Real Estate Grant: How To Obtain A Successful Grant Application

Before you get carried away by all the excitement about government grants, it is important to understand three key things in order to successfully obtain it. You need to find out about your eligibility (as group or individual), the right application procedure, and the appropriate grant-making federal agency of the grant opportunity you wish to apply for. If you want to get housing or real estate grant, for example, you need to follow the application instructions set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Contrary to what many believe, government grants are not benefits or entitlements that are in line with insurance policies, wage contracts or public assistance programs. Grants are awards of financial assistance given by a federal agency to a qualified recipient/grantee. It is actually provided as support for the accomplishment of a public purpose such as improvement of living conditions or career opportunities (e.g. educational grants for women) and so forth.

Government Grant Eligibilities

Various groups and organizations qualify to receive grants like local, state, and national government organizations, public and private educational institutions, public housing groups, non-profit and for-profit organizations (apart from small enterprises), and small business companies that meet the Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards. While there are grants that are open to individuals, most government grants are awarded to government agencies and qualified organizations.

Applying For Grants

Before the actual application for real estate grant or any other category that you want, you have to complete the registration process found at Grants.gov website first. This process normally takes 3-5 business days (or up to 2 weeks if the steps are not done promptly). Once registered, you can continue to the 4-step grant application procedure which entails the download and completion of the application packet specific to the desired grant category, submission, and status-tracking.

Applying for grants from the government can be lengthy and tedious. But the process will be smoother if you know where to go and what to do. Know the techniques in properly writing persuasive grant proposals, avoid committing mistakes, and make sure to follow instructions. These fundamentals will certainly boost the odds of getting approved.