A Definitive Guide to Government Grants

By Michael Sanibel of Entrepreneur.com



What is a Grant?
The U. S. government has been issuing grants for more than 50 years. A grant is a sum of money that never has to be paid back. Grants are not considered benefits or entitlements and are typically awarded to organizations whose goal is to support a specific public purpose.

Such grants provide a mechanism for the government to provide investments in selected areas of the economy, including improvements in the education system and targeted development of public facilities and infrastructure. Grants may not be used as a funding source for the purchase of property for the government's benefit.

Grant funding is appropriated annually by Congress, and the programs are listed in the Catalog of Domestic Federal Assistance and the Federal Register. Each grant must include information on sponsoring government department, program title, total budget, application deadline, administrative contact and program summary.

Grants are administered by several cabinet-level agencies, including the departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation and Homeland Security.

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