If you’re a single mom, you might be struggling to pay your bills. In the meantime, you’d probably like to better yourself and get out of that dead-end job that you’re stuck with.

It might be hard to advance in your chosen profession, or even get into your chosen profession, if you don’t have the education for it. But if you don’t have the money to go back to college, what are you supposed to do?

The best option to avoid putting you further in debt is to get a grant. There are a lot of them available, and many people don’t even think about them. They don’t realize that they can qualify, and they can’t imagine how people who don’t even know them would just give them money.

It’s true that you can get money this way, though, and that it’s a great way for a single mom to be able to afford to attend college.

People who are struggling can finally start to get ahead, and people who have already gotten a start on their careers can go to school and hopefully see even more advancement.

Need a grant? A lot of people do today – or at least they need money somehow. Many of them try to get more credit cards or they try to get a loan from their bank.

The credit market is very tight right now, so when they find that they can’t get loans that way, they start looking for less than savory ways to get them. There are always people who are prepared to lend you money, but at what price? Instead, why not get a grant?

Grants are free money. Almost anyone can qualify for some type of grant, but the key to getting one is to write a proper proposal. It has to be succinct, and it has to address everything that is being asked for. It also has to show that the person asking for the grant has a good reason to ask and that the money will be used for the appropriate purpose.

Some grant proposals are very confusing, and people will often hire professionals to write them. You don’t have to do that. Just take the time to learn what you need to know about writing them.

If you’re a farmer, you’ve probably got problems right now, based on the economy. Most people do, and farmers are being hit pretty hard due to the fact that people aren’t buying as much as they were.

Everyone has slowed down on the purchases that they are making, and that includes food. Add to that the rising cost of fuel and the products that are needed on the farm, and it’s a complete recipe for serious disaster.

Unfortunately, there is often little that is done to help farmers in need because they either don’t ask for help or don’t even realize that help is available. That doesn’t have to be the case.

If you need help with your farm, there are grants available for you. That money is just sitting out there, unclaimed. It’s free for the asking, but asking the right people in the right way is essential. That way you can save your farm and continue to pay your bills on time. It won’t harm your credit, and you won’t have to pay it back. You can’t get a deal much better than that.

More people than you would think actually qualify for a government grant based on minority status.

There are the obvious racial lines between black and white, so African-American people certainly qualify for minority grants. However, they aren’t the only ones. If you are Native American, Latino, or part of another group that is not typically classified as ‘Caucasian,’ you might also qualify.

In addition, there are some grants for women that are considered minority grants, although women are not generally thought of as official minorities any longer.

Despite the fact that there are so many grants available for minorities, you have to know which ones to try for and whether they are worth checking into. Some grants are so specific that they will not be helpful to you, or they don’t really offer enough money for a person to solve any of their problems.

Avoid these and go for only the grants that you will qualify for and that will be worth applying for. That way you won’t waste your time on grants that won’t help you.

Need a grant? You might be able to get one even if your credit is bad. When you try to get a loan, you usually have to have good credit. If you don’t, you can struggle to find a loan that you can qualify for. If and when you do finally qualify for a loan, it will probably has a lot of terms and conditions that you might not like. There are high interest rates, odd payback terms, and other concerns that you’ll have to deal with.

When you get a grant there are options for you, and you don’t always have to be worried about whether your credit is good enough to get you some money. As difficult as the economy is today, a lot of people need money, and most of them are struggling to pay their bills, which means that they might have been late a few times and that might have damaged their credit.

If you’re one of these people, don’t be concerned about being turned down for grants just because your credit is less than perfect. Grants are designed to help all types of people.

It seems like everyone nowadays wants a grant for some reason or other. Start a business. Start a non-profit. Remodel your house. Pay off your bills. With all the commercials on TV and Internet ads, “everyone” is qualified, right? Plus it’s “free money” after all and doesn’t have to be paid back, so who wouldn’t want it?

Well, wanting and being eligible are two entirely different things.

Yes, there is a lot of grant money available from the government, community foundations, corporations and the like. What you don’t hear is that the competition is fierce and the requirements to even apply for this money are stringent.

Not only that, but much of the “free money” out there is for very specific purposes with very specific qualifiers. For example, there is grant money out there in every state to start your own business…if you have a disability and qualify for state Vocational Rehabilitation services and your local VR office supports self-employment.

But what if you already own a business and, because you’re growing, need to move into a new location? Or you run a non-profit and want to expand your services to be more inclusive? Is there free money for that?

