Debunking the Top Grant Funding Misconceptions

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grant fundingMany people are aware of grants, but they have different knowledge about them. Why? It is because there are misconceptions that surround the subject matter. These misconceptions are the reasons people have false hopes. To finally make things clear for those who are interested in applying for grants, we are publishing this article that debunks the most common misconceptions about grant funding.

Grant Funding Misconceptions

1. It is for everyone.

Yes and no. Yes, grants are available for individuals, families, and organizations (non-profit, community-based, faith-based, and for-profit). But funders have some restrictions. For one, there are no grants for businesses that benefit the owners only. For-profit organizations that received funding from the government through federal grants exhibited projects that will greatly impact the society and benefit a large number of people. Most of these endeavors are related to technology research and development. For individuals and families who seek personal grants, there are grant programs available for them—but not all of them. More often than not, personal grants (such as home renovation, medical assistance, and others) are intended for people who are economically disadvantaged, single parents, women, and minorities and also for those who have disabilities.

2. It is “free money”.

Yes, grants are something that you do not have to pay back. No, because along with the financial assistance are responsibilities that a grantee must be able to carry out.

People have misconceptions about these words “free money”. In fact, a lot of scammers use them to manipulate people. Do not be fooled. When someone tells you it is “free money”, think twice before making a deal.

3. It is easy to apply for.

Application for financial assistance is not easy at all. You must have ideas, organize them, and put them into writing. The planning itself is a tedious process, what more with the writing (especially if you are not a writer)? After you have written your grant proposal comes the submission. Either you send it online or through mail. Both requires hard work. People who were in your shoes can tell you that in submitting an application online, you have to strictly follow the rules or else you will not be able to submit it successfully. In some federal grants, you have to read over 200 pages of instructions just to make sure that you are following the guidelines (including the rules on content). Sending it via mail also requires an amount of labor. First, you have to print the pages of the grant proposal (which may reach about 25 to 50 pages). Second, you have to bring it to where it is expected. If you are lucky enough, you will only have to submit it to your state; otherwise, you have to go to other states.

4. You can pay your credit card debts.

A lot of legitimate grant writing companies are surprised when some inquiries insist that there are grants available for credit card debts. They believed that the information came from scammers and that people easily accepted them to be true. But the truth is there are no funders that will provide financial assistance to anyone who wants to pay for his credit card debts.

5. To apply for a grant is a waste of time.

No. If you have good intentions for your grant application, you must not feel this way. You must go to your computer, write a grant proposal, and submit it—without having any doubt that you will receive approval or rejection. What is important is that you tried. It is never a waste of time to do something that will likely produce positive outcomes.

This list includes only five misconceptions about grant funding. There are still more. But these five items will give you an idea of how grants can work for you, for the people, and for the society. These are also enough to warn you about scammers. You do not want to deal with them, do you?

Explore our web site to know more about grants and the expert grant writing services that we offer.

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