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Although the following questions are centered on real estate and government housing grants they also apply to all other kinds of money available from Government sources including low interest loans, direct payments, loan guarantees, and something really special called “loans you don’t have to pay back”.
Q: How May People Get Grants?
A: About 30 Million a Year Get Grants
Grants are for people who know about the programs -- rich, poor, young or old. All Americans are eligible for something, but they just don’t know where the grants are.
Q: Can You Apply To More Than One Money Program For The Same Project?
A: Sure. What’s the worst that can happen to you? Everyone gives you the money you ask for? That’s a very nice problem to have. There may be some programs that will restrict you from applying to other programs. But they are rare; so don’t worry about that until someone tells you should. Life is a numbers game - the more programs you apply to the higher your chances are of getting the money.
Q: What Do You Say When The Government Answers The Phone?
A: This was a real concern of a number of people. They were worried that they would not have the exact questions to ask when they called a government office for help. The answer is, IT DOESN’T MATTER. The more honest you are the better. It’s okay to say, “Hey, I found your office in a book and I’m wondering if you can help. I’m trying to start a business and I need all the help I can get.” They will get the idea. Try to be as open as possible. They only thing you should not do are call and only ask for MONEY. Ask for help. See what they have to offer and how you can use it.
Don’t Say the Word “Grant” when you contact a government agency looking for money. It is a limiting word when talking with bureaucrats. They may look at a list of programs and tell you that they don’t have any programs for “grants” when in fact they may have programs with the word “direct payments”, “loans you don’t have to pay back” or other monies that are like grants in that you do not have to pay them back but are not called “grants”. You’ll miss out. So just ask for information on all their financial aid programs. Take the list, go through it, then call them back and tell them the programs you are interested in.
Q: Do I Have To Have Good Credit To Get A Grant?
A: NO. Absolutely not. People giving out grant money generally don’t care about your credit because they don’t want you to pay them back. They are not banks that want their money back. They are organizations that want to improve the world with their money (or your tax money), and they are mostly interested in what you want to do. The government will give people grants to study in prison but not student loans. They don’t trust prisons to return a loan so they just GIVE them the money.
There are a lot of other real estate money programs besides grants and they all have different requirements. Some you have to have good credit for and others are just set-aside for people with bad credit. So the real answer is “it depends". There are thousands of money programs and every program has different requirements. You have to find the program first and then check out the requirements. If you don’t fit, then start looking for another program. It’s like dating. If one person won’t go out with you because of something about you, you can’t sit home and wait for them to change their mind. You go looking for another date.
Q: How Long Does It Take To Get Government Money?
A: The real answer is, it depends. Some micro-loan programs at the state level that say they guarantee an answer within two weeks. Other programs could take a few months. And there are other programs where they only give the money out once a year, so if you miss that cycle, you have got to wait until the next year. But again, just like the question on the amount of paperwork there is — who cares how long it takes? There are some emergency funds that you can get very quickly, but most of the money that you want to use to change your life is not going to happen very quickly. You have to allow weeks or even months for this money. You may not even get approved the first time. You may do something wrong and have to file the form again. But again, who cares how long it takes? A couple down in Florida who started a hairdressing salon and got $100,000 from the government to help them. They said it took them a few nights in front of the television filling out the forms. That was pretty neat. In a few nights, they got it done, and it was no problem at all. Is it going to take so long to get the money you are not going to apply? Nonsense! If that is your attitude, then do not do anything. Just sit home and be content with what you have now, because you never know how long it is going to take.
That should not stop you from doing anything. That is just another one of those hurdles that the bureaucrats are going to put in front of you to see if you are big enough to get through it, around it, or over it. These are little dragons that you have to slay to get to your quest, and your quest is getting that money or doing what you really want to do in life. And whether it takes a few extra days, a few extra weeks or even a few extra months, which cares? You have the rest of your life to live. The important thing is that you are working on a mission to change the rest of your life!
Q: Does Getting A Grant Have To Be A Lot of Paperwork?
