Are There Any Grants For Home Repairs?

here is an excerpt from my Grants-Related Page:

HI MY NAME IS Y~. I AM INTERSTED IN A GRANT FOR REPAIR TO MY HOME PLEASE HELP ME OUT IN THIS SITUATION THANK YOU IN ADVANCE TELEPHONE# #`, PHILADELPHIA PA

When looking for a home repair-related grant the one thing that you are going to have to realize is that there is no one place that has grants for repairs to a home. It will depend on the type of repair(s) that you want. There are programs that help with the cost of heating-related repairs - such as getting your heating system repaired or replaced. In my own area (PA) there is a grant program for $25,000 worth of repairs to homes that fall within a certain area. There are also programs that provide assistance such as "emergency" funding for repairs and/or needed necessities so you can also look outside the realm of house repair categories as far as grant programs are concerned. So you assess the repairs that you need done and then you find the funding programs that you qualify for. It is as simple as that.


added 11/4/05

Being old, female and poor should be enough to find some sort of help to get $$ for home repair. I sent in paperwork for weeks and then was told I make too much (SS) for a grant and I don't have good enough credit to get a low interest loan. I thought they were for low income people. Only reason I have no credit is cause I don't buy on credit! Where do you go to find help? My house is in need of repairs badly.

I don't know which program you applied for but there are programs for those that are elderly. Case in point - I'm working with someone now because their heating system is not working and the program will repair it for free! It's really crazy because the same program will also pay an amount to her heating bill as well. It won't cover the whole bill but there will be 2 grants that will be applied towards the heating bill plus the repair work to her heating system. As a matter of fact if her heating system is shot they will install a new one! There are also programs that are tied in with the lottery - you know the money being used for programs to help the elderly with as much as a $500 check that can be deposited to a bank account - from a government program. In the area where I live the residents are eligible for $20,000.00 in repairs from a grant program. So you may not be looking in the right places or the specifics of the program that you were applying for have to be better known.


added 6/6/05

I was reading your message about the Gov-grant you are aplying for. I am a single and looking for any gov grant programs that I will be able to apply for. I have search the internet about all kinds of programs, but always comes up with these bokks that you have to buy in order to get these address to these company that you have to apply with. I would like to know if you could tell me a addres(s) where I can write to to apply for a grant. I need help in doing some work to my house in order to live in it safely. Any information would be much appreciated.

You will definitely have to start doing some homework. Just going from your post alone you would first have to see what is available in your area. If you are on any kind of assistance like food stamps then you should have a case worker. A lot of grant programs that relate to home repairs have to do with the elderly and disabled. However you should first check and see what programs are available under HUD and then from there check your state government and then from there your local governement facilities. There are also grants provided that are from organizations other than the government. For instance there is a grant of $125 for winning essays from single mothers to help inspire others. You have to look into all the options available to you.

Business Plan Competition!

This Business Plan Competition is aimed at students, university graduates, scientific staff and professors as well as entrepreneurs, business employees, inventors and developers. Anybody from anywhere in the world, who has an innovative and high-growth nanotechnology or polymer-based materials business project can participate.

To participate in the competition any idea must have the following characteristics:

• Nanotechnology or polymer-based materials related - Nanotechnology is defined as the techniques and procedures used to manipulate the matter at the nanoscale level (10-9 m). For a broader definition please refer to classification systems of Patent Offices (i.e. USPTO, EPO, WIPO, etc.).
  

• Business oriented - The fundamental objective of the Competition is to promote the creation of start-up ventures, in any application field of nanotechnology and polymer-based materials, in specific regions of Italy. Participants must aim at developing their ideas into real businesses.
  

• Start-up phase - The competition is intended for new business ideas, and not to provide expansion capital to existing businesses.
  
  Owners of existing businesses are not precluded from entering the competition. However, the Organizing Committee reserves the right to evaluate the eligibility of teams that have already started operations (the product or service has already been delivered to the customers, or the company has already been established), on a case-by-case basis. Within such limitations, existing business owners are encouraged to enter.

Only after registration, Entry Teams will be allowed to submit an Executive Summary of their business project. Early submissions are encouraged. The Executive Summary must be emailed in PDF format to the competition's email address.

