- 1). Prepare a preliminary assessment of your current situation. Make note of your income level, your employment situation, your job training, educational background and the number of people in your household. Your assessment will help you identify the type of grants best suited to your needs, whether they be grants for housing, education or health care. For instance, a single person with a college degree might find that a job training grant or education grant might best be suited to his situation.
- 2). Visit the government website Benefits.gov to access its online benefits finder to search for federal assistance. Fill in all of the questions in the confidential questionnaire, including any information obtained from your personal situation assessment. Give yourself 10 to 20 minutes to complete the questionnaire.
If you are considering funding opportunities below the federal level, visit your state's government website and select the agency that best matches your personal assessment. For instance, if you want to pursue higher education, visit your state's Department of Education. - 3). Review the grants and benefits search outcome resulting from the answers you gave in your confidential questionnaire and any additional grant opportunities you identified at the state level. Based on your results, compile a list of all grant programs for which you might qualify.
- 4). Go to Grants.gov to research the grants or programs listed in your Benefits.gov search results. The site provides a link to each of the federal government agencies responsible for administering the actual grant program under its "Tips and Resources" section. Read the requirements of the grant program to determine whether you qualify.
For state-sponsored grants, review the specific requirements listed by the state agency administering that grant program. - 5). Register online at at Grants.gov if you intend to apply for a federal grant. Registration might take three to five business days to complete. Keep a copy of the your user name and password. If you intend to apply for a state grant, you will need to request a copy of the grant application from the specific state agency responsible for administering the program.
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