A: A lot of people say, “Hey, isn’t it a lot of paperwork to get money from the government or other places?” And the answer is yes, it could be. But who cares? Who cares if it takes you a night to fill out the paperwork, or a week, two weeks, a month, or if it is one page or 1,000 pages? Where else are you going to get $1,000 to do something, or $100,000— or a quarter of a million dollars?
What about the last week, the last month? What did you do that month? So many people say it makes them stop. It becomes an insurmountable hurdle. It is an excuse not to do something because they have to fill out some 20-page form. And that’s not even always true. There is a program, if you want to start a business that only has two pages to fill out, and you get $150,000. So, the paperwork should not stop you. And you can fill out a ONE-PAGE APPLICATION and get:
- A $20,000 grant to buy a home - - A $3,000 grant to act as a down payment on a home
- A $200 month’s grant to pay for your rent, or - $2,000 worth of prescription drugs.
Sure, some of the complicated grant proposals may take many pages, and it could take you a couple of weeks to complete. But again, if you are getting $100,000 or a quarter of a million dollars to work on your invention, that is worth the effort. You have to do it. Remember, with every hurdle in life, you have to figure out a way over it, around it or through it. If you do not, you are out of the game, and you should not have started the game in the beginning.
Q: Is Grant Money Taxable?
A: The answer to this is the same answer to any good question, “It depends”. Some grants are taxable and some are not. If you get a grant to start a business, I would assume you would have to treat that as taxable income but you would probably not pay any taxes on it because you would use the money to buy business deductible items like computers, office space, advertising etc. Grants and scholarships in excess of tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment are considered taxable income. Grants given to veterans not taxable. A lot of grants given out to pay your energy bills or help pay your mortgage are not taxable.
Q: Do I Have To Hire A Grant Writer?
A: Ask yourself why in the world are you thinking of hiring a grant writer when you do not even know yet where to go to get a grant or what the grant application looks like. It's putting the cart before the horse and a waste of time. It’s like getting a prom dress before you are even asked to the prom. The reality is that you may or may not need a grant writer. So why waste time finding one if you may never need one? What you have to concentrate on is finding a place that may give you a grant. Once you find that you can worry about everything else.
It’s easy to get sidetracked into spending time on things that seem relevant but aren’t. And all this does is postpone the problem. And the problem is finding out WHERE to apply for the money. Don’t you dare spend any time figuring out if you need more help once you find the money, or even how you may spend the money. All those questions are irrelevant is you can’t find the money. Spend every ounce of your energy finding the place where you are going to apply for the money. The rest will fall into place. By the way, if you have trouble filling out an application for money, don’t hire a consultant. Go to the office that is handing out the money. They are obligated to help you fill out your application. They are in the best position to know what should be on the application because they are the ones giving you the money.
Q: Can I Apply To More Than One Program?
A: Of course. Don’t worry about how many programs you can apply for. If you see a program that you think might work for you, apply to it. If you apply to 50 programs and everyone gives you the money that is a wonderful problem to have. Only worry about it after it happens, not before. Sure there are some programs that give money for specific reasons and if you get accepted from two separate places you will have to refuse one of the offers. For example, you may apply to more than one program that offers grants for down payments or closing costs, or money to add a new addition to your home. If more than one place gives you the money, it will be a happy day in your life to have to turn down one of those agencies. Don’t worry about it. It’s a nice problem to have. Worry more about where you are going to go to apply for the money, and not what you are going to do if you have too much money.
Q: Can I See the Names of People Who Get Government Money
A: Yes, of course. Remember the government gives out public money. In our democracy this means they are giving out your money, so you have a right to see where it goes. You can go to any federal, state or local government agency and request the names and even the amounts of money people received last year, last 10 years or forever. You can even ask if your neighbor received any money. They may charge you a small fee or they may make you submit your request thru a special office call “The Freedom of Information Office.” It doesn’t matter. Just do what they tell you and you can get the money. It’s all public information and now it’s on-line for anyone to see. Go to http://www.census.gov/govs/www/faads.html and you can see 5 years of data that show that got money from the major federal money programs. Over $500 billion a year is given out in these programs. A lot of it goes to state and local governments that in turn hand out the money to individuals. But this list also includes tens of thousands of people who get money from the U.S. Small Business Administration every year. Select a quarter from the list on this page and then select a state from Flat File list and down load the data. To better understand the table be sure to download a copy of the users guide from the main page.
