Does everyone qualify for a grant?

There are grants for for-profit businesses, non-profit businesses, individuals, and other applicant entities. Unlike infomercials, however, the grant is not available to all businesses, all purposes, all the time.

Most grants are designed to operate programs and most grants are designed for tax-exempt organizations. Nonprofit organizations with IRS charitable and exempt status may qualify for grants from foundations, businesses, and governments. So if you are looking for program grants for a tax-exempt organization, there are probably one or more sources available to you.

There are around 100,000 sources of funding from foundations and companies. Each has a specific purpose and a geographic area in which they will provide funding. Sometimes the geographic area is limited to a single city or community where the corporation is headquartered. Others may fund projects at the state, national, or international level.

For-profit businesses are more likely to qualify for Government Grants as specified in the Notice of Financing Announcement (NOFA or Notice). Not all of these businesses or purposes are good for grant funds. As a general rule, retail and wholesale businesses are generally not eligible to receive grants. Although there is always an exception to the rule, there are very few grant funding opportunities for these types of businesses. Most of the grants received by companies other than those that are tax-exempt would be for scientific research, medical research, development of alternative energy sources, or improvement of the country’s infrastructure. Businesses like trucking, yard care, and restaurants will find it very difficult to find a suitable grant.

People such as artists, educators, researchers, and health professionals may qualify for a small number of grants from the foundation depending on specifications. Other people may qualify for government grants; many of these grants are administered by state and local governments.

The most important indicator for whether or not an applicant will receive funding is: how close the applicant’s purpose and project is to fulfilling the mission and the funding priority of the funding source. The more closely your program fits the purpose for which the funder wants to award an award, the better your chances. The more you chase money, the less likely you are to win any funding prizes.

Then, there could be various other features of the application process that weave into the full instructions, such as having to include your own matching funds or submitting a required Letter of Intent before you can submit the full proposal.

Working with a professional grant writing association can significantly improve your chances of finding the best matching grant funding opportunities.