Receipt confirmation will be given within 24 hours.

The Executive Summary must not exceed 4 pages (excluding title and appendices) of text typed, single spaced, 10 or 12 font size, and at least 2 cm margins on all sides. Detailed spreadsheets and appropriate appendices should follow the text portion of the Executive Summary, and will not be counted in the 4-page limit. However, each Team should presume the judging panel will not necessarily read the appendices. Nevertheless, appendices should be included only as support to the presented findings, statements and observations.

Executive Summaries must be written in English.

Each Team must indicate a team member as referent for the verification of the contents of the submitted Executive Summary. If necessary, this reference will act as a contact point during the preliminary screening by the Organising Committee.

Executive Summaries must include/address the following indications:

1. Business Concept: explain your idea and its innovation. Be direct and effective. Basically, how you would describe your business to a potential investor/customer.

2. Opportunity and Strategy: focus on the existing problems/needs you solve/meet with your services or products. Highlight the primary benefits your idea brings to customers and how you would tackle them.

3. Technology: outline the technology at the base of your business idea. Do not be too technocratic, focus on the core technological features of your offering. For specific information about the technology involved use the appendices. Describe your position regarding the protection of Intellectual Property.

4. Market Analysis and Competitive Advantage: describe the target market, how big it is and its key features and trends. Highlight why customers would buy the products, and the market opportunity for sustainable margins and growth in the long term. Consider and indicate the competitors and how your company would face them. Highlight your competitive advantage and entry barriers for potential competitors. Keep the focus on the keys to success in your competitive environment.

5. Economics and Financials: explain in more details the assumptions used for revenues and expenses projections. Give an essential prospect on when cash flow would become positive. Outline your capital needs and what you would use such capital for. Try to be as clear as possible so the judges can see what your business potential is.

6. Team and Organisation: give a short summary of each Team member's background, what they would bring to the company, and how he/she would help the company to succeed. Briefly describe an implementation plan, with milestones and key success factors. Illustrate existing and potential risks involved.

7. Appendices: any additional detailed or confidential information that could be useful to the readers of the Executive Summary but not appropriate for distribution can be presented here. Appendices can include: detailed technology description; patents; market studies; highlights of Profit and Loss statement and/or Balance Sheet; etc.


For more specific information you are kindly requested to consult their Official Rules and Requirements which is available as a .pdf download

A Total Amount of € 600.000 Grand Prizes - Anybody anywhere with an innovative and high-growth nanotechnology or polymer-based materials business idea can participate and try to win one of the 2 Grand Prizes of € 300,000 each, using the money to start operations in Italy.

The two prizes are not cumulative: Teams must compete either for the nanotechnology or the polymer-based materials category.

Nanotechnology category - The winner of the nanotechnology Grand Prize will receive the € 300.000 to start its operations inside the national nanotechnology cluster in a specific region of Italy.

Polymer-based materials category - The winner of the polymer-based materials Grand Prize will receive € 300.000 to fund a start-up in the technological district on polymeric and composite materials of a specific region of Italy.

Financial Grants For Sailors And Marines?

There is a non-profit organization that helps support Sailors and Marines and their family members in times of need! This support ranges from support for injury or death, household needs and car repairs. In addition to its financial services, this organization offers food lockers, layettes for newborns, classes and more.

Here is just a sampling of the kind of support that this organization has provided:

• A service couple was married in 2003. The spouse had had a kidney transplant in 1991, but the procedure had failed and the spouse was on dialysis now and had incurred over $4,000.00 in medical bills since the marriage, and had credit card debt totaling over $15,000.00 due to prescriptions and medical expenses. Subsequently the husband joined the Navy and the medical costs were covered! The service couple requested assistance from this organization for the earlier bills and the organization authorized assistance as a grant for the medical bills, and authorized an interest free loan for the credit card debt, to be repaid over a 24-month period.
  
  
• Another couple had difficulty adjusting to living within their income and started using payday lenders. The husband who was a petty officer got behind in his rent and also borrowed funds from loans which compounded their financial problems. The service member requested assistance from the organization for one month's rent, food and gasoline and funds to pay off six payday loans. The organization authorized the assistance as an interest-free loan. Repayment was deferred for 3 months and a repayment plan was set up for 10 months to minimize the impact on the family.
  
