’t qualify for federal or state education grants for women, there are several private foundations to which you can apply. The AAUW Educational Foundation provides women education grants to advance education, research, and self development for women and foster equity and positive societal change. The Allen Hilles Fund is a charitable foundation that provides education grants for women and financial support in the areas of children’s education, women’s issues, economic development in disadvantaged communities, and activities of the Religious Society of Friends. The Charles B. Keesee Educational Fund was established for the purpose of aiding worthy men and awarding women education grants to start or further their education.

The Eden Hall Foundation is a private foundation supports four year privately funded and controlled colleges, universities and other educational institutions, and endows those schools directly to pass along education grants for women. The Eleanor Foundation is a research driven public grant making fund that helps create the conditions for working women to achieve sustained economic independence through the award of women education grants.

It’s true that many women disregard their own dreams early in life and are later challenged by their educational and financial situation. Women have come a long way over the decades, but in the realm of higher education and industry-specific careers, women as a sum total still remain, for the most part underrepresented in opportunities for education grants for women.