Grants and Federal Domestic Assistance
Guidance and key
resources to help eligible grantseekers
find information on federal grants,
loans, and nonfinancial assistance for
projects, as well as on private funding.
Prepared by the Congressional Research
Service for Members of Congress, updated
October 2008.
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How Best to Find Information
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- Find out
“Who is eligible for a Grant?”
Other government websites may be
more suitable for
personal needs,
student loans,
small business assistance , or
other
business opportunities such as
government contracting. The website
Government Benefits, Grants, and
Financial Aid may also be of
help.
- If eligible, search for
program information in the
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA)
by
Keyword and other indexes for
grants, loans, business and
nonfinancial help.
- Contact federal office
given in
CFDA program description: if
indicated, use
CFDA Appendix IV: Federal
Regional or Local Office Addresses.
- Go to federal websites
given in each
CFDA program description for
more information and for state
administering agencies responsible
for managing these programs.
- Check current federal
grants opportunities at
Grants.gov, register and obtain
a
DUNS number, sign up for
e-mail notification, and apply
online.
- Search foundations
for project funding: use the
Foundation Center Web site or
Foundation Center Cooperating
Collections in libraries to
identify national, state, and
community foundations.
- Learn how to write grant
proposals: follow
CFDA's
Developing and Writing Grant
Proposals, or take the free
online Foundation Center
Proposal Writing Short Course.
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Key Federal Funding Sources
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Grants.gov (managed by
Dept. of
Health and Human Services)
Federal website that allows eligible
grantseekers to electronically find and
apply for current competitive grant
opportunities from ALL federal agencies.
Grantseekers can check on notices of
funding availability (NOFA)
posted in the last 7 days; sign up to
receive e-mail notification of grant
opportunities; and apply for federal
grants through a unified process by
downloading the application and
submitting online. The website guides
grantseekers in obtaining a DUNS (Dun
and Bradstreet) number and registering
at Grants.gov to apply and to track
applications. For full federal program
descriptions, see
CFDA below.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (General
Services Administration)
The Catalog (CFDA),
issued annually and updated continuously
on the Web, describes some 1600 federal
grants and non financial assistance
programs. Grantseekers can identify
programs that might support their
projects and can learn the program's
objectives, requirements, application
procedures and contacts. For current
notices of funding availability, see
Grants.gov.
Catalog Indexes and Listings
(CFDA)
Although keyword searching is often a
good place to start, also browse by
broad subject ("functional area"), by
federal department or agency, or by
beneficiary to identify more federal
funding programs.
CFDA program descriptions refer
to local and regional federal office
addresses, to related programs, and to
Office of Management and Budget
circulars, all available full text on
the Internet.
Developing and Writing Grant
Proposals (CFDA)
Guidance in formulating federal grant
applications, including initial proposal
development, basic components of a
proposal, review recommendations, and
referral to federal guidelines and
literature.
Federal Regional or Local Office
Addresses (CFDA
Appendix IV)
Much of the federal grants budget moves
to the states through formula and block
grants -- state, regional, and local
federal offices often handle grants
applications and funds disbursement. If
the
CFDA program description refers
to a state or regional Information
Contact as listed in Appendix
IV,
grantseekers should contact them
before applying for funding to
obtain the most up-to-date information.
State 'Single Points of Contact'
(Office of Management and Budget)
Under Executive Order 12372, some states
require federal grants applicants to
submit a copy of their application for
state government level review and
comment. The state offices listed here
coordinate federal financial assistance
and may direct federal development. For
help in identifying state-level grants,
other state government agencies websites
may be found at :
State and Local Agencies by Topic.
CFDA in Local Libraries (Government
Printing Office)
Although the Catalog is
available full-text on the Internet,
some may prefer a print edition.
However, only the Web Catalog
is continuously updated—the published
volume is annual with no supplements.
The Catalog is available in all
states in Federal Depository Libraries.
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Related Federal Resources
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A-Z Index of U.S. Departments
and Agencies (General
Services Administration)
To better develop a grant proposal,
search a department or agency's Home
Page to learn more about its programs
and objectives. The site
USA.gov also links to
Government Benefits, Grants and
Financial Aid.
