Beat The Recession With Free Government Grant Money

Uncle Sam, aka the U.S. government, can certainly be a generous relative. The U.S. government has billions of dollars in funding available for those who qualify by way of government grants for various purposes. The sad fact is, however, that much of this grant money goes unclaimed because people just do not know that it exists or do not think that they will qualify. Unclaimed government grant money is diverted after a specific period of time to other areas in the U.S. budget, which represents lost opportunities for U.S. citizens.Requirements To Receive Government Grant MoneyTo be eligible to apply for free government grants, there is one requirement. You must be a citizen of the United States or its territories. Government grants are mainly available to assist people in starting new businesses, finding adequate housing, or developing programs that enrich local communities and neighborhoods.There are also government grants for those who are looking to get an education or study abroad. Government grants are free, and do not have to be repaid to the government. There is no application fee to apply for government grants, although there are certain grants that only non-profit organizations or individuals representing them are eligible for.Finding Your Government GrantThe process of getting a government grant can be confusing and realizing this, the government has set up a website at www.grants.gov to help potential recipients sort through the ever-increasing clutter of available programs. With a new administration in the White House, this website is certain to become even more valuable as there are more programs and grants to be added to the already abundant supply. All of the current government grants available can also be accessed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, which is available through the mail at no cost or downloadable on its own website, www.cfda.gov.Applying For Your Government GrantOnce you have determined which type of government grant that you wish to apply for, you should review the requirements for applicants carefully. Be certain that you meet each guideline that is necessary to qualify, or your application will be rejected. You should also make sure that you complete the government grant application in full. Partially completed applications are returned to the sender unprocessed, and can cause a delay in receiving your government grant funding. Many government grant applications must be accompanies by documentation or by a professionally written business plan, depending upon the type of government grant that you wish to receive.Additionally, if you are looking for a government grant for starting a business, you may need to include financial disclosures from your bank or credit union as well as income tax return documents for a specific number of years into the past. To cover all bases, make sure that any government grant that you apply for is not submitted to the processing agency until you have checked off on all of the specific government grant requirements for that grant.