I sometimes have students who are gung-ho to get a grant, any grant. They will inquire where to go to get the most money, the most quickly. I ask them what it is they are seeking to fund exactly, and they have no idea. This approach is not likely to succeed, for several reasons. First, grants exist for a purpose. The idea behind them is that the government wants to encourage positive social changes, such as job creation or home ownership,

The key to receiving grant funding is the grant proposal. The grant proposal is the way that you tell the grant funder who you are, show that you’re worthy of grant funding, and describe how you plan to carry out the activities required to get the grant funding. Grant proposal is a catch-all term, but there actually are several types of proposals.

Did you know that many local governments have grants that are not publicized? Some communities have funding set aside, but they don’t publicize it. Often, the only way to find out about available funding is to call or visit your government offices, find the resident grant expert, and inquire about available programs. The best example of this is someone from my own office who wanted a grant to help her with a down payment on a new house.

Grant writing is a special type of writing. Even if you’re already good at other types of writing, whether it’s academic, creative, or for entertainment, there are still a few things to keep in mind when you’re writing a government grant proposal. These are the top five mistakes made by otherwise good writers who are inexperienced with writing government grant proposals. Contributing to this list were ideas from grant writer Veronica Robbins.

Congratulations–you got a grant! Now is it a one-time grant, or is it renewable? And if it’s renewable, what do you have to do to receive the next round of funding? Each allotment of grant money has its own set of conditions. One of these addresses what happens when the funding period has elapsed. One of the possibilities is that it may be one-time funding, and that you aren’t eligible to reapply in future funding cycles.

It’s unquestionably a huge disappointment to work hard on your grant proposal, only to have it not be chosen. At this point you can either become discouraged and give up, or you can use the rejection as a learning experience. Most proposals are rejected. Given the large numbers of proposals that are submitted, that is a reality of the process. However, you can try to pinpoint the reason in several ways:

We’re all eager to get government grants. (Hey, I’m no exception–I’ve gotten plenty of free government money for myself and my business, and always am on the lookout for more.) One of the most common questions is how to apply for it. Well, the answer is, it depends. Let me explain. You may already know that there are many, many funding programs out there, and they have their own ways of matching their available funding with deserving recipients.

The West Virginia University Student Government Association tabled a vote for a grant request at its Wednesday meeting after a miscommunication.

The Indian Student Association applied for a SGA grant, it but failed to attend Wednesday’s meeting. According to the Student Body constitution, approved during February’s election, members of the organizations must be present at the meeting before grants can be approved.

SGA will vote on the grant request when the two groups meet.

The federal government denied two northwestern North Dakota after-school programs a grant due to a lack of clear and convincing writing.

Programs in North Dakota’s educationally strained oil patch and on the Fort Berthold reservation have been left scrambling without money from the federal government.

We all know the feeling of coming thisclose to getting something, then finding out that we just barely missed out. This can be true with grant funding. Many grant programs are funded at a particular time of year, then end when all the funds are allocated. Others have a pre-determined funding cycle. If you miss this funding cycle, you end up having to wait until the next one, or if the program isn’t renewed, then you miss out altogether.

Foreword from Chris Johnson: On a personal note, I want to mention that I have a student, Jonghun L. in Connecticut, who received this same grant and used it properly. He operates a martial arts school in Connecticut and has put his funding to good use, helping at-risk kids.

A Forsyth County, Georgia woman will spend time in federal prison after being convicted of submitting fake government grant applications worth $600,000.

Many people have a preconceived notion that grant writing is difficult and get intimidated at the thought of completing a grant application. With your busy life, who has time to figure it out? To save you time, here are the top ten tips for writing successful grant applications.

Government grants are often used as a tool of social engineering for governments to encourage or accelerate some desired outcome. In the case of neighborhoods that are geared to undergo a renewal and renaissance, government grants are a way to encourage growth and rebuilding. The trick, though, can be to get the process started.

How do you think a grant reviewer will see your proposal? Try putting yourself mentally in the place of the reviewer, keeping in mind that he or she has no emotional attachment to your idea, nor any prior background knowledge of why your project would be a good one.Here, we get some hints and insights from professional grant reviewers about what their preferences and pet peeves are (adapted from research by Purdue University).

Canada and Alberta student loans require a paper application for the first year, but online in subsequent years. Photo: University of Alberta. $748 million in Canada and Alberta student loans and grants were given out in 2012, and even more is expected to be allocated this year.

What do you want to know about Pell Grants? Chances are, you’ll find the answer here! It’s a good source of school funding that you don’t have to pay back, so it’s a good idea to know what will qualify—and disqualify—you.

One of the key parts of a grant proposal is its budget. Some of my students have a little trouble knowing where to begin with it and knowing whether they have done it correctly. I have some ideas for you to make the process a little less intimidating.

First, here are some general rules. Be sure that your budget is:

WANTED: Someone with common interests, compatible viewpoints, a sense of generosity, honest communication, who is smart and sensible. The goal is a good future together, in a long-term, mutually satisfying relationship. I’m of course talking about the match between you and a potential grant funder. One of the most important aspects of getting grant money is having a good match between the funder’s priorities and your needs.