Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Are You A Budding Entrepreneur Looking For Funding?

There is currently a contest that provides money, mentoring, marketing and technology tools for women entrepreneurs that need help in growing their own businesses. You can find out more about this program by visiting the organization's website



Grant Program For

Your Non-Profit
Boating Organization!



There is a organization that provides grants to non-profit boating organizations in the United States to help encourage boating safety projects! Over the past 20 years, this organization has awarded over $800,000 in grant money!

While all applications will be considered, the organization will give preferential consideration to grant proposals that incorporate new and innovative ideas that focus on how to reduce alcohol related fatalities.

Some of the grant money has been used for:

  • creating a online chart that highlights local area safety issues

  • the making of publich service announcements for a movie theater

  • flying a blimp with safety messaging above popular boating spots


Grant awards of up to $4000 will be awarded! So far over 15 boating groups have been awarded grants from the over $$40,000 dollars available!

Your organization can find more about this grant program and download an application by going to the grant program's website. You can also contact them by phone via their toll free number. Your application can be either emailed or snail mailed to them directly!




Scholarship To Study

Parapsychology!



Parapsychology is the study of paranormal psychological phenomena, such as extra-sensory perception, psychokinesis, and survival of consciousness after death.

There is a scholarship program available that was designed to assist a student attending an accredited college or university who wishes to pursue the academic study of the science of parapsychology. Remember that the scholarship program is for undergraduate or post-graduate students who are pursuing or wishing to pursue the academic study of the science of parapsychology, and is not a general scholarship award.


The scholarship award is $3,000 and eligible applicants must demonstrate a previous interest in parapsychology by including a sample of writings on the subject with the application form. Letters of reference are also required from three individuals who are familiar with the applicant’s work and/or studies in parapsychology.

Scholarships are awarded annually.

To apply for this scholarship program you can go to their website and download the application form (which is in .pdf format. Once you have printed out the application form, fill it out and return it to the foundation by the due date. You can also request an application form by email. Applications and collateral material may be submitted via post, fax or as MS Word or Adobe Acrobat attachments to an email directed to the email address above.

Past Recipients:

  • One past scholarship recipient was a student at a university in Indiana where he was completing his PhD coursework through that university's Folklore Department. His master’s thesis centered on the Victorian folklorist and psychical researcher Andrew Lang who attempted to integrate both fields but succeeded in alienating both. Much of this student’s research project was to have focused on the connection between parapsychology and folklore, including an examination of paranormal photographs as texts of belief and objects of veneration.

  • Another scholarship recipient was a student at a university in Israel. At the time of their scholarship award the student was looking forward to teaching a course at the university based on his master’s thesis, Paranormal Abilities and the Kabbalah. His studies centered on the relationship between paranormal abilities and the Kabbalah utilizing a parapsychological perspective. Through exploration of the Kabbalistic literature dealing with clairvoyance, psychokinesis, prophecy, out-of-body experiences, altered states of consciousness, and reincarnation, he planned to contrast the phenomena of the Kabbalah with the scientific experimentation conducted in parapsychology laboratories.

  • Another scholarship recipient was both a psychotherapist and a doctoral candidate at an institue in California. She had done extensive research on dreams and her dissertation was an outgrowth of that work. She hopes to write a book based on her dissertation and pursue the implications of parapsychology for clinical practice.

  • Another student who received the scholarship was involved with the Institute for Parapsychology in North Carolina and was interested in continuing his training in experimental parapsychology, and working on a proposed masters thesis entitled “Dissociation and ESP.” He was also working on an historical investigation of the poltergeist case on which William Blatty’s book, The Exorcist was based.


Monday, November 3, 2008

Start-Up Businesses Receive Grants!

Four local businesses received grants of up to $50,000! last month to move them closer to the goal of stronger businesses and a stronger community.

This grant program is funded by federal and state grants and works with industry, government and universities to help companies and ultimately make the United States more competitive. The purpose of the program is to provide grant money to help defray the financial burden of maintaining and growing a start-up technology-based business.

The funding program helps support state businesses and business-related organizations with training, technology assistance, conferencing services, procurement services and business incubation. For incubator companies, the program offer entrepreneurs, many of them startup businesses, affordable office space, shared services, education programs and business counseling. These grants aren't designed to hire employees, but to acquire services to help incubators leverage their business. This money will help their businesses grow.

Among the incubator companies awarded funding was a company which has 2 locations and sells and services renewable energy systems. A cooperative, the company is owned by its five employees. The owner said he will use the grant to expand his business.

Another of the grant recipients provides precision prototypes and CAD assistance to various industries. The president of the company said his company needed a $50,000 grant to develop a laser scanner cranial implant model for skulls. The implant model is a breakthrough technology applicable to the medical technology industry.

And yet another business that has also received the grant, provides engineering and project management services for the design, fabrication and installation of metal finishing, waste treatment and special process equipment systems. The company will use the grant money to increase its marketing effort.

All appropriate applications will be considered for funding. The money can be used for various things from business plan preparation to market analysis and prototype development.



For more information about different grant programs, please click here




Do You Need Help Buying

College Textbooks?


A non-profit organization has been established to help award textbook grants to college students. There are plans to award the grants each school semester. The textbook grant amounts are in the $500 and $1000 range.

The organization also receives (and is asking for) donations from both individuals and businesses to help fund the college textbook program!

To find out more about this grant program you can visit the organization's website.



How Would You Like The

Chance To Win Money

To Start Your Own Business?



You could have the chance to win $10,000 to start your own business!

Eligible applicants can submit their business idea and get a chance to win $10,000! One idea every month will win $10,000!

You can visit their website for more information.