Our US Government Starting A Grant Program For Those In Haiti Who Want To Start Their Own Business

A $2 Million Dollar Investment Fund has been set up to help those Haitian Americans who have long dreamed of starting a business of their own but have lacked the capital to do so.

Requirements to be eligible for this funding include having a viable business plan and applicants must be willing to partner with Haiti's private sector to create jobs in the country.

This grant funding program is still in the process of being designed but applicants will be allowed to apply for up to $100,000 (£54,000) grants.

The US House of Representatives has approved the inclusion of $100m for hurricane relief and reconstruction assistance to Haiti and other Caribbean nations. So far the US has committed $30m in emergency relief to the island so far, including $2m for emergency bridges to help reconnect the country after eight major bridges collapsed. Also, with more than half of this year's harvest destroyed, the US program is redirecting the $279 Million Dollars it had already committed to the country to address agriculture needs and other concerns.

Greetings Rose,

My name is G~ and I found information about you as it relates to grant funding from google.com. While I don't want to take up much of your time, I believe that it is very necessary for me to ask for your assistance. My family is in a financial crisis and in need of grant funding to eliminate certain bils such as late mortgage payments, utility bills and other past due bills, credit cards and if possible, we are in need of funding for repairs to our home. Both my wife and I are disabled, we reside in Biloxi, Mississippi and we are african american. Although we are employed full time, our checks along are not nearly enough to deal with our overall costs for living, especially when you factor in the medical and work related transportation expenses. If you could be of any help at all, please reply to this inquiry as it is very important to us. If you offer any grant writing/proposal services please inform us of your pricing. If you are unable to assist us at all, we understand, please accept our apologies and I will not contact you any longer. We truly thank you for taking the time to reply to this inquiry and we truly thank you very much for your anticipated support and understanding.

The basic title of the services that I perform is called grant reasearch - which means I find grant programs that my clients are eligible to apply for.

Once they receive the grant program information they then decide whether or not they want to apply for the programs themselves or whether or not they want a grantwriter - either me or someone else they choose - to write the grant(s) proposal(s) for them.

Grant Program Discrepencies? Investigators from the Department of the Interior found that $5.7 million in contracts that were supposed to go to "small businesses" were actually given to several Fortune 500 companies! The problem seems to have been brought about when it was found that some government workers "often click through mindlessly when entering information" into the computer system thus bringing about the errors! Some of the businesses that benefited from these errors includ Sherwin Williams and Home Depot! Other businesses and state agencies have also received money when they were ineligible to do so! Although a small percentage of grant monies went to the wrong (or ineligible) recipient, such an investigation raises concern! It is not known whether or not the funded money will be returned.

In The UK - Tax Rebate Program Goes Begging!

Owners of small businesses are being urged to claim millions of pounds of tax relief on their office buildings.

This relief program was introduced in 2005 to help businesses in properties with a low rateable value to reduce their business outgoings.

The rateable value of a building is based on the cost and value of the property itself, which is reviewed every five years by local councils.

Companies based in a property with a rateable value of £5,000 or less are eligible for rate relief of 50%. This falls by one percentage point for every £100 of rateable value between £5,000 and £10,000.

About £200m in rebates is unclaimed every year and fewer than half of the 87,000 UK businesses that qualify for relief have applied for it. Previously, business owners had to apply for relief every year, but since April 2007 they need to apply once every five years.

It is believed that many companies may not realize they are eligible for a rate rebate.

The director of this program has said "The Government needs to do much more to promote the scheme to help small firms, which need more help now than ever."

Another business owner has said:

"I think the relief is a good thing. The problem is that the Government doesn't do enough to ensure that small businesses know about this. There should be a one-stop shop where firms can find out what business benefits, reliefs and grants they are entitled to."

In My Own State Of Pennsylvania: A one-time scholarship grant has been designed to double the number of high school graduates as well as the number of children attending college. Over the past year the program has provided more than 4000 students with assistance in furthering their education. This scholarship program, which awards up to $3,000 in scholarships to eligible seniors attending Pennsylvania state institutions, has contributed more than $7 million toward advancing the education of Philadelphia's youth.

State Scholarship Program!

Here is a scholarship and grant program that rewards students with financial assistance in degree, diploma, and certificate programs at eligible state public and private colleges and universities, and public technical colleges. Since this Program began in 1993, over $3.8 billion in funding has been awarded to more than 1.1 million students attending some of the state's colleges, universities, and technical colleges.