Well, it depends. Maybe your business focuses on alternative fuels or satellite imagery…there’s government money for that. Or your non-profit is expanding into prison re-entry programs…there’s government money for that, too.

But what if it’s “just” a hair salon or a nursing home? And you “just” need the money because you’ve done a good job and your business or non-profit is growing.

Frankly, when you hear about people “getting money from the government” in one of those “free money” ads, what you often don’t learn is that many of those people - the ones they describe who got money to start a bagel restaurant, daycare center or landscaping business or to buy a Dairy Queen franchise, car repair shop or bed and breakfast - didn’t get grants.

Instead, they got low-interest, government-backed Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. Not “free money”, but loans that have to be paid back.

But, before you think, “well, that stinks!” this is actually a good deal!

Seriously. SBA loans can give you as good, if not a better, opportunities to achieve your dreams. You may not qualify (yet) for grants, but small business loans are designed specifically to help people just like you. People who are either trying to start or who need to expand their business but need assistance.

The SBA has a number of programs that help people in a variety of ways, including making capital available to businesses through both banks and non-bank lending institutions, providing funding for land or construction, and microloan programs (that provide up to $35,000 for businesses who can’t qualify for traditional bank loans).

While it’s certainly more than worthwhile to look into potential grant funding, don’t let your dream fade by not considering SBA loans. After all, the goal is to have your dream come true, not just to get “free money”.

Getting grant funding for a non-profit is a lot easier than getting grant funding for a for-profit business. And getting grant funding for an existing non-profit is also a lot easier than getting grant funding to start a new non-profit.

However, saying it’s “easier” doesn’t mean it’s easy to get this funding, because there are countless existing non-profits out there all competing for the same pot of money.

Not only that but, with very few exceptions, the grants that are available are not designed to give you all the money you need to start and/or run a non-profit. Plus the few grants that do provide full support are available only for extremely specific non-profit entities that are clearly defined and non-competitive, such as Independent Living Centers (CIL). These types of grants are also usually federal or state grants…the hardest type of funding to get, particularly if you are an inexperienced grant writer.

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t get funding for your non-profit.

The first thing you have to understand, though, is that you’ll need to be a 501(c)(3) or other IRS tax exempt non-profit designation to have much of any chance of being successful in attracting non-profit grant funding.

Just calling yourself a non-profit isn’t sufficient. Funders expect their recipients to be serious about the project, and that means being incorporated, having a Board of Directors and By-Laws at the very least. So don’t expect to apply for grant funding for an adult daycare center when it’s just a dream you have and you’re hoping for funding to get it started. That simply won’t happen. A non-profit is a business…it just doesn’t make a profit!

Once you legally exist as a non-profit, however, local, private and corporate foundations may be interested in supporting various aspects of what you do. Just like the government, though, don’t expect them to pay for everything. This funder may be willing to pay for social activities while that funder may be willing to pay for a van while a third funder may will willing to provide support for adult education.

You won’t know until you start looking, but expect to have to look in many places and apply for many grants…as well as consider community fundraising to support the ongoing efforts of your non-profit. When looking for funding for a non-profit, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is sound advice.

While all grant funders focus on certain topic areas, covering a wide variety of areas such as education or medical research, homelessness or alternative energy, funders may also choose to limit their grant funding to a certain category of recipients in order to give those recipients the opportunity to be successful in the funders’ areas of interest. Minority applicants are one of the primary recipient categories.

This doesn’t mean that any member of a certain minority, including African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, people with disabilities, and so forth, is guaranteed to receive a grant. After all, the expectation of the funder is that the grant recipient successfully uses the money they’re given. But it does mean that people looking for a grant shouldn’t just limit themselves to grants that fund their particular project, but also for grants that might apply to them as people.

There have long been educational grants and scholarships available to a wide variety of minority and other underrepresented groups. Unlike more general educational grants which are often based on financial need, many minority grants don’t just consider financial need but also the goals of the student in order to level the playing field.

However, educational grants are not the only opportunities available to minorities. In particular, minorities looking to start or grow a business also may face obstacles, and government funders also recognize these difficulties.

Micro-loans are available for both new and existing nonprofits helping people n disadvantaged communities. Community foundations and private corporations are helping these nonprofits provide the resources that allow minority entrepreneurs to become successful, thereby creating jobs in their community and adding to the tax base.

