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Republished from an article in
The Grantsmanship Center by Chuck Putney
 Federal grants for individuals and small businesses
"How do I get a grant to start a new business?"
"I’ve heard there is government money I can get. Can individuals get federal grants?"
These questions frequently pop up in e-mails and calls to The Grantsmanship Center, and they’re heard by all our trainers at one time or another. Although most federal grant funds go to not-for-profit organizations and state and local governments, there are just enough exceptions to make the issue confusing.
To understand the exceptions, it’s important to understand why grant programs are created.
The U.S. Congress enacts legislation for grant programs because its members (or policy makers) have identified specific problems they want to address at the national, state, or local level. At the same time, Congress doesn’t want the federal bureaucracy to be responsible for doing the work. Congress, for example, wants to make sure important historical structures don’t deteriorate. At the same time, it doesn’t want the federal government to own and maintain the buildings—hence the "Save America’s Treasures" program, which provides funds for building preservation. Through this program, grants are made to organizations that own and are preserving important buildings, thus addressing the problem.
In this context, there are things Congress has seen fit to do that directly impact individuals and private businesses:
Federal grants to individuals are made with specific purposes: to aid needy families, to provide healthcare, and for retirement support. Many of these programs are called "entitlement" programs—they assist people who fall into certain categories. Examples include Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Medicare and Medicaid, and Social Security. A number of other federal programs are designed to meet the needs of specific groups of individuals. All involve an eligibility process and application, and many are run at the state level.
Copyright © 2010, The Grantsmanship Center.
All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in the August
2010 issue of {Centered}, The Grantsmanship
Center’s monthly epublication. Reprinted by Saul Fonenot Amedee with
permission from The Grantsmanship Center.
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 Below you will find the first part of my article on Urban Planning and Design which will map out my career as an urban planner consultant. The full download of the file will be available here .
Ever wonder who decided how low income housing was built, how levies were created, who designed the idea for our community centers, who defines the needs which creates non-profit organizations and social justice issues? The answer is often complicated and involves contracts, city councils, the federal government and urban planning. Urban planning and development most simply defines how cities are planned but defining it simply as planning would be erroneous. As Marty Nemko, US News author and analyst of careers, puts it “Should a new stadium be built downtown? How can a county reduce sprawl while providing appealing, affordable housing? What should the city demand of a developer who wants to build a new project? To address questions like these, planners analyze trends, population needs and desires, the area's assets and liabilities, and laws and policies. Planners conduct studies, lead meetings with experts, and hold public hearings( Best Careers 2009 Urban Regional Planner).”
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Below is the opening paragraph and thesis for my work in the political economy of food class I took this summer. You can find the full text here.
The patent of food and seeds to grow food has led large agribusiness to a natural monopoly. This natural monopoly’s barrier to entry is ever increasing because of the need for a constant increase in input to yield the same output or increase output. This business of food, led by large multinational agribusiness is a recipe for death, environmental devastation and economic failure. This cycle of destruction is hidden and entangled deeply into the United States economy and foreign policy. If we are to overcome the possible devastation of this natural monopoly on food a new model for regional based decentralized food production and consumption will be required. In order to get a focused view of the agribusiness market, we will first take a global view on one food item, corn.
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 Article reprinted from Counselors to America's Small Business's website.
http://www.score.org/
Web sites are popular.
Are Web sites good business? I think so. A Web site can help
you establish a brand identity, describe your product or service, sell
your product or service online and create a home for your company—be it
a firm with you as the solo entrepreneur or a small business with 100
or more employees. First, don’t invest in a Web site without thinking about
business strategy, the purpose of the Web site, maintaining the site
and cost. Treat a web site as a component of how you will succeed in
business. If a Web site makes sense to help you grow your business,
then and only then take action.
Second, if you decide to launch a Web site, establish business
goals and a Web site outline. Set clear expectations for the site and
define the scope of the project. Your Web site can be effective without
becoming a monumental project with a lot of complex features. Choose
what’s best for your business and keep the focus on building awareness,
marketing products or services and giving customers/potential customers
access to your company
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