Grants are an ideal source of funding for nonprofit organizations and small businesses, but most people don’t know where to find them. Foundations don’t make it easy; most of them don’t have a website or they they require an invitation code to gain access. Services like Grantwatch can be extremely useful, but they cost hundreds of dollars a year, making them inaccessible to the people who need them most. Here are ten places where you can access grant opportunities for free:
- grants.govhas grant opportunities for businesses and nonprofits alike. It’s also a great resource for learning about the grant making process. The grants are federal, so most of them have an involved application process. If you find this intimidating, get a few smaller grants under your belt and then check back.
- Your local SBDC (Small Business Development Center). The SBDC focuses on for-profit businesses, and provides free information and training on every aspect of starting, funding, and running a business. They usually know what local grants are available for startups. Nonprofit organizations will find helpful information here as well, especially if they need to learn about accounting or HR practices. Find your local office here: https://americassbdc.org
- The website for your state, county, city, or town’s government. Usually local grants are listed somewhere on the site, especially for nonprofit organizations and the arts. Your local office of economic development is a good place to find funding for small businesses (this may or may not be on the same website). These grants are usually limited to people in your geographic region, meaning they can be less competitive.
- Specific departments in your state or the federal government. This will depend on your objectives, and usually works better for nonprofits. If your organization is doing something related to health, search for the health department. If your organization is doing something for the environment, try the EPA, etc.
- If your business involves research and development of new technologies, try the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs here: https://www.sbir.gov
- Check with your local Chamber of Commerce. They usually have the inside track on local funding opportunities for both businesses and nonprofit organizations.
- While you’re at it, check with other local business associations, networking clubs, and nonprofit associations. Some will have their own grants to give, others will have information about foundations, and still others will hold subscriptions to grant databases that are free for members to use.
- Look for corporate giving. These opportunities are usually only open to nonprofit organizations, but there are some exceptions. Many large corporations have a philanthropic branch that can be accessed through online applications. Walmart, Target, Weis Markets, Wegmans….the list goes on. Depending on your needs, search corporate giving + your location or corporate giving for your area of focus.
- The library is your friend. Your local library probably holds subscriptions to grantwatch, foundation search, and/or other grant databases. Your librarian will tell you how to access them for free.
- Nerdwallet maintains a list of specialty grants for small businesses owned by women here: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/small-business-grants-for-women, by minorities here: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/small-business-grants-minorities, and by veterans here: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/small-business-grants-for-veterans.
Enjoy your search!
Note: This is the first of a four-part series on grants. Stay tuned next week for pt 2: Preparedness
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