Grant information is free.
While there are government grants for women and minorities, most grants do not discriminate in this way. Grants focusing on pregnancy obviously target women, and grants for victims of domestic abuse often benefit women more than men because women file most of the domestic abuse charges. Grants for underserved populations may benefit mostly minorities if demographics show that minorities have been underserved in a given area. Some private foundation grants focus on specific sexes or ethnic groups, however.
Free Grant Searches
Grants.gov is the official portal for free government grant information. With more than 1,000 possible grant programs, this website is set up to narrow that for the grant-seeker. It uses advanced search options according to category, eligibility and origin. The Philanthropy News Digest offers free information on private foundation grants. For example, grant-seekers can search for current grant offerings in such focus areas such as "women," "children" and "education."
Government Grant Example
Government grants specifically targeting women are usually offered to educational institutions for medical research. One government grant that targets minorities is the Racial and Ethnic Discrimination grant. This grant can be accessed by organizations that conduct social research into the differences in health care experienced by minority populations.
Women's Impact Fund
The Women's Impact Fund is limited to the Charlotte, North Carolina, area. The fund will award five grants ranging from $40,000 to $100,000 to nonprofit organizations. Focus areas include health, human services, the environment, education, and arts and culture. These grant will fund both new and existing programs that apply innovation to critical needs and identify emerging needs.
Women's Impact Fund
217 S. Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
704-973-4580
womensimpactfund.org
Jenny's Heroes
Jenny Jones' foundation offers $1 million in community grants to individuals who submit the best ideas to positively impact their community. Past awards have gone to individuals who provide their communities with school computers, library books, firefighting equipment, and supplies for people living in domestic violence shelters.
Jenny's Heroes
jennysheroes.com
Motorola Foundation
The Motorola Foundation is awarding $7.5 million to education programs focusing on science, math and technology. Grants will go to collaborating entities such as two schools to two nonprofit agencies. Preference will be given to agencies that provide outreach to engage girls and minorities.
Motorola Foundation
312-725-9845
motorola.com
Tips
According to Grants.gov, there is a great deal of misunderstanding among the general public about grants. There are no government grants available to individuals for personal financial assistance. Personal assistance programs can be found on the Government Benefits, Grants and Financial Aid page.
Tags: Impact Fund, Motorola Foundation, Women Impact, Women Impact Fund, domestic abuse, foundation grants, government grants