  
• A Lance Corporal, who was seriously injured in Iraq, was experiencing a lot of pain and having difficulty sleeping on his regular mattress at home. The Naval Medical Center conducted a sleep study and determined that the service member was able to sleep through the night on the TEMPUR-PEDIC mattress and foundation beds they have at the medical center. This organization granted funds for the purchase of a new orthopedic mattress.
  
  
• A service couple purchased a home 2 years ago, and they financed it with an interest only loan. The mortgage payments started out low, but soon escalated to $1,200.00 more than the original payment. The family started falling behind in payment of their bills. They needed help with car payments, medical bills, childcare, and also asked for help with food and gas. They lost their house to foreclosure and asked for assistance. The organization assisted with a loan for two car payments and grants of nearly $2,500.00 for their rent, food, childcare, gas and the family's cost share for medical and dental bills.
  
  
• Another service couple living in Navy housing had a fire destroy all of their household possessions. The cause was determined to be a defective air conditioner. The family requested help and were provided with an interest-free loan of over $3,600.00 for a new bedroom set for their young son, a mattress and box spring for the service couple, bed linens, blankets, pillows, towels, cooking and eating utensils, a chest of drawers, a dinette set, a couch, lamps and a microwave.
  
  (The service member had initiated legal action against the manufacturer of the air conditioner, and if a settlement was received the service member was going to repay the loan, but if his claim was denied then the entire assistance was going to be given as a grant.)

India - Startup Business Funding! There is an Entrepreneurial Program that has been put in place in such a way that the entrepreneur can find access to money and mentors in the same place. Given the limited pool of mentors, the candidates are filtered and selected, but on ventures that are very promising, there are individual angels within the chapter who have funded them. * There is yet another funding program that has been put together for entrepreneurs looking for seed money up to INR 50,00,000. The chartered members of this program and the likes have pooled in money and do invest on personal capacities on ventures they find to be of interest. This is applicable only to startups based out of Chennai, as of now.

Real Estate Company Gets Federal Money!

This $1 BILLION Dollar a year real estate company has built military housing for the U.S. armed forces in at least 18 states and has a backlog of more than $6 billion in future construction work. This is a fee-based real estate developement which brings a full range of services that include property management, construction, development and long-term maintenance and they collects fees for all of that work. They also put a small amount of equity into each of their projects. There are multiple income streams. It gives us a lot of diversity. The firm, which handles planning, construction and property management for military housing areas, is a leader in energy-efficient construction, too. This company has the ability to win government projects and grants while other real estate developers cope with tighter financing requirements and slower national home sales! The owner has been part of various developer teams working on military real estate projects and redeveloping closed bases. The company has also won another military project in Alaska!

Here's a little secret:

"On the day that we close on a project, we typically receive ownership to all the buildings and utilities and structures in the family housing area on the military installation."

*As I have said many times before, grant programs have been put in force to help with a compelling need - which in this case is about upgrading military housing. And this is something that is widely supported by the American public. Rose

What I Do........................................

I am a teacher with 14 year experience, I have triple degress- 3-5 years of age, regular education K-5 grade, and special education Multiple disabilities K-12, and I have my masters in Ele Guidance. I would like to open an "educare" center in my county. Can you help me find grants for doing this? Do you have a book you are selling or do you actually help secure the grants and how much do you charge- thank you g~

What I do quite simply is find the grant programs that clients are eligible for. I send them all the information about the grant programs and then they can decide whether or not they want to apply for the funding on their own or whether they want someone to help them whether it be me or someone else. You can find more information on both my Grant Basics 101 page and my contact information pages.

One thing that you will have to understand about the grant process is that it is a process. You have to submit your application and it has to be reviewed before any grant award decision is made. Applying for a grant does not automatically guarantee that you will get the grant.

Bio-technology Company Receives A $3.4 Million Dollar Grant From The Government!

First off let me state that this grant award will span over a 2-year period.

The reason why this company is receiving the grant is because they will use the grant money to develop technology to advance vaccine research and development. This
technology will help with the development of vaccine systems used to protect
military personnel from biological agents.


