Home Grants Gov

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 at 4:49 pm

In a speech before a joint session of Congress on February 24, 2009, President Barack Obama presented a plan to expand education opportunities in America. He called on "...every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training." (source whitehouse.gov) He went on to say that his administration would provide the support necessary for all Americans to complete College so that "America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world."

Later in 2009, funding for PELL grants were increased. As part of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, the administration rolled out plans to expand this long standing educational Grant program. So are there specific grants for moms to return to college or vocational school?

Well, they are not actually called 'mom grants', but yes, there are definitely more grant and scholarship opportunities available than in recent memory. The expanded PELL grant program would be the first program that you would want to explore, if you are having any financial challenges at all.

What is a PELL grant?

This is a federal assistance program designed for low-income students. The program was first established in 1965 and around 40 percent of all students in US colleges and universities receive some amount of PELL grant money. The Obama administration's initiatives are designed to increase the reach of this program over the next several years. PELL grant recipients must be 18 years of age and must make formal application for the program.

Other Grant Programs for Women

You may be surprised to learn that your current employer offers scholarship and grant programs for qualified individuals. Be sure to check with your HR department or supervisor to see what might be available. Local organizations, such as churches and non-profits, often have grant and scholarship monies and are seeking qualified recipients.

If you are 35 years of age or older, a private organization, the Jeannette Rankin foundation, would be a good potential source for scholarship money.

Cathy Yeatts is a blogger and women's health advocate. She enjoys writing on a variety of topics important to women, women entrepreneurship and women's health. See more about grants for moms at her newest blog: WomensGrantSource.com

Can I get a gov. grant to open a daycare business at home? Where to look to rent a property for in home Dcare?

There are some goverment grants to help people to open small business and some for specific minorities. I belong to that cathegory: I am a single mother and also I am Hispanic.

It is hard to find grants to start a business. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for starting a for-profit business.

One possible exception is for companies developing or exporting agricultural goods, including food and forest product. Another exception could be the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/sbir/index.html , which fund the research and development of technological innovation that meets specific government needs.

Your best bet actually will be from the states if they offer grant programs for women (or any other special interest groups -- minorities, women, disabled, veterans, etc). Or check with non profit organizations, particularly women organizations if they offer grants. Examples include

Iowa Women's Foundation http://www.iawf.org/
New Mexico Women's Foundation http://www.nmwf.org/guidelines.html

Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/mostrequesteditems/CON_FAQ2.html

"The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See http://www.sba.gov/financing for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments."

Nonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture.

Here is a listing of federal grants for small businesses. See if there is any available for individuals for starting a business -- THERE'S NONE.

http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.BROWSE_BENEF_RPT.show

Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program

Grants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs

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