Also too there is a loan program for individuals pursuing a masters, specialist or doctorate degree in education in a critical shortage teaching field, and another loan program for undergraduate education majors!

For the scholarship program, if you are a resident of the state and enrolling in a degree program at an eligible state public or private college, university, or public technical college, you may be eligible for this scholarship program!

Recipients must demonstrate academic achievement. The award at public institutions covers tuition, program-approved mandatory fees, and a book allowance. If you wish to enroll in a state private institution, you may be eligible for a $3,500 per academic year scholarship for full-time study or $1,750 for half-time study (6-11 hours).

If you are a resident of the state and enrolling in a technical certificate or diploma program at an eligible public college, university, or public technical college, you may be eligible for the grant program regardless of high school graduation dates or grade point averages. This grant covers tuition, approved mandatory fees, and a book allowance.


Legal residents of the state who earned a General Education Development (GED/high school equivalency) diploma awarded certain technical colleges after June 30, 1993 may receive a one-time $500 grant award. This award can be used toward tuition, books, and other educational costs at an eligible state public or private college, university, or public technical college in a degree, diploma, or certificate program.

Here Is A Grant Program For Faith-Based Media Productions BUT You Must First Be A Member Of The Organization! One of the nation's largest coalition of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith groups dedicated to media production, distribution and promotion, has chosen the winners for its 2008 member productions grants. The awards were given to members whose productions showed an innovative use of broadcast and digital media, as well as engaging subject matter that is meant to be informative, educational and thought provoking. The productions that were awarded these grants are in various stages of development. The 2008 Production Grants, totaling $300,000, were awarded to the following projects: A series of short form documentaries on topics of personal faith, featuring people from a wide spectrum of religious traditions and demographics, including Christian, Jewish and Muslim subjects. Currently in development, a television series that will educate the general population about the faith and culture of Islam and the burgeoning Muslim communities throughout America. A series of intimate radio interviews that will feature high-profile celebrities from all walks of life, from newsmakers like Bill Moyers and Al Gore to film and television stars like Rainn Wilson and Martin Sheen. All will be people for whom faith — or doubt — has fundamentally shaped the way they live today. A series of short form Internet videos that will focus on a bereaved family as they share their feelings about losing a loved one and their bafflement that the family member left his home in India because of ethnic and religious intolerance – only to be destroyed by it in the U.S. when a hate-filled killer mistook him for an Arab Muslim in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. A Media company received a grant to start a 15-minute weekly radio program speaking to the real and practical issues and difficulties facing families and individuals in North America. The program will feature an interview with an individual or family experiencing the pain of broken relationships, grief over the loss of a loved one, anger and disappointment from unresolved conflict, difficulty over tough parenting issues, poverty, mental illness, surviving the suicide of a loved one, and more. A coalition of Rabbis, whose production will consist of web videos and will feature five leading rabbis from the main Jewish denominations explaining the weekly synagogue Torah reading. The rabbis will also use artwork and images, a key point of the weekly reading, to explore why it has meaning for adults and children alike. A church has received a grant to produce a video. This video will use the story of rebuilding a UCC church as a vehicle to demonstrate the daily hardships and the triumphs faced by Katrina victims throughout New Orleans as they strive to pick up the broken pieces of their lives and try to put them back together again. This faith-based, non-profit organization, is one of the nation's largest coalition of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith groups dedicated to building bridges of understanding among people of faith through electronic and broadcast media. Its member association is made up of faith organizations with more than 200,000 congregations and 120 million congregants. A list of its members can be found on their website. MEMBERSHIP - This association is made up of faith groups, organizations and individuals who encompass Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions in the United States and Canada. Together, these faith groups have more than 200,000 congregations with 120 million congregants. You can click on the members link to see a current listing of members. There are three Categories Of Membership: Open to faith groups who are theologically and historically related to the Jewish, Christian or Islamic tradition in the United States and Canada, are incorporated or are qualified for incorporation as a not-for-profit body. (You can download a copy of their application form by going to their website. The application download is in .pdf format) ORGANIZATION - Open to organizations whose primary purpose is religious, and who are related to the Jewish, Christian or Islamic tradition in the United States and Canada. INDIVIDUAL - Open to people who are members of a Jewish, Christian or Islamic faith group in the United States and Canada and who spend a major portion of their time in faith-related media work. - dues = $150 Application forms for each classification of membership can be downloaded via the association's website.

Announcement of a new Stat Program created to provide new funding aimed at providing grants to cover the cost of rising utility bills!

