The Switch To Digital TV!

I just got finished posting on my Getting To Know You Blog about the switch to digital tv and me not being ready for it!

I have now come to find out that the deadline date has been extended to June 12 which is a BIG relief to me!

Since grant research and grant consulting is what I do I decided to go ahead and fill out my application online for the 2 $40 off coupons that the government is allowing each household!

I went to their website and filled out an application online. I already know from listening to the news that the funding has run out for the coupons but those who still sign up between now and March are still eligible to apply for the coupons.

I have a copy of their application and will give a copy to those who make a $5 donation however it should be noted that even though the date has been extended to June, the application itself still has the February 17, due date on it. However you will be glad to know that the application also includes links to their website as well!



Even though this doesn't officially qualify as a government grant (heck - maybe it does!) I do believe that all things are related....

This is after all a program providing financial relief to those in need and actually this is quite different because it seems that all households regardless of income are eligible to apply for this coupons - which is probably one of the best examples of a government grant program - right?

IRS data show that each year about 131 million individuals file tax returns and pay an average of $7,633 to the IRS. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget and recent independent studies show that the government gives out over $1.5 Trillion a year to individuals through its free money programs. One and one half trillion dollars in government money programs, divided by 131 million taxpayers, means that the average taxpayer is getting $11,450 a year in cash back from the government in free money programs. Are you getting yours?

How About A Grant Program For Biking Organizations?

There is a biking-related foundation that has awarded four grants so far this year in the amount of $10,000. Applicants can request up to $10,000. Requests for more than $10,000 will generally be viewed unfavorably unless the applicant has an extremely compelling case that the proposal is of unique and/or national importance. These grant awards have gone to organizations that are supporting their communities through bicycling, establishing innovative bike programs for young riders, and setting—and raising—the bicycle-advocacy bar. Grants are awarded for best practices in bicycle advocacy, safety, and youth programming. Bicycle advocacy organizations must have a mission and activities directly relating to bicycling. They typically work to improve bicycling conditions and affect positive change on a local, regional, state, or national level. Most are incorporated 501c3 nonprofits.


Recipients of these grants include an organization that has an incentive program that promotes healthier, happier children, and a cleaner environment, by encouraging kids to ride their bikes and walk to school. Their program began in 2004 at an elementary school and has since gone on now to include other elementary schools as well.

This grant program strives to put more people on bicycles more often by funding important and influential projects that leverage federal funding and build momentum for bicycling in communities across the U.S. These projects include bike paths, lanes, and routes, as well as bike parks, mountain bike trails, BMX facilities, and large-scale bicycle advocacy initiatives.

Since 1999, this organization has awarded 180 grants to municipalities and grassroots groups in 45 states and the District of Columbia, investing nearly $1.5 million in community bicycling projects and leveraging close to $500 million in federal, state, and private funding.

Who is eligible to apply? - The organization welcomes grant applications from organizations and agencies within the United States that are committed to putting more people on bicycles more often. Nonprofit trails groups and public agencies or departments at the local, regional, and national levels may apply for facility grants. The organization encourages municipalities to partner with bicycle advocacy groups when applying for our funding in order to insure that bicyclists are involved in and supportive of the project. The organization does not fund individuals.


Fundable projects include paved bike paths and rail-trails as well as mountain bike trails, bike parks, BMX facilities, and large-scale bicycle advocacy initiatives.

The organization does not accept applications for bicycle recycling, repair, or earn-a-bike programs, or for bicycle rodeos.

Grant applications will be accepted from nonprofit organizations whose missions are bicycle and/or trail specific. Public agencies and departments at the national, state, regional, and local levels, are encouraged to align with a local bicycle advocacy group that will help develop and advance the project or program. (Please note that grants are rarely awarded to organizations and communities that have received their grantfunding within the past three years.)

If your organization is new, and you have not yet acquired your nonprofit status, you may submit an application with the assistance of another nonprofit that has agreed to serve as your fiscal agent. You will need to provide a letter from the fiscal sponsor outlining their role in the project.

This organization does not fund individuals.

It is also important to note that the organization has moved to paperless applications. Applications are now accepted via e-mail only.

The completed application consists of three main parts. Please submit the following material in ONE e-mail, with your project title in the subject line. Your e-mail message should not exceed 10 MB.

1. Cover Letter: The letter should introduce your organization and proposal. It should appear as the body of the e-mail.
   
   
2. The application is available as a downloadable file: This Microsoft Word file includes the Administrative Information Form and the Grant Application Narrative.
   
