The importance of grants heightened and became more evident during the pandemic when families and businesses struggled to survive financially. These grants helped businesses stay afloat and for families to provide for their basic needs.
Several grant opportunities are available through the federal government, pandemic or not. These top federal grants are available for any individual or organization that qualifies to get the funding.
Make sure you know how and where to look for them so you can apply for the opportunity to be granted the funding you need for whatever intended purposes.
Why Apply for Federal Grants?
The US Government has issued grants for many centuries now. The purpose of allocating funds through a grant is to empower the economy by creating new jobs and supporting small to medium business enterprises.
Once the grant application is approved, the US government will not require the recipient to pay that money back (unlike when you obtain a loan through commercial institutions). The fact that you don’t have to pay the money back is a great opportunity to focus on growing your business and eliminating unnecessary debts.
The US government has created a dedicated website where interested applicants can look and apply for available grants.
Top Federal Grants
Whether you are an individual or a business, there are several federal grants in the US that you can apply for. The following are some examples of the available grants and the qualifications for eligibility into the program.
1. Fiscal Year 2022 CDFI Equitable Recovery Program
This federal grant is available through the US Department of Treasury and is focused on the community development sector. Interested applicants can submit their applications to receive funding of up to $15,000,000. The agency has limited the number of eligible grant candidates to 500.
The program started receiving applications in June 2022. They can continue to receive and review applications as long as there are remaining slots.
2. International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program
This grant is available through the US Department of Agriculture. It is a public funding opportunity that was created in May 2022. Eligible applicants can receive up to $1,000,000 in funding.
As of now, the eligible candidates are limited to only two. You can keep an eye on the website to apply, in case they open up more slots for this grant program.
3. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Funding
This grant is available through the US Department of Energy. It serves as the primary funding vehicle for businesses, universities, and other establishments in various industries to take initiatives towards promoting higher energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy in their operations.
This type of grant is provided for eligible applicants on a merit basis. Therefore, it is important that your business or organization showcase the renewable energy and sustainability initiatives and plans you have in place to qualify for this grant.
4. DHS Financial Assistance
This financial assistance grant is available through the Department of Homeland Security. It is a non-disaster program that is offered to specific entities via the state and local governments. Therefore, unsolicited applicants are not welcome to this program.
Among those that qualify for this grant include medical response systems, border security personnel, urban area security initiatives, citizen corps, and more. You can reach out to your respective Homeland Security state offices for more information on this grant.
5. Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is under the Department of Homeland Security. This grant program offers funding to equip fire safety emergency personnel. The funding will be used to train and acquire resources that will enhance the efficiency of the fire emergency services. This grant is also an effort to improve community resilience during times of disaster.
The Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program through FEMA has awarded a total of $720 million in funding, as of September 2022. You can visit the official FEMA website to learn more about application requirements and qualify for funding.
6. Violence Against Women and Substance Use Prevention Initiative
This grant program is available through the US Department of Health and Human Services under the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. This public funding opportunity started in May 2022.
Those who are interested in applying for the grant funding are not required to explain their individual case. The agency will use its own discretion in reviewing applicants to determine the most suitable applicants for the unused or unallocated funds from 2022. The eligible grantees of the funding are limited to four. Each chosen applicant will receive up to $750,000 in funding.
How to Successfully Apply for a Grant
If you want to obtain a federal grant, you must follow the best practices for the application process to ensure your approval. The grant process is extremely competitive, especially during the post-pandemic period with many individuals and businesses still in the recovery process.
Take note of these grant application tips to improve your chances of being granted funding.
- Perform research on the specific grant you want to apply for. Make a list of the requirements and qualifications. Knowing if you qualify or are eligible for the program before you apply is important to increase your chances of being selected.
- Write your statement of need. You must identify your problem and the impact of receiving that grant.
- Make sure you provide a detailed description to support your main objective for receiving the grant.
- Follow a grant proposal template to achieve a structure that makes it easy to read.
- Appeal to the human side of the grant providers. Let your passion and need be known to them.
- Follow the instructions on the grant application closely to become eligible.
If you are a grant seeker, you must know how to go about the process of applying for top federal grants. The more information you have, the higher your chances of getting approved for the grant, especially if you follow the best practices recommended above.