(*On a more personal note, I really am not in favor of using animals as test models!)

Also the grant money will be used to continue the development of a trademarked technology for rapid generation of vaccine candidates and high-throughput testing in animal models. The work will be done in collaboration with another company. By creating multiple vaccine leads in parallel, the two companies hope to increase the odds of successfully advancing promising vaccines into late stage clinical trials.

This company also has vaccine programs in the areas of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza, and encephalitic alphaviruses, which are funded through various external agencies. Researchers at this company have also generated thousands of lead candidates for their vaccine programs using their trademarked platform.


The company has announced that they are pleased that the government will continue
to fund their work.

The grant which was announced last month will allow the company to continue work done
under a previous contract with the Department of Defense.

The same company also has a HIV program that is also being funded by the U.S.
Government's National Institutes of Health and it's Small Business Grant Program. The company has also received funding for the development of vaccines against influenza and encephalitic alphaviruses.


A recent news release contains forward-looking statements about the research and business prospects of the company including whether the Department of Defense will maintain its recent grant to them for the development of vaccine discovery technology and whether any other government agency that provides them with funding will maintain, renew or replace existing grants for any of their vaccine programs. Risk factors are more fully discussed in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, including under the caption "Risk Factors," and in
the company's other periodic reports filed with the SEC, all of which are
available from the company or from the SEC's website.



Basically what this all means is that the government does have grant programs for for-profit companies and if you noticed this grant program has to do with a small business!

This company is developing technology (biological) that will help in keeping their military less susceptible to biological threats!

Now I know that this may seem like a grant program that it out of your league but you should realize that the government has other needs as well and when they can't solve the problem themselves there will usually be a grant program created and /or a subcontractor (whether it be an individual or an entity) hired.




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Grants & Single Mothers

(an excerpt)


"There are numerous foundations offering grants for single mother assistance. These foundations generally only require that the applicant be a single mother or the child of a single mother in order to be eligible for the grant. Some foundations offer grants to assist in paying off student loans. The applicant is often expect to perform community service or do volunteer work in order to qualify for the grant. Professional women who are willing to volunteer their professional services to the community are especially eligible for grants to repay student loan debt. Teachers who are also single mothers may qualify for these grants without doing additional volunteer service, as teaching is considered to be a contribution to the community in and of itself."

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Dental Students Receive Grants!

Over sixty dental school students received nearly a quarter of a million dollars in grants this year from various dental-related organizations.


These 2008 Awards were presented to students at 20 dental schools in 12 states and the District of Columbia, recognize graduating dental students who demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities.

-- Awards total $212,500;

Individual amounts range from $2,500 to $12,500

The awards were established in 1977 in honor of one of the first chief executive officers of a dental organization in California, which is now part of the largest dental benefits delivery system in the country.

Yes, Individual Artists DO Get Grant Awards Too!

There is another city-wide grant program that awards grant money to both non-profit organizations and individual artists!

The purpose of this financial grant program is to recognize the importance of the arts to the cultural, educational and economic well-being of its diverse population and location. The city’s goal is to encourage artistic quality and program innovation by providing funding for arts and cultural programs.

This year alone over $100,000.00 will be awarded!

For over 5 years now this grant program has awarded over $400,000.00 in grant money to both non-profit organizations and to individual artists

Here is just a partial listing of some of the organizations that have received grant money:

• Black History Society received $2,500
  
  
• Symphony Orchestra received $5,000
  
  
• A Dance Company received $4,000
  
  
• Pipes and Drums Corp. received $500
  
  
• Individual artists received a maximum of $2,000.

For more information about this grant program (and to find out whether or not you meet the eligibility requirement) you can visit their website.

"How Do I Get Grant Information Without Paying For It?"

The most simplest way to get grant program information is to do the research yourself.

As far as the government grant programs are concerned you have to understand that since government grants are funded by taxpayers, the government has to make information about their grant programs freely accessible to the public.

They have done that with both having a website devoted to the government grant programs that are out there and they also provide printed publications that you should be able to find at your local library. Even if you aren't able to find the information you can always ask the librarian about it.