Q: Can I Get Copies of Successful Applications to Copy
A: Yes, of course. Just like you have a right to see who gets government money, you also have a right to see any government money application. There are some exceptions to this, but very few and they may delete some of the personal information that is on the application, like Social Security numbers. Remember the government gives out public money. In our democracy this means they are giving out your money, so you have a right to see it. You can go to any federal, state or local government agency that gives out money and ask to see copies of successful applications of people who receive the money last year. Then when you fill out your application for this year you have something to copy from and this is legal.
Q: Can I Get Someone to Do FREE Grant Research
A: Yes, You’re Congressman and Senators Will Do Free Grant Research because it means their job. They know the back office telephone number of every government agency and if they make a call for you and help you get a grant you will vote for them no matter what they do. If you know your zip code you know your congressman and senators.
Philosophy on Getting Government Money
“Make Sure You DON’T know what you’re doing”
Because in today’s world if you really believe that you know what you are doing you are going to wind up being out of business. It means you are playing it too safe. Whatever worked in the past is not likely to work in the future. You have to continue to keep trying new things. And I mean things that you have no idea will work or not. The world constantly changes and if you don’t keep changing with it, you will be out of business or out of a job. Nobody really knows what they’re doing in life. We are all guessing, even the experts. And the sooner we admit that the better off we will be. So go out there and make sure your DON’T know what you’re doing. This isn’t brain surgery - its just life.
USA Millionaires Are Entrepreneurs...
Millionaires in this country are not those people we see on TV driving expensive cars and living in big fancy expensive homes, according to the book “The Millionaire Next Door” by two PhD’s Stanley and Deanko. Their data show that only about 3.5% of the country has $1 million or more in assets to fit this category and these people have the following characteristics:
- 80% made the money themselves and did not inherit it,
- 2/3rds of those working are self-employed,
- they’ve worked in same business for over 20 years and it is likely to be a dull business like pest controller or paving contractor (all those instant dotcom millionaires are now broke),
- They wear inexpensive suits and drive late-model American cars, and - they are more likely to have a Sears credit card than a Saks or Nieman Marcus card.
Failure Is Better Than Doing Nothing...
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer too much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. "
-- Theodore Roosevelt
You Don’t Need Credentials...
Brian Williams, heir apparent to Tom Brokow at NBC News attended
Harrison Ford, the actor from Star Wars, Indiana Jones and the current K-19, attended
Milton Friedman who won a Nobel Prize in Economics flunked his qualifying exam to work in insurance.
If you choose something you really want to do, failure can be a wonderful motivator. When you fall down, the little voice inside will say “Get up, get up. You can’t let them keep you down. You can show them. You’re good enough to do it. Keep trying.”
These little self pep talks will come easily in failure when you are doing what you really want to do in life. You are eventually going to show everyone that you can do it. That you are going to keep coming back no matter what they do to you to try to keep you down. WOW… That’s really living.
Politicians all have people on their staff to help you find out where in the government you can go to get money or help. Because if they help you get what you want, they know you will vote for them forever no matter what they do. You don’t even have to know who your elected official is. And don’t forget to contact your state and local elected officials.
Don’t Complain About the World….
Change your little portion of the world the way you dream the world should be. If you hate the way businesses are run., then start your own and run it the way you believe a business SHOULD be run. It you hate the way politicians lie all the time, run for a local office yourself, like the school board or dog catcher and start telling the truth. You may not be able to change the entire world the way you want it before you die, but you do have the power to change your little portion of it. And you cannot gain the right to criticize unless you walk the walk along with talking the talk.