Homeland Security State Contacts
& Grant Award Information (Dept.
of Homeland Security)
Click on map for state allocations and
contact information. Most Homeland
Security non-disaster grant programs are
designated for state and local
governments and specific entities such
as colleges, etc. Unsolicited
applications from individuals are
generally not accepted. Includes Urban
Area Security Initiative, Citizens
Corps, Medical Response System,
Operation Stonegarden (border security),
Infrastructure Protection. Programs for
firefighters may be found at
Assistance to Firefighters.
Disaster Assistance
(Federal Emergency Management Agency)
Disaster assistance programs activate
only after a Presidential disaster
declaration is issued and is restricted
to those residing within the disaster
area. FEMA disaster assistance falls
into three general categories:
Individual and Households; Public
Assistance for emergency services and
repair or replacement of damaged public
facilities; and Hazard Mitigation
funding to reduce future losses to
public and private property.
USA.gov for Business
(GSA)
Includes contracting with the U.S.
government, international trade and
exporting, and small business. See also
financial assistance links atBusiness.gov
and the
Small Business Administration
websites.
USA.gov for Nonprofits
(General
Services Administration)
Links to federal department and agency
information and service for nonprofit
organizations, including fundraising and
outreach, grants, loans and other
assistance, laws and regulations,
management and operations, online
services, registration and licensing,
and tax information.
Faith-Based and Community
Organizations (Office
of Faith-Based and Community
Organizations)
Federal departments and agencies operate
a number of programs to serve Americans
in need for which faith-based and
community organizations may apply.
Consult
Guidance to Faith-Based and Community
Organizations on Partnering with the
Federal Government and
Federal Funds for Organizations That
Help Those in Need , and
A Guide to Federal Economic Development
Programs for Faith-Based and Community
Organizations. Many are "formula
grants" made available to states and
local governments, which in turn award
grants to grassroots and local
organizations. To learn about them,
contact local and state agencies
responsible for managing these programs.
[Download
a free
PDF reader]
Student Aid on the Web
(Dept.
of Education)
Information on funding education beyond
high school, including grants, loans,
and work-study assistance to qualified
students.
GovBenefits.gov
(via Department of Labor)
Includes information on over 1,000
government assistance programs, and how
to apply. Covers direct payment, loan,
insurance, training, or other services.
FTC Consumer Alert
(Federal Trade Commission)
The
FTC warns consumers to beware of
paying "processing fees" for information
that is available free to the public.
Ads claiming federal grants are
available for home repairs, home
business, unpaid bills, or other
personal expenses are often a scam.
OMB Grants Management
Web Site (Office of
Management and Budget)
OMB establishes government-wide
grants management policies and
guidelines through circulars and common
rules.
OMB Circulars are cited in
Catalog program descriptions
and may be printed out fulltext.
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Private & Corporate Funding
Sources
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The Foundation Center
Gateway to information about private
funding sources, the grant seeking
process, guidelines on writing a grant
proposal, addresses of state libraries
with grants reference collections, and
links to other useful Internet websites.
The Center maintains a comprehensive
database on foundations; produces print
and electronic directories and guides;
conducts research and publishes studies
in the field; and offers a variety of
training and educational seminars.
Grant Resources by State
(Grantsmanship Center)
Click on state map to find links to
information about a state's foundations,
community foundations, corporate giving
programs and the state's home page.
Community Foundation Locator
(Council on Foundations)
Community foundations have special
interest in funding local and community
projects.
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Tracking Federal Funds
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Tracking of
Federal Funds
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USAspending.gov
(Office of Management and
Budget)
A free, searchable database of
federal government spending based
upon Census and General Services
Administration statistical data.
Grants (Assistance tab) and
Contracts must be searched
separately: by individual
organization or grant recipient; by
place of performance, including by
congressional district; or by
federal department or agency.
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Federal Aid to States
(Census Bureau)
FAS details actual
expenditures of federal grant funds
to state and local governments.
Figures are presented to the state
level by program area and agency.
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Consolidated Federal Funds Report
(Census Bureau)
In
CFFR, grants generally
represent obligations and include
payments both to state and local
governments and to nongovernmental
recipients. Data is provided for
state and county levels.
