How to Apply for a Cash Grant From the Federal Government

Federal grants provide monies for research, community development and improvement, training and education. According to Grants.gov, over 1,000 grant programs in the United States provide $500 billion in annual awards.

• 1

  Identify your organization as a government entity, education organization, public housing organization, non-profit, for-profit or small business. This information determines what type(s) of aid are available and what type(s) of documentation will need to be submitted with the application.

• 2

  Investigate the types of grants available before beginning your search for funding opportunities. Grants are categorized by organization type, amounts, deadlines and categories.

• 3

  Obtain a Data Universal Number System number for your organization if it does not already have one assigned. A DUNS number is a unique nine-character identifier. Fulfillment of this request can take between three days and five weeks, so register well before your application deadline.

• 4

  Register your organization with the Central Contractor Registration. CCR is a government registry for vendors who do business with the federal government. Registration can take three to five business days to process. Ask your organization's grant administrator, chief financial officer or authorizing official whether your organization has previously registered with the CCR.

• 5

  Create a username and password to access your CCR account. Your CCR application must be active before you can obtain a username and password.

• 6

  Enter your organization's DUNS number, and hit "Register," which will take you to an online form. After completing the form, a message on the top of the screen will read "You are successfully registered."

• 7

  Wait for the E-Business Point of Contact to log on to the E-Biz POC section and assign the authorized applicant role to you. After you create an account, the E-Biz POC listed on your organization's CCR registration will receive notification that you have registered.

• 8

  Download instructions and application package, saving the application to your computer. Read all instructions related to the grant opportunities, as instructions can vary between applications. Free animated videos and webinars are available if assistance is needed.

• 9

  Fill out the application, saving your application as needed to work on it at your convenience. Some of the fields on the application will be prepopulated. The application will list the mandatory documents needed to complete your application. Depending on your project and organization type, it may request audited financial statements or documentation of tax-exempt status. You cannot submit your application until all mandatory fields have been completed. The application will also have an area to upload optional attachments.

• 10

  Review all information and attachments before submitting.