1. Go to the Grants.gov web site
This is the granddaddy site for all federal grants. It’s user friendly to navigate around and to find many grant opportunities.
2. Go to the Federal or State department relevant to your request.
If you know the name of the department or agency that your grant request would fall under, go directly to that web site. If you don’t know the web site address, just Google the name. For example: Department of Transportation, National Science Foundation, or your state’s Parks Department.
3. Go to your state’s web site.
Hopefully your state has a site that reveals all the grant opportunities available. California’s site, for example, is www.Ca.gov/grants.html and it list opportunities by type: agricultural, education, health, environmental quality, transportation, and so on. Check out your state’s web site.
4. Go to your county’s web site.
As with many government sites, you may have to hunt for the information. If you can’t find a grants page, click on the ‘site map’, which may make the search easier. If not, type in your county’s name plus the word ‘grants’ in your search engine. You may be surprised by the offerings in social services, youth programs, arts, and more.
5. Go to your city’s web site.
Cities (municipalities) often offer a variety grants, and just like the county, if grant information isn’t available from the home page, follow step 4 above. Municipal grants are usually limited to organizations doing business in that city.