Grant Applicants

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

Community Project Funding Requests

The House Committee on Appropriations announced that it will be accepting Community Project Funding requests from members of Congress during the fiscal year 2024 cycle.

The deadline to apply for 2023 has passed.

Apply for Community Project Funding Request for FY 2024

Funding Opportunities Available Through Landmark Legislation

Sign up for our Grants Newsletter Here.

Under the Biden Administration, Congress passed landmark legislation bringing billions of dollars in investment in infrastructure, innovations, the environment, and safety. To help navigate these opportunities, check out this grant guidebook. It outlines the availability of grants made possible through the following pieces of legislation:

• Infrastructure and Jobs Act
• Safer Communities Act
• CHIPS and Science Act
• Inflation Reduction Act
• American Rescue Plan

How to Find Additional Federal Grants Information

The main clearinghouse for federal grant opportunities is www.grants.gov/.

Federal assistance and contractor listings can also be found at www.sam.gov. To sign up to receive notifications about federal agency grants, visit the www.grants.gov subscriptions link. For the general listserv of federal grants go to this link.

HOW TO APPLY FOR GRANTS

• Resources for Grantseekers from Congressional Research Service
• How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal from Congressional Research Service
• How do I find grants for my nonprofit?
• Proposal Writing Short Course (also in Spanish, French, and other languages)
• Foundation Information Network (by state)

What to Look for When Applying for Grants

Two of the most important pieces of information include the goals of the grant or granting agency and the eligibility requirements. See below for the important points to make sure you are aware of:

Eligibility: If the organization or project does not conform to all the requirements listed in the announcement or NOFO, you may need to find a different grant. In some cases, local entities might be eligible as a “sub-applicant,” with a state or county government as the primary applicant. In these cases, our office also recommends checking the primary applicant website for details about sub-application opportunities.

Request for Information:  There may be an official request for information that is due prior to the grant proposal. Check to see what specific pieces of information are required within the grant proposal.

Grant Life Cycle: Note the opening date, closing date, time, and time zone. Most grant makers will not consider a grant proposal submitted after the given deadline. If the grant is a subgrant through a state or local government agency, be sure to check those deadlines as they may be earlier than the federal deadline.

Grant Application Requirement: Make sure you include the exact sections that are required, including letters of support, budget justification, a summary, and/or anything else in addition to the description of the problem and project? Is it a detailed budget with justification required? Some proposals require that you name the vendor and include bids, whereas others just need an estimate. In the case of multi-year grants, you may also need to create a separate budget with justification for each year (calendar or fiscal) of the proposed project.

Cost-share or Matching Funds: Check to see if the grant opportunity requires matching funds. If so, you will need to identify other funding resources.  

Supporting Documents: Grant proposals often require supporting documentation, such as data and letters of support. Be sure to determine this well ahead of the deadline.

Getting Help: Check to see whether the agency has other documents to help you write the proposal. As mentioned above, you can contact the agency using the given contact information to ask clarifying questions about the process.

• Grants.gov: Grants 101
• US Department of Health and Human Services: How to Prepare Your Application
• US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs: Grants 101
• US Department of Health and Human Services: Tips for Preparing Grant Proposals

Key CRS Reports
Please note this is not a comprehensive list of all the CRS reports related to federal grant programs:

Grants Information and Handling Grants Requests:

• Grants Work in a Congressional Office
• Federal Grants-in-Aid Administration: A Primer
• Federal Grants to State and Local Governments
• How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal
• Resources for Grantseekers
• Video: Federal Grants Process

CRS Grants or Programs Reports

CRS Reports can give an overview of and background of programs. Examples include:

• Assistance to Firefighters Program
• Block Grants: Perspectives and Controversies
• Broadband Internet Access and the Digital Divide: Federal Assistance Programs
• The Child Care and Development Block Grant: Background and Funding
• Community Development Block Grants and Related Programs: A Primer
• Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
• Community Services Black Grants (CSBG): Background and Funding
• Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program
• Federal Disaster Recovery Programs: Brief Summaries
• Federally Supported Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Programs
• Overview of Federal Housing Assistance Programs and Policy
• An Overview of USDA Rural Development Programs
• Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs
• Social Services Black Grant: Background and Funding

Student Financial Aid

• Financial Aid for Students: Online Resources
• Federal Student Loans Made Under the Federal Family Education Loan Program and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program: Terms and Conditions for Borrowers
• Campus-Based Student Financial Aid Programs Under the Higher Education Act

Federal Contracting, Procurement, and Business Opportunities

• Overview of the Federal Procurement Process and Resources
• Small Business: Access to Capital and Job Creation
• Small Business Administration: A Primer on Programs and Funding
• Small Business Administration and Job Creation

How to Find the Best Information

1. Check eligibility at grants.gov. Find more information about personal needs, student loans, small business assistance, or other business opportunities including government contracting. The webpage Government Benefits, Grants, and Loans at usa.gov/benefits may also be of help.
   1. If eligible, search for programs information at sam.gov/content/assistance-listings. You can find grants, loans, business and nonfinancial help on their assistance listings page.
2. Search current federal grant opportunities at grants.gov. There, you can obtain a Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number, register with System for Award Management (SAM), and apply online. Other notices will appear at FedConnect.net.
3. Learn how to write grant proposals by taking the free online Foundation Center Proposal Writing Short Course. You can find tips and sample proposals on Candid.org’s resource page.  

