Grants Program For Individual Artists Is Getting It's Funding Back!

You may find it hard to believe but there are still some grant programs around for individual artists! Some of them are for local artists in local areas but there are other grant programs for artists that are on a more national level!



After receiving protests from hundreds of people, a senate appropriations chairman has announced that a grant program for individual artists will be getting its grant fundingback.

Even though there will be a cut in the amount received the grant program will still continue to operate.

Initially the money would have been transferred to another department who would have them given grants to local communities and the rest of the money would be used for other government services.

However after being "bombarded by e-mails from people complaining about the proposed demise of the program a different decision was made!

More information about this grant program:

This grant program administers grants for local communities and individual artists, devoting much of its focus on smaller communities that provide little in local funds. These smaller grants often form the match required for the programs to receive much larger federal grants.

In some ways this is a very good example of people being able to voice their opinions and have them heard and actually get results!

Another Available Grant Program For Farmers!

I mentioned on a previous post about there being a grant program for farmers and here is yet another example of a government grant program that is also being made available for farmers!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture already has a free government grant program for farmers. This program offers farmers small grants
to carry out on-farm, practical research, and then to make the results available to their peers.

This specific government grant program, while small in scale, can have a big impact, since they enhance the knowledge and resources that farmers already have, while providing incentive for sharing these with the wider farm community.

One farm that has participated in this grant program has said that they have not only benefited from the free money grant themselves but they have also benefited from the results of other farmers’ projects. As an example the farm converted one of their tractors to run on electric power thanks to the do-it-yourself guide produced by a fellow vegetable-grower who also participated in the grant program.

Another source of "free money" is unclaimed money. Unclaimed money is money that has not been claimed. It may be available as a forgotten bank account or it can be from a number of sources! You may even have money coming to you if you are a relative of a deceased person and there is money from that person's estate that has not been claimed yet! For more information about unclaimed money just visit my blog The Unclaimed Money Blog.

State Grant Program For Those Who Plan On Attending College In That State!

This grant awards grant money to state residents who are attending or planning to attend colleges in that state. The amount of the grant(s)go up to a maximum of almost $3,000! And this grant program is available annually!

Students must be full-time undergraduates enrolled in an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree program.

You can find out more about this grant program by visiting their here.

Grants help residents become homeowners!

Residents are benefiting from a federal program to help save neighborhoods -- and make home ownership a reality for many for the first time!

Though time is running out for these areas to spend millions of federal stimulus dollars buying and renovating abandoned and foreclosed homes in neighborhoods hard-hit by the foreclosure crisis.

Some cities are buying foreclosed properties and fixing them up to sell or rent.

Others are providing grants to low- and moderate-income home buyers to use for down payments and repairs on foreclosed homes they purchase.

Either way, the ultimate goal is the same: to save neighborhoods from a glut of neglected, foreclosed homes, condos and town houses; put more property tax dollars in government coffers; and make home ownership a reality for people who may be buying for the first time.

About five months remain for the county and cities to dole out their shares of federal aid from a program which is an offshoot of a previous government grant program.

The federal government gave U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development money to help communities deal with the rising number of foreclosed vacant properties.
The money trickled down to states, counties and cities. Any money not committed by the end of August goes back into federal coffers unless Congress extends the program! That spend it or lose it aspect has local housing officials scrambling to wrap up everything on time.

"We're on a short time frame but our goal is still to help as many people as we can and spend all of the money we were given," said a spokesperson for the program. So far the agency has assisted in the purchase of at least 61 properties with another 26 under contract waiting to close.

With foreclosure rates among the nation's highest, the need to turn around blighted neighborhoods is crucial, officials have said. Nationally, the federal government set aside about $4 billion for this free government grant program, but only a third of the 300 local governments that received grants have made a dent in them, according to HUD.

Part of the problem has been that investors with fistfuls of cash scoop up foreclosed properties before buyers in the program have a chance to get them.
Earlier this month, HUD eased the program's rules to allow homes in mortgage default and uninhabitable homes with lingering code violations to be purchased instead of having to wait for the foreclosure to go through, which can take months.

To qualify for this financial assistance program, the home, condo, town house or villa must be in the target area designated by that city; it must be a foreclosed property or one in the process of foreclosure; and a buyer must attend a home-buyer counseling course paid for by the program before purchasing a home.

In addition, buyers can earn no more than 120 % of the specific areas' annual median income to be considered for a financial grant.

Some properties will be reserved for families earning as little as $38,250 and individuals making $26,800.

The down payment and repair assistance comes in the form of a forgivable no-interest loan that doesn't have to be paid back as long as the buyer lives in the house for a certain number of years, which varies by city. The range is typically between five and 15 years. Cities vary in the amount of money they offer for down payments and repairs. Some cities set a maximum purchase price for a home to be eligible for a grant, say at $250,000, but other cities don't have that limit.

For one lucky recipient buying a town house would have been impossible without a big boost from the city. The 45-year-old mother and her teenage daughter moved into a town house in September. The city gave her $25,000 for a down payment to buy the foreclosed property, which sold for its listing price of $94,900. The single mother
figures she is saving $400 a month by owning instead of renting. She said the program is a lifesaver! "There's no way I could have put the traditional 10 percent down and qualified to own this place on my own," she said.

She is also hoping to receive grant money for renovations. Before she moved in, she had to buy appliances, light fixtures, an air-conditioning compressor and paint.

Recently, one area increased the amount of their purchase assistance and expanded its target area to cover almost the entire city. Low-income households can now qualify for a maximum of $50,000 for a down payment and repairs, double the previous amount of $25,000, which is available to moderate and middle-income households.