Not all grant programs are provided by the government. There are other entities that have grant programs as well and they include non-profit organizations, clubs, associations and even some businesses.

In fact you may be able to find out about grant programs for free if you go to your local social service agency. You should know that these agencies have been established by the government to help people (and sometimes they even get grants theirselves!) and who would know better about government grant programs than them?

Many times I will get people who want me to provide them with information about grant programs and I guess they just don't realize how much work is involved when finding grant programs that one is eligible to apply for.

Everytime I get a new client (or when I get an old client looking for more information about new or other grant programs), they must first fill out a questionaire that I have set up on one of my pages. Filling this out lets me know a lot of information and helps me to pinpoint the kind of searching that I will have to do when looking for specific types of grant programs.

However finding these grant programs is really no secret at all. You just got to keep on searching until you find the information - sort of comparable to finding a needle in a haystack - the needle is there but you just have to find it.

Over 90% of the information that I have found about grant programs has been online. If you have access to a computer you should be able to find this kind of information as well.

After you have been doing this for a while (like I have) you will start to get the information about grant programs mailed to you which helps to make your research more easier.

But to put it simply - to get information about grant programs without having to pay for it the solution is to simply find the information yourself. It is available online and as far as the government grants are concerned information about them is also provide in printed form and you should be able to find them at your library.

Is There A Member Of Your Family That Has Downs Syndrome?

Here is an organization whose purpose is :

• The education and assistance of individuals with Down Syndrome so that those individuals may realize their full potential to live independently and to contribute to their communities and to society at large.
  
  and
  
  
• The encouragement of a better understanding of Down Syndrome and support of the study of the treatment and rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities.

In August of 2008 the Funding Program announced the recent award of four scholarship grants to area residents interested in studying in the field of Special Education. Among the winners honored was a June graduate of high school who has had several years experience as a student aid in the High School Special Education program and will pursue a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Special Education at a University. Also receiving a scholarship upon her recent graduation was one student who has worked as an intern in the district elementary school and with special needs children in a summer camp program. She will attend a state university to pursue her studies! Another recent scholarship recipient is also heading for a degree in Special Education. She has had an internship in the elementary school, working with handicapped children, has been a counselor for three years in a summer camp program and has worked for Family Childcare with a focus on special needs young people.

In addition to the three high school scholarship awards, this funding program has also given a grant to a very deserving individual who currently has a Master's in Education degree and teacher certification from Plymouth State University. She is aiming for a doctoral degree focused on young children, disabilities and psychopathology and their interconnection with community resources and public policy.

This Funding program supports people entering Special Education fields and also programs to support and enrich the lives of families with a Down's Syndrome member.

Here is a partial listing of some of the grant awards that this program has issued in the past:

• $1,000 Financial Assistance to person w/ Down Syndrome
  
  
• $1,200 Tuition for 10 Down Syndrome Campers
  
  
• $1,440 Therapeutic Riding Lessons - Down Syndrome
  
  
• $1,000 Financial Assistance for 6 year old with Down Syndrome and Leukemia
  
  
• and various tuition payments in the form of scholarships for Special Education programs

Thinking About Grantwriting As A Career?

I came across your Working From Home blog while searching for information on grant writing. I recently left a counseling job after being in social services/non-profit industry for around 10 years. I am looking for a more family-friendly career change, or at least a new slant on what I can do with my experience in social services, and have been thinking of looking into grantwriting. However, I have no idea how to get started or where to find more information on typical requirements to become a grantwriter or prospects for employment. If you have any basic advice or can point me to some good websites or contacts I would really appreciate it! Congratulations on all you have accomplished, it looks like you are juggling a lot of different roles in your professional life!

~M

Well since grantwriting is going to involve a LOT of research I can think of no better way to get yourself acquainted with research than by going to your local library and finding out as much as you can about the subject of grantwriting.

Even online you can get a lot of research done as well!

Also too I have notices that there have been grantwriting courses being made available by very legitimate learning places - so you may want to check and see if there are any available in your area.

Prospects for employment? If you are able to find grant funding for a program that will help to grow your reputation and judging by the amount of email I get prospects in this career area are very good.

Personally though I would advise you to work on a freelance basis.