Grants.Gov: Why You Should Never Pay for Grant Information
If you have ever noticed that crazy looking person on the infomercials in the blue suit covered with yellow question marks, then you know there are plenty of government grants to be found that will pay for your education, to start your business, and much more. What you may not know is that you do not need to pay Matthew Lesko to get that information. He may have “25 years of experience” in finding government grants, but in the end the government grants come from the Government. (He may still be useful for help finding business grants, though. However, the jury is still out on that)
Grant information is also available online from the US Government
I recently came across a new site by compiled by the US Government, www.Grants.Gov. “Grants.gov allows organizations to electronically find and apply for more than $400 billion in Federal grants (online). Grants.gov is THE single access point for over 1,000 grant programs offered by all Federal grant-making agencies.” (According to grants.gov, of course). The best thing about Grants.gov is that use of the site is free.
Many companies, educational institutions, and individuals, have found needed grants
Grants.gov, is not just tooting its own horn. According to GCN, (Government Computer news), the website is much more than informational. It is invaluable. On her first day as program manager for Grants.gov, A woman came up to Rebecca Spitzgo, read her nametag, and said, “Oh, you’re from Grants.gov. You don’t know how much money you’ve saved us. You’ve made our life so much easier, because we’re a small university.” In addition, through the assistance of grants.gov, and the Science and Mathematics Education for Competitiveness Act, an NSF program that provides scholarships to college students who commit to teaching in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields after graduation.
Get your online grant information from the source
If you are seeking a government grant, Grants.gov is the place to look. “All 26 federal granting agencies will soon require grant applications to be submitted electronically using the new SF424 (R&R) forms through one secure portal (Grants.gov). The new slogan for the National Institutes of Health is “Paper No More, Use 424 (R&R).” For the June 1 deadline, the following award mechanisms must be submitted electronically: R03, R21, R21/R33, R33, and R34. More mechanisms will be transitioned throughout the coming months.” (info.umc.edu)