Among the biggest challenges for low- to moderate-income buyers in the government program is increasing competition from private investors.

Says another prospective buyer, "We could never afford to buy a house now without this help. The married couple now rents a small apartment and considers now a great time to buy because prices are down, the market is still flooded with homes for sale and interest rates are still low but nudging higher.

Getting a federal tax credit is another incentive for buyers in the program. First-time buyers can get a tax credit of up to $8,000, and existing homeowners up to $6,500.

There is also another program that has $2.3 million to spend on purchase assistance and repairs!

Grant Program To Grow Speciality Crops!

One state will be receiving a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture and they will be using this grant to provide a grant program of their own! They are extending an open invitation for proposals!

The USDA encourages projects that solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops pertaining to the following issues affecting the specialty crop industry:

• Increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops
  

• Improving efficiency and reducing costs of distribution systems
  

• Investing in specialty crop research, including research to focus on conservation and environmental outcomes
  

• Enhancing food safety
  

• Developing new and improved seed varieties and specialty crops
  

• Pest and disease control
  

• Development of organic and sustainable production practices of specialty crops
  

• Increasing the competitiveness of specialty crop farmers, including Native American and disadvantaged farmers. This may include developing local and regional food systems, and improving food access in underserved communities

Grant funds must be used for projects that solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops or that benefit a specialty crop industry as a whole.

Grant funds will not be awarded for projects that directly benefit a particular commercial product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution, or individual. Single organizations, institutions, and individuals are encourged to participate as project partners.

A very detailed manual of general program information, application instructions, scoring criteria for applications received and an application template has been prepared. It can be found on their website. While the website provides all of the information listed below, here is a highlight of some of the provisions:

• Eligible crops that are classified as ‘specialty crops’ are listed in the manual. If there are any questions, please contact their office.
  

• All applications will be received and reviewed by our department and only those selected will move forward for USDA approval.
  

• Grant applications are capped at $100,000.
  

• Multi-state projects are eligible.

Payments to recipients will be on a quarterly basis and will require an itemized invoice, a brief interim progress report, and documentation of the work or expenses for which payment is requested. University entities that are applying for grant funds must now have a letter(s) of support from the specialty crop industry representatives. Proposals may not exceed 6 pages in length.
Applicants will need to follow the instructions and format in the manual when submitting proposals.

If you have any questions concerning this grant, please feel free to contact the represenative either by phone or via email.

$25,000 Grant Program For Individual Artists!

This grant program provides financial support
to individual visual artists and craftspeople in one specific region to help promote their artistic growth.

Visual artists and craftspeople who intend to apply for grant must indicate their intent to apply via e-mail following a specified format outlined in the guidelines.

The grant amount is between $15,000 and $25,000 and can support activities that will contribute to the artistic development of the recipient.

Visual artists and craftspeople whose resume and body of work demonstrate a strong commitment to an artistic discipline are eligible to apply. Collaborating visual artists and craftspeople are also eligible to apply.

Previous Grant Recipients include:

• sculptor
  
  
• painter
  
  
• pottery maker
  
  
• an eco-artist
  
  
• new media artist

Applicants must have been a permanent residence within the region for at least two years before application and plan to maintain permanent residence in the region during the grant period.

The grant application and guidelines, along with complete details and instructions for applying, are now available at the website.

To learn more about this grant program you can contact the program consultant either by email or by phone.

The organization that founded this grant program has been working to improve the quality of life in their communities since 1962. It manages a collection of charitable funds created by individuals, families, and corporations. Each year, the organization awards about $30 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and scholarship funds to students.

For information about this organization you can visit their website or you can contact them by phone.

Ever Wonder What Happens If You Don't Pay Your Student Loan(s)?

Have you ever wondered what happens if you don't pay off your student loans? Well there is an article online about a doctor who has been arrested for operating without a license. Their license was suspended because the doctor didn't pay off her student loans!

According to the online article the doctor defaulted on four federal loans she used to pay for her tuition at college and medical school. The doctor owes over $200,000 in student loans!

Even though she was under court order to pay off a portion of her student loans she didn't do so. So now she has been arrested and being held on bail.

You can read this article by clicking here.

Foreigners Are Able To Take Advantage Of Government Grant Programs Too!

Did you know......

A Taiwanese immigrant who came to America seven years ago is now living in a townhouse that she shares with her husband and their two children. The townhouse has two bedrooms, one and a half baths, a living room, a dining room and a kitchen courtesy of a federal grant program for first-time homebuyers which aims to maintain and support economic diversity, improve housing environments, prevent homelessness and provide access to public and private facilities for people with disabilities!

$10,000 Annual Grant Award For Graphic Designers!

An annual graphic design competition that honors great designs printed or published during a 12 month period.

The judges will select a First Place Winner who will receive a $10,000 cash award, and five $1,000 winners will also be selected.

Applicants must send the actual printed piece. Send slides or high-resolution digital files (TIFF or JPEG file formats) on CD for oversized work. (Signage, large posters, etc.) For three dimensional pieces send the actual piece and a slide or digital files. An entry coupon must be taped to the back of each item submitted. For logos, symbols or trademarks state the nature of the clients business. Work is not returned. You can visit the website for more information.

If You Are Looking For Scholarships.............

If you are looking for free scholarships why don't you start your search online? The internet would be the very best place to start looking for scholarships. The only place that is more better for looking for scholarships is the financial aid offices of the schools that you want to apply for.

Got to a bookstore or your local library to find free books that list scholarship and grant information programs.

The very best warning signal as to whether it is a scam or not is if you are promised the scholarship (or grant). The normal process involves you having to apply for the scholarship or grant and your application has to be reviewed and hopefully approved!