In partnership and working along with six of the state's largest utility companies and other groups, low-income residents will be able to apply for grants to help cover the costs of utility bills. A network of assistance agencies for processing the applications is being set up by the Salvation Army and an Emergency Funding Program!

The state's govenor has said, "that the program will be especially useful as winter - and the climbing cost of heating homes - approaches.

Need Help Purchasing A Home?

If you are a law enforcement officer, firefighter,emergency medical technician, or teacher, this program may help you purchase a home in a HUD-revitalization area by offering qualified purchasers a 50% discount off the list price of homes available from HUD's inventory.

You must agree to live in the home for three years and it must be your sole residence.

In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be or have been a law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician, or teacher who is employed (full-time) and is a current or prospective homeowner.

Application Process - For more information, see the Program Contact Information below.

Program Contact Information - To obtain a FHA-insured mortgage, look in your local Yellow Pages under "Mortgages" or contact a FHA-approved lender or you can visit the government HUD website.

The Managing Agency for this program is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The objective of this program is to strengthen America's communities by providing homeownership opportunities to law enforcement officers in HUD- designated revitalization areas, and to improve the quality of life in these neighborhoods by their presence.

Types of Assistance Available - Sale, Exchange, or Donation of Property and Goods.


Uses and Use Restrictions - Law enforcement officers may purchase HUD-owned single unit properties located in designated revitalization areas at a 50 percent discount off list price. Officers must agree to occupy homes as their sole residence for a period of 3 years. The officer must also agree to execute a second mortgage and note in the name of the Department for an amount equal to the 50 percent discount. This zero interest note will gradually decrease over the 3-year mandatory residence period until it reaches zero. Should the officer leave the home before the 1st anniversary of occupancy, 90 percent of the discounted amount will be due to HUD. Departure before the 2nd anniversary of occupancy will require a 60 percent repayment, and departure before the 3rd anniversary of occupancy will require a 30 percent repayment of the discounted amount. Officers must certify initially, and once annually, for each year of the occupancy term, that he/she continues to own and live in the home as a sole residence, and that no other residential real estate is owned.


Eligibility Requirements - Applicant Eligibility

This program is limited to a specialized group. To be eligible for this program, participants must be law enforcement officers. A law enforcement officer is defined as an individual who is employed full-time by a Federal, State, county, or municipal government or a college or university, and is sworn to uphold, and make arrests for, violations of Federal, State, county, or municipal law. The authority to make arrests must be general arrest power - not simply arrest authority which is confined to a specific building, facility, or group of persons.


Beneficiary Eligibility - Law enforcement officers purchasing a HUD-owned home in a designated revitalization area for use as their residence.

Do You Still Think That Individual Artists Can't Get Grants?

Here is a current listing of individual artists who have recently received grant money from a grant program in Ohio!

• A state university motion pictures graduate has received a $5,000 grant award. The graduate heads a group that produces and films original sketch comedy shows.
  

• A local sculptor who has also received grant money from this program says that his grant award "relieves financial worry, but it really makes me feel good about this place. When I tell artists who live elsewhere that my county gives tax money to individual artists, the envy is palpable."
  

• A Watercolor artist was given a $10,000 lifetime achievement award
  

• A Fiber artist was recognized for special achievement.
  

• Nine other visual artists were presented with a $5,000 fellowship following a competitive review of applicants
  

• Most of the money — $600,000 — went to 16 major arts and cultural groups for general operating support. Among them:
  
  • Farm
    

  • local museum
    

  • A Ballet Company
    

  • A Contemporary Dance Company
    

  • An Opera Company
    

  • A Philharmonic Orchestra
    

  • A Public Television Station
    

  • A Theatre Company
    

  • A Rhythm Group
    

  • A local radio station

A total of $137,415 in grants supporting special projects were awarded to 28 small and mid-sized groups following a competitive review process which included:

• A Youth Leadership Group
  

• An Asian American Council
  

• A Holocaust Center received $5,500
  

• An International Festival received $4,000
  

• A Jazz Orchestra received $5,000
  

• A Ballet Company received $6,000
  

• A Chorus Group received $5,282
  

• A K-12 program received a $10,000 grant award!
  

  *Please see my Grant Basics 101 - Daycare-Related Page for more information about grant programs for daycare!
  

• A Children's Choir received $9,000
  

• A Firefighters/EMS Association received $2,500
  

• A Dance Collective received $7,000
  

• A Church received $5,000
  

More information about this annual grant program is available by phone and website!

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".....Armed with government grants, libraries began to digitize photo collections and other critical print material....."