Acquiring money that you don't have to pay back can be a dream come true for many people. Most individuals don't realize how much free money they can obtain in the form of a grant from many nonprofit organizations around the globe. The U.S. government is always giving out grant money for those interested in education, starting a business or looking for research funding. Applying for a grant is easy when you know where to look.

Education Grants and Proposals

Search at your local university or check with a school guidance counselor for information on free education grants. The Pell Grant is available to most students. Check your library for information regarding federal grants and books on writing a proposal. Many successful grant recipients had to write a proposal to be considered for a free grant. If you're trying to obtain a lot of grant money you may have to write a well-thought-out proposal to even be considered.

Free Government Grants

Check your local government website for information on available grant opportunities. Your state may have a grant available for you based on your income or other factors. Grants.gov is a great resource for searching for free government grants. Use the keyword search on their website to narrow down the type of grant you're looking for.

Business and Individual Grants

Go to SBA.gov for information on business grants. This is the Small Business Administration's website and has the largest base of grant money available for small businesses. Many other websites offer assistance with applying for many types of grants, (business, education or individual) and usually can help to make the application process go smoothly and quickly though many of them charge a small fee. Check websites such as Business-Funding.org or FederalFundingPrograms.org for helpful free grant information. These websites may charge a few dollars for help with applying, but the fee will be refunded if a grant is not received.

Nonprofit Organizations

Look for nonprofit associations in your community in the niche corresponding to the type of grant you're looking for. Chances are these organizations have obtained a government or private grant for funding and simply asking or volunteering with them could open up a grant opportunity for you. Check out USA.gov. This is the largest resource available for information on government nonprofit grants.

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Federal grant applications and options

Grant proposals