HOW CONGRESSMAN DELUZIO CAN HELP
In certain cases, Congressman Deluzio can write a letter of introduction for PA-17 federal grant proposals that urges a full and fair consideration of the proposal. If you are interested in requesting from the Congressman, please call the D.C. office: 202-225-2301.

Additionally, during the grant application process, PA-17 applicants might have questions about the status of their application or clarifying questions about grant requirements. In these cases, the Office of Congressman Deluzio can reach out to agencies and ask for updates or clarifications. Please contact our flagship Carnegie Office by email or phone (412-344-5583) with these types of requests

Please note per House Ethics guidelines, Congressional offices cannot help entities with their grant application materials.

FUNDING SOURCES
Key Federal Funding Sources
Assistance Listings at Sam.gov
The General Services Administration provides official descriptions of more than 2,200 federal assistance programs (including grants, loans, and other financial and nonfinancial assistance). The website houses federal assistance listings previously found on the now-retired Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). Each federal assistance program has a corresponding CFDA program number, which are still used as numerical program identifiers. These programs are searchable, their descriptions are updated by departments and agencies. They cover authorizing legislation, objectives, and eligibility and compliance requirements. For current notices of funding availability, see Grants.gov or FedConnect.net.

Grants.gov
The Department of Health and Human Services allows eligible grantseekers to find and apply for current competitive grant opportunities from ALL federal agencies. You can check on notices of funding availability (NOFA) posted in the last 7 days, access an RSS feed of grant opportunities, or apply for federal grants through a unified process by downloading the application and submitting online. The website provides guidance for obtaining a Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number and registering with the System for Award Management (SAM), as well as registering with Grants.gov to apply to track applications.

Related Federal Resources
A-Z Index of US Departments and Agencies (General Services Administration)
To better develop a grant proposal, search a department or agency’s home page to learn more about its programs and objectives. The site USA.gov also links to Government Benefits, Grants, and Loans.

USA.gov for Business and Nonprofits (GSA)
Includes contracting with the U.S. government, international trade and exporting, and small business. See also financial assistance links at the Small Business Administration website.

FedBizOpps.gov (GSA)
Official website posting business, contracting, and procurement opportunities with the federal government. Useful information for vendors, including FBO Demonstration Videos and Frequently Asked Questions, appear under the Getting Started tab. Search options include an advanced search form for more targeted filtering of current opportunities.

Student Aid on the Web (Department of Education)
Information on funding education beyond high school, including grants, loans, and work-study assistance to qualified students.

Benefits.gov (via Department of Labor)
Includes information on over 1,000 government assistance programs, and how to apply. Covers direct payment, loan, insurance, training, or other services.

FTC Consumer Alert (Federal Trade Commission)
The FTC warns consumers to beware of paying “processing fees” for information that is available free to the public. Ads claiming federal grants are available for home repairs, home business, unpaid bills, or other personal expenses are often a scam.

OMB Grants Guidance (Office of Management and Budget)
OMB establishes government-wide grants management policies and guidelines through circulars and common rules. OMB Circulares are cited in Catalog program descriptions and may be printed out full text.

Private and Corporate Funding Sources
Candid Grants Space (formerly called the Foundation Center)
Gateway to information about private funding sources, the grant seeking process, guidelines on writing a grant proposal, addresses of state libraries with grants reference collections, and links to other useful Internet websites. The Center maintains a comprehensive database on foundations; produces print and electronic directories and guides; conducts research and publishes studies in the field; and offers a variety of training and educational seminars. See the following helpful pages on their website:

• How do I find grants for my nonprofit?
• Proposal Writing Short Course (also in Spanish, French, and other languages)
• Foundation Information Network
  • Check for locations at Grants Space, Find Us
  • Free funding information available in libraries, community foundations, and other nonprofit centers nationwide, including access to the Foundation Directory Online database.

Grant Resources by State (Grantsmanship Center)
Click on the state map on this website to find links to information about a state’s foundations, community foundations, corporate giving programs and the state’s home page.

Community Foundations (Council on Foundations)
There are more than 750 community foundations in the US. Community foundations are grantmaking public charities dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local geographic area. The Council on Foundations has a listing of community foundations by state.