The following resources have been compiled by the Congressional Research Service for people seeking information or assistance applying for federal grants. Please contact our office for additional information.

Grants and Federal Domestic Assistance

Here you can find guidance and key resources on federal grants, loans, private funding, and nonfinancial assistance for projects. 

1. Find out if you are eligible for a grant. Other government websites may be more suitable for personal needs, student loans, small business assistance, or other business opportunities.

2. If eligible, search for program information in assistance listings, which includes grants, loans, and business or nonfinancial help.

3. Contact federal offices or go to federal websites given in assistance listing program descriptions.

4. Check current federal grant opportunities at grants.gov, obtain a Unique Entry ID, register with System for Award Management, and apply online. Additional notices can be found at fedconnect.net.

5. Search foundations for project funding: use the Candid Foundation Directory or the Foundation Directory network in your local library.

6. Learn how to write grant proposals using the free, online Candid Proposal Writing Short Course or see other tips and sample proposals here.

Assistance Listings at sam.gov, produced by the General Services Administration, contains official descriptions of more than 2,200 federal assistance programs.

Grants.gov, managed by the Department of Health and Human Services, allows eligible grantseekers to find and apply for current opportunities from all federal agencies. Use this site to check on notices of funding availability and apply by downloading the application and submitting it online.

Intergovernmental Review List can be used to find your state office coordinating federal financial assistance. Under Executive Order 12372, some states require federal grant applicants to submit a copy of their application for state government level review and comment.

***I removed the “Related Federal Resources” section because all listed resources are provided in other sections or are outdated.

Related Federal Resources

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• A-Z Index Departments & Agencies
• USA.gov for Business
• FedBizOpps.gov
• Student Aid on the Web
• Benefits.gov
• FTC Consumer Alert
• OMB Circulars

A-Z Index of U.S. 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 Businesses 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 (Dept. 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 Management Web Site (Office of Management and Budget)
OMB establishes government-wide grants management policies and guidelines through circulars and common rules.  OMB Circulars  are cited in Catalog program descriptions and may be printed out fulltext.

Private & Corporate Funding Sources

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Candid’s Foundation Directory is the 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. They maintain a comprehensive database on foundations, produce print and electronic directories and guides, conduct research and publish studies in the field, and offer a variety of training and educational seminars

See Grant Resources by State put together by the Grantsmanship Center. Click on the state map to find information about a state’s foundations, community foundations, corporate giving programs, and the state’s home page.

There are more than 750 community foundations in the U.S., which 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.

Rep. Bacon wants to do everything he can to see that Nebraskans are successful in their attempts to access federal grant programs and will be glad to consider requests for letters of support. If you would like to request a letter, please provide:

1.     Applicant’s contact information. Please include name of the organization as it will appear on the application and address, as well as an individual name, phone number, and email for a point of contact.

2.    To whom should the letter of support be addressed? For example, the Undersecretary or Administrator of an agency or department. Please include the name of the granting agency and address.

3.    What is the specific name of the grant?

4.    Where should the letter be sent?

5.    How much in grant funding are you requesting?

6.    What is the project designed to do? For example, facilitate the hiring of staff, purchase needed office equipment, construct housing, redevelop a neighborhood, provide healthcare services, etc.

7.    Who will the project serve? For example, this project will directly benefit 250 clients and their families, which live within a 10-mile radius of our facility.

8.    What is the deadline for submitting the application?

9.    By what date do you need the letter of support? Please remember that two weeks advance notice is suggested.

10. Additional information (maximum one page). A copy of the application does not need to be submitted.

Please submit all requests for letters of support two weeks prior to the date the letter is needed. Rep. Bacon is unable to provide generic letters of support. Please email requests to the Omaha district office via [email protected] and call 402-938-0300 with questions. View the services page to see what types of help our office can provide and how to request more information or assistance.

More on Grant Applicants

Types of services and help our office may be able to provide, and how to request more information or assistance.