Government Grants:
An Essential Element of Byway Funding Mix
Twenty-six federal agencies fund more than 900 programs collectively awarding some $400 billion annually. In 2005, reviewers sorted through 340 applications requesting $75 million to make $17.7 million in federal scenic byway grants.
State-level grants are available from multiple agencies: Arts and Culture, Health and Human Services, Parks and Recreation, Tourism, Transportation, etc. One byway organization receives a state budget line item of $50,000 of funding generated by the state lottery and funneled to the byway organization through the state’s Department of Transportation. State Matching Funds programs available through a tourism or economic development office may offer 50-50 or two-for-one grants to fund byway advertising campaigns and publications.
One of the keys to learning about grant opportunities offered by government agencies is to be on any mailing list an agency maintains for announcing grants availability.
The following resources shared by byway sustainability roundtable participants and gathered via further research may be helpful in the search for government grant opportunities.
Federal Grant Resources:
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Chronicle of Philanthropy: The Newspaper of the Nonprofit World
Corporate Giving Directory - To be listed in the Corporate Giving Directory, programs/foundations must give at least $200,000 in total cash and nonmonetary gifts combined per year
Federal Assistance Monitor – subscription publication, includes federal funding announcements, private grants, and legislative actions affecting community programs; indicates areas of interest and projected grant awards as well as funding priorities for both national and regional foundations; and contains proposal-writing tips to help grant coordinators and development professionals
Federal Grants and Contracts Weekly – weekly newsletter identifying funding opportunities in all areas across all agencies; contact: LRP Publications, Inc., Palm Beach Gardens, FL, 1-800-341-7874
Federal Highway Administration
Federal Register - official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies and organizations; sign up for free email with Register’s daily table of contents
Federal Grants Opportunities - links to 45 agencies offering grant opportunities
FirstGov for Nonprofits - links to grants, loans and other assistance
Grants.gov - search by for grant opportunities through 26 federal agencies; sign-up for grant opportunities emailing service, grant writing assistance
National Grants Conferences - a nationwide research and educational organization and clearinghouse of government programs (Federal, State and Local Grants, Loans and Subsidies) headquartered in Boca Raton, FL, with customer support center in Rochester, NY
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species Grants
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species Recovery Program - grants to states, communities and landowners for Endangered Species Recovery projects, including education efforts
U.S. Government Grant Information Sources
State Grant Resources
Two comprehensive sources that can help locate state-level grant opportunities are:
• Grantsmanship Center - Grant Resource by State
Also search your state’s State government website
for grants
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