“Even If You Are On The Right Track You’ll Get Run Over If You Just Sit There…”
Tom Friedman in the New York Times said that Will Rogers said this a long time ago.
How can anyone forecast what the world will be like 6 months from now or 3 years from now? Most of us don’t know what we will be doing next Thursday. So how is anyone going to be able to predict what a business will look like 2 or 3 years from now? So when someone asks you for a business plan in order for you to apply for money, just give them what they want and don’t worry about how accurate it is. The best experts in the world don’t know the future so why should you? If you need help with your business plan contact your local
When kids learn to walk for the first time they fall on their butts 100 times before they get it right. Why is it that we get so frustrated when we do something new and we can’t do it right away? If you want to do something new in your life you will fall down on your butt 100 times before you get it right. It’s OK. Everyone does it. They just don’t admit it.
It Doesn’t Take Much Brain Power To Be Your Own Boss...
Look at all the stupid people running businesses in this country.
“ Work is the only thing”...
“that ever made anyone happy. The notion that work is a burden is a terrible mistake."
This is a quote from the famous movie star Katharine Hepburn
Grant Writing Can Get You $4 Million In 6 Months…
Jane Killinger, who fills out grant applications for the
...for what is rightfully due them, for example…
- Over 100 million people are eligible to have their prescription drug bills paid for but a very small percentage of them apply
- Over 4 million kids who are eligible to have their health insurance paid for fail to apply
- 3 million seniors who can receive an extra $600 a year are not applying for their money
- 58% of the people who are eligible for an extra $800 to pay their bills are not applying for their money
- Millions of families that can get back up to $3,200 a year from the U.S. Treasury are not asking for their money.
We think we want lots of money, right? “If I only had a million dollars, I could do this.” “Oh, if I only had $10 million, I could do that.” “If I had a half a million dollars, I could do this.” When I see studies of businesses and why they went out of business, they all say, “Lack of adequate financing.” That is a cop-out. Sure, if somebody threw lots of money at you, maybe you could stay around longer. But the real trick in life is how to do it with less money than you think you need. They are the kinds of people who are the survivors in our country. The survivors are not the ones that have millions and millions of dollars to do anything they want in life. With lots of money it’s hard to create anything new. You do not add anything new to our society. All you do is learn how to buy things.
We all yell at Congress because they seem to be throwing money at all the problems we have in our society, and they always seem to want to spend more money. We seem to do the same in our personal lives, right? We seem to say to ourselves, “I can’t go back to school because I don’t have a lot of money.” “I can’t start a business because I don’t have a lot of money. ” Gosh, we sound just like Congress when you have those kinds of feelings. You can do what you want to do in life and you just may not need as much money as they thought you did....
You can start a business nowadays with just a phone, a desk and a business card. How much money is that going to take? A hundred bucks? Fifty bucks? Twenty bucks? So, $200 and you are in business, and you go and get customers. That is it. If you don’t have money, then think of another way to do it, or think of a way to do it with less money. There are other solutions. You’re just not thinking. The biggest obstacle to success in life is our own mind.
But if you do not have money, you get smarter. You learn how to do it cheaper, and that is what you have to do to survive. Anybody can spend money, but can you get that business without spending the money? That is the key to success. You have to find out how to get customers with as little money as possible. Anybody can do it with a lot of money. That is why you should not stop your dream simply because you don’t have all the money you thought you should have. Find out how to do it with little money. Once you do you will become smarter and stronger.
So many, who had millions from venture capital companies went out of business during the first downturn in society. And do you know why they went out of business? Because they only knew how to do it with a lot of money. When they did not have the money any more, they did not know how to survive. Anybody can spend money. You have to learn how to do it without the money.
You have got to think long-term.
You can’t stop if you don’t find what you need in this program. So, here is where you can turn to continue your work in getting what you need:
APPLY FOR A GRANT OVER AND OVER TILL YOU RECEIVE YOURS.