Plus, in addition to providing grants and loans to enable a minority business to get started, there are government contract set-asides designed specifically to give minority-owned businesses a hand in getting up-to-speed when competing with established companies. These set-asides allow new minority businesses to be competitive in today’s business world, allowing them the opportunity to sell goods and services to some of the biggest companies in the United States as well as to the US government itself. Without these set-asides, many minority companies would find it hard, if not impossible, to get their foot in the door.

Keep in mind that, just because you are a member of a recognized minority, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get scholarships, loans, grant funding or set-aside contracts. This still depends not just on your ability to find the opportunities but to take full advantage of them. So make sure you are on top of what you need to do…then do it!

People new to looking for grant funding often don’t realize that there are different types of grant funders. What difference does this make? Well, certain types of funders are more likely to fund certain types of projects, and this can make a real difference on whether or not you get the grant funding you’re seeking.

The main types of funders are governments; charitable foundations; public charities and corporate funders.

Government funders include federal, state and local government. Federal grants, such as those through the Department of Defense or Health and Human Services can be for substantial sums of money, often in the multi-million dollar range. However, with the exception of individual educational grants they are generally very restrictive, competitive, and difficult to get.

So, if you want a startup grant for a small business, don’t count on federal grant funding. If, on the other hand, you have a research project or technical idea that fits the goals of a particular governmental department, you should definitely check them out.

State and local grant funding is far easier to get, particularly local level grants, because the competition is far less and because the goals of government grant funding at this level is more focused on helping citizens and more able to determine whether or not the need you want to fill is viable.

Charitable foundations usually get their funding from a single donor source, such as an individual, family or business. Foundations have their own board of directors which manage the funds and review applications for funding.

Depending on their size and scope, charitable foundations can focus on issues and projects that range from national or worldwide concerns to local community issues. Often a community foundation can be extremely helpful in getting your project off the ground.

Public charities are organizations like the United Way, where funds come from a variety of donor sources including the general public. Public charities tend to be more restrictive in who can apply for funds and what projects they fund. Some only raise funds for their own specific purposes. However, these types of charities can often be extremely useful for individuals needing individual assistance.

Corporate funders are pretty much self-explanatory. A corporation sets aside a certain amount of its income to fund projects that it has determined fit its corporate mission or goal. Many corporate funders focus their efforts on the communities where their employees work and live.

Corporate funders may give money or they may give what are called in-kind contributions. For example, a computer software company may give free copies of its software to deserving applications. While some applicants may prefer financial support, a number of applicants find that the donation of, say, computers, furniture or advertising and promotional services is extremely valuable as it allows them to use their existing funds on other needs.

As a grant seeker, you shouldn’t assume that only one type of funder could help you out. So make sure you look into all the types of grant funding available.

CDBG grants, funded by HUD, are available for local community development projects like affordable housing, historic renovation in low-income areas, infrastructure such as sidewalks and water lines, and anti-poverty programs.

A great thing about CDBG grants is that individuals, businesses, and non-profits don’t have to apply to HUD for the funding. Instead, state (“non-entitlement”) and local (“entitlement”) governments receive the funds in a block (hence the title “block grant”) that they split among several funded categories, based on community need. As a result, your CDBG grant application goes to the funder at the local level. It’s a lot easier to get funding at the local level than it is at the federal level.

Of course, funding depends on whether or not your local community actually receives funding - it’s designed for low-and moderate-income areas. Approximately 1,100 communities and states receive CDGB funding to disperse.

Even if your community does have CDBG funds to give out, whether or not you can receive funding for your goals also depends on what each local community has decided to fund. For example, one city may decide it will accept applications for funding for neighborhood associations and weatherization programs while another community may choose entirely different projects. Since these general project categories are determined by the residents themselves at public meetings, you should make sure you attend these meetings so that you can have input.

Ifr you are applying as an individual for, say, assistance with weatherizing your home, the process is generally simple as you are actually only applying for a share of an already existing CDBG grant. This application is usually done through the city or a local non-profit. As a result, you won’t actually have to write a grant proposal.

If, on the other hand, you’re applying for funding as a business or non-profit, you will have to write a proposal. Plus there are some requirements you’ll have to meet or your proposal will be automatically rejected. These include that you be incorporated and eligible to do business in the state, that your project is an eligible activity (in other words, what the local community has approved), and that your target population is at least 51% low- and moderate-income.

Not only that, but don’t assume that you will get full funding for your project, particularly if it’s large. The amounts of money available for each project are limited, and businesses and non-profits may be expected to show that they can provide the remainder of any necessary funding.

CDBG grant funds are one of the easier grants to get if you do it right, so make sure you know how to apply and what is required.