A grant is one of the government’s tools for funding ideas and projects to provide public services, stimulate the economy, and benefit the general public. Grants can be awarded for a wide-variety of activities, such as innovative research, recovery initiatives, infrastructure building, or any of the other hundreds of funding programs in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).
Examples of U.S. federal grant programs include those that support justice and law enforcement, social services and health research, and research in science and technology.
The process of successfully serving the public through grants, though, can be quite complex. Grant programs originate from laws, and then are administered by the appropriate federal agency. For example:
- The Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 was signed into law
- Per the law, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) must administer the National Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, and Technical Assistance Competitive Grants Program, which is CFDA 10.328
- USDA publishes funding opportunities on Grants.gov
- Eligible organizations submit applications
- USDA reviews applications and awards the grant
- Awardees (i.e., the grant recipients) implement the grant
- Many more post award activities occur, like reporting and closeout
Definition of a Grant Agreement
Grants are actually just one of many different forms of federal financial assistance. Federal financial assistance is a broad term to refer to the various ways the U.S. government redistributes resources to eligible recipients. Other forms of federal financial assistance that are not grants include direct appropriations, food commodities, loans, insurance, and others.
Basic Definition: A grant is the transfer of anything of value from the Federal Government to a non-federal entity to carry out a public purpose authorized by U.S. law.
A grant does not provide for substantial involvement from the federal awarding agency (unlike a cooperative agreement, which includes substantial involvement). (The official definition of ‘grant agreement’ is on our Grant Terminology page).
Grant Types: There are several different types of grants which affect how the grants are awarded and implemented. Here’s more about the main grant types:
- What is a block grant?
- What is a discretionary grant?
- What is a mandatory grant?
- What is a formula grant?
- What is a cooperative agreement?
Next Steps—Learning
To learn more basics about the grant lifecycle and process, go the Grants 101 section of our Grants Learning Center.
To learn more about eligibility for grants or other forms of federal financial assistance, check out the Grant Eligibility page or Exploring Eligibility blog series.
To dive deeper into Grant Policies that further define what a grant is and how grants are managed, read the What Is the OMB Uniform Guidance for Grants? blog article. This will launch you further into the world of federal grant policies.
Next Steps—Finding and Applying
If you are ready to get started, your next steps are to search for a funding opportunity and then apply for the grant! For more help along the way, refer to the Grants.gov Online User Guide or Support page.
Do you have questions about grants? Post a comment below. Read our Comment and Privacy Policy.
Editor’s Note: We updated & expanded this article to create a more complete answer to the question—what is a grant? The original publication on May 4, 2016, was our first entry in the ‘What Is…” series, which makes grants more accessible by discussing the grant lifecycle and grant types.
Star Arize is an NGO based in South Africa and is working a round the issues of rural community empowerment on a number of issues among them is awareness on drug addition, Women economical empowerment through providing good security for the less privileged and I marginalised, we also do primary health care for those who living in far place to the clinic or hospitals by conducting child growth monitoring and promotion for the 5 children and we advocate for women’s rights. How do we access funding from you your organisation?
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Go to the Search Grants tab on Grants.gov to find current federal funding opportunities. Review each grant to see if your NGO is eligible to apply, then start working on your grant application if your mission aligns with the grant program mission: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html and https://blog.grants.gov/category/grant-writing-basics/
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Pls keep me updated because it is so inspiring!
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Great keep it up. thanks
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Thanks for the info
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I need help with paying my bills.where do I go to get aid/Grant information
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Hi Eldridge, we recommend you complete the Benefits Finder tool on Benefits.gov to see if you are eligible for federal assistance: https://www.benefits.gov
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Thanks for sharing.
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More of a question than a comment. I heard from a grant agent and to receive my grant, I was told I had to pay a certain amount to receive the funds. Is that legit. Do you have to buy a grant?
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Hi William, no – there is never a “fee” to receive a federal grant. This is a scam.
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I also need a grant for my education costs in the IT field. Can this program help? thanks.
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Please go to the Search Grants tab to look through open funding opportunities that you are eligible for: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html
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I would like to know if there is anywhere in florida that can help people access and file for a grant or grants. Thanks mike rand
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Please go to the Search Grants tab to look through open funding opportunities that you may be eligible to apply for: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html
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Hi,
I live in Maine and have been doing carpentry for the last 18 years. I have my own business on the side and am into repurposing unwanted items, salvaging old house materials, etc.
And am looking at stepping up to restoring abandoned homes and bigger projects to help revitalize neighborhoods.
Are there specific grants of this nature? I got a bit lost on the website.
Thanks,
Matt
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Hi Matt, here’s a blog post that will help answer that question: https://blog.grants.gov/2016/07/07/exploring-eligibility-can-small-businesses-receive-federal-grants/
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