   
3. Attachments: These include your financials as well as support letters from the bike industry*, a list of your board members, a project map or plan, and media articles.

*Support letters from the local bicycle industry are KEY to your proposal. Letters from this organization's members—retailers and suppliers—will strengthen your application. Please ask your supporters to address their letters to the Grant Committee, as form letters will not be considered. You can visit the organization's website to view a list of their members.

Additional information is not encouraged unless it is absolutely essential to the organization's understanding of your project. They will contact you should they need further information on which to base a decision.

The organization no longer accepts mailed or faxed applications. All application materials must be submitted together, in the same e-mail message—no exceptions. Incomplete or excessively long applications will not be considered.

Completed applications can be sent via email

Grant Application Schedule runs on a quarterly cycle up to February 2010. Applications must be e-mailed by the due date in order to be considered for the ensuing decision date.

Depending on the number of applications received, the organization currently awards funding to about 15–20% of completed applications.

Generally, grantees can expect to receive funding within three weeks of the grant award.

For more information about this grant program you can read the organization's guidelines on their website, contact them via email or you can contact them by phone.

Do You Consider This To Be A Legitmate Grant Program?

I'll let you decide! Do you consider the program mentioned below a legitimate grant program? Would you be interested in applying for this program? I only ask because when I see that a funding program requires an applicant to pay a fee - I really do not consider it a grant program!

A woman's non-profit, private organization has a funding program which gives business grants to women who have been dreaming of starting their own business! This funding program is also open to those women who have already started their own business but are seeking more funding to grow their business!

One of the past grant recipients won a $500 grant to start their own crafint business!

In order to apply you must:

• be a woman a U.S. resident over the age of 18
  
  
• have made at least a $15 donation/application fee to this organization

Each business grant is awarded on the quality of the business plan and application materials. Because the grants do not have to be repaid, your credit history is not taken into consideration.

The grants are awarded on the quality of your business plan, not your credit rating.

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.

When Is A Grant Program NOT A Grant Program?

This is only my personal opinion but I do not consider a grant program an actual grant program if you have to pay a fee to be eligible to apply for it. Here is an example:


There is so-called business grant program for women who want to start their own business. You have to be over 18 and be a US resident.

According to their literature, this organization started the grant program to help women who had a dream of starting their own business.

Like most of the grant programs for those that want to start their own business you have to submit a business plan. However in order to be eligible to apply for this grant you have to pay a $15 fee along with submitting your business plan.

Although I do not consider this a grant program, I keep its information in my files just in case my clients do want that kind of information.

Rose
More Information About Grants

And Grant Programs

"Grant" Program With A Fee - For Single Moms - I'll Let YOU Decide!

Like I have said before I am not too crazy about "grant" programs that charge a fee and I don't usually recommend them to my clients unless they specifically ask for more information about these kinds of programs.

But I will let you decide for yourself......

This "grant" program is for moms with a business idea? If you have a dream of starting your own business (and you are a mom) then you are invited to apply for for this grant.

The purpose of this grant program is to help other moms achieve their business dreams. The organization that is sponsoring this grant program has always assisted moms in business with business advice but now wants to help some moms who want to start their own business, but do not have the finances to make it happen.

Since obtaining money to start a business is far from easy this grant program will give one mom a $1,000 business grant which will require absolutely no repayment! This is a fabulous opportunity for any mom who has an amazing business idea or wants to expand her existing business. And a new grant winner will be chosen every three months!

Other sponsoring partners have been included to provide the winning mom with essential business start up products. This will allow the $1,000 business grant to stretch even further since the mom won't have to purchase equipment themselves. The exciting news continues as the mom chosen will also receive a brand new computer and printer! Also a website will be created for you (or your existing website will be updated)!


If you are chosen to receive the grant you must use it to help your existing business or start a new one. And you have to let the organization know how you spent the grant within 30 days of receiving it.

In order to be eligible for this "grant" program:

• You must be a mom over the age of 21 living in the United States.
  
  
• You have to subscribe to the organization's newsletter (but subscribing is free)
  
  
• You have to pay the $25 application fee to be considered.
  
  The $25 non-refundable application fee will cover the administrative costs associated with the grant.

They also include in their literature:

"And if you are serious about starting or expanding your business, this application fee will not stand in your way.

Like I said before, I'll let you decide whether or not you consider this a real grant program. (Personally I do not!)