When you’re looking for a way to fund your business, it can be hard to know where to start. There are so many funding sources out there that it can be overwhelming just trying to find the right one!
Luckily, Google has made things a little easier by creating a free tool called Funding Search.
You can use this tool to search for millions of grants funded by governments and corporations worldwide. In today’s blog post we’ll show you how easy it is to use the Funding Search tool so you can find the money for your business!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Utilize Google Search: Leverage advanced search operators and keywords to find relevant grant opportunities. |
| 2. Explore Grant Databases: Discover dedicated grant databases and platforms that aggregate funding opportunities. |
| 3. Visit Official Websites: Check official websites of government agencies, foundations, and organizations for grant information. |
| 4. Use Google Alerts: Set up Google Alerts to receive notifications about new grants and funding announcements. |
| 5. Research Local Resources: Don’t overlook local grants from community organizations and businesses in your area. |
| 6. Network and Connect: Engage with professionals in your field to gain insights into hidden or lesser-known grants. |
| 7. Review Eligibility Criteria: Ensure you meet the eligibility requirements before applying for any grant program. |
| 8. Craft Compelling Proposals: Tailor your grant proposals to align with the goals and priorities of the funding source. |
| 9. Stay Organized: Keep track of application deadlines, requirements, and submission processes for each grant. |
| 10. Continuously Learn: Stay updated on changes in grant opportunities and refine your search strategies over time. |
Google Alerts
Google Alerts is a free service that sends you an email whenever it finds new information on your topic of interest. You can set up alerts for any word or phrase, including names and brands. Additionally, you can select from three notification settings.
“Once a day,” “As it happens,” or “Only when I’m mentioned” to control how often Google checks for new content related to your search term(s).
If you’re interested in finding grant opportunities, create an alert for phrases like “grants for [insert cause]” or “grantmaker [insert cause]” and then set it to notify you as new results are found.
Are you eager to secure more funding for your nonprofit? Our article on getting more grant money through nonprofit proposal writing provides valuable insights and strategies to enhance your grant application process.
The Advanced Search Box
An advanced search box is a powerful tool for finding information on the internet. When you enter a few keywords into the search bar, Google will pull up results that match those keywords. The more specific you are with your keyword choices, the better your results will be.
For example, if I were looking for grant money for my startup business and typed in “grant money” into my browser’s search bar, Google would return thousands upon thousands of results in which people have used this phrase when searching online (see below).
But what if I wanted to narrow down these results? What if I wanted them to only include organizations offering grants specifically related to starting small businesses? In that case, I could refine my query by adding “business” after “grants” in my original query (see below).
Now let’s say that instead of just wanting any type of grant opportunity related to starting small businesses anywhere in the world, as above went beyond what was necessary — perhaps because it was too broad or inaccurate.
Then narrowing down further might prove helpful instead: By including additional criteria such as location-based keywords like “Funding Washington state startups” or “California-based foundation grants.”
We can help ensure that only one type of grant opportunity appears among potential matches; this way we can avoid spending time trying out dozens or even hundreds of options just because they were included among unrelated search terms!
Pursuing higher education can be financially demanding. Discover various sources of financial aid and student grant opportunities by exploring our guide on finding student grant money to help ease the burden of educational expenses.
Google Keyword Tool
To find grants using the Google Keyword Tool, you’ll need to do the following:
- Go to [the Google Keyword Tool](https://adwords.google.com/ko/KeywordPlanner).
- Enter a search term (like “grants”) or phrase (like “scholarship grants”). If you’d like to focus on a specific area or organization of interest, enter that in here as well (e.g., “grants for teachers”).
- Or, if you’d like to search for only one specific grant type say, scholarships enter that into your query (“scholarship” OR “university”).
- Choose where and how often people are searching for those terms by clicking Pricing under “Change Bid Strategy” in the left-hand menu;
This will allow for more accurate targeting of your audience when advertising on Facebook or Google Ads later down the line! For example: If we were looking specifically for grants on behalf of teachers from schools located within Maryland but also all over America then our bid would probably be set at $0 because there isn’t much competition around this topic yet!
In contrast, however, if we wanted these educators’ families living abroad then their bids would likely increase based on how often they have been searching in those locations lately.”
Searching For Specific Locations Or Even Specific Organizations
When you are searching for specific locations or even specific organizations, you can use the “locate” feature of Google to help narrow your search.
To locate a certain location, type in the name of the city or country and then click on the “Locate” button that appears under your search bar. This will bring up a map with all of the places within that area.
To locate a particular organization, type in their name and then click on the “Locate” button that appears under your search bar. This will bring up a list of all organizations within that area as well as their address, phone number, and website information if available.
You can also use keywords like “grants awards” or even just enter keywords related to what you want your research topic to be about – i.e., health care grants awards, etc…
Grant writing is more than a task; it’s a rewarding journey. Explore the myriad reasons why individuals embrace the role of a grant writer in our article discussing the top 12 reasons to be glad about being a grant writer.
Search Based On Keywords That You’re Interested In
This means searching for topics that are relevant to you and your organization, industry, or area of focus. For example, if you want to fund a program that deals with childhood obesity, then use the keyword “childhood obesity.”
Think About What’s Relevant When Searching Grant Opportunities Online
When looking at grant opportunities online and searching for grant money using Google search terms, it’s important to consider how broadly or narrowly your keywords should be used.
If you’re looking for general guidelines on how best to approach your search efforts then it’s probably wise to keep them broad so as not to miss any potential sources of funding that might be perfectly suited for what we need!
Search For A Single Keyword To Get More Options
You can also search for a single keyword to get more options. For example, if you’re interested in the topic of “grant money,” try searching “grant money” or “funding grants.”
Type whichever phrase you like into the Google search bar, but make sure your spelling is correct (don’t use any abbreviations).
When you click on one of these results, there will be a lot of websites listed below it (usually around ten).
On each website’s page, there will be a button that says either “Download” or “Download File.” Click on this button and download the file onto your computer so that you can view it later.
Refine Your Search By Only Looking At Results Within The Past Year Or Month
If you’re not getting the results you want, try refining your search by only looking at results within the past year or month.
Use the advanced search box, and be sure to specify that you only want to see results from the last year or so (or whatever timeframe is relevant). This can help narrow down your options and make it easier for you to find what’s out there.
You can also take this same approach with specific locations and organizations as well. You might want to show me every grant awarded in New York City over the last year, but also every grant awarded by a specific organization like Harvard University.
Or maybe just any award with keywords like “cancer” or “food security.” In these cases, Google will do its best to give me exactly what I’m looking for and it will do so even if those terms never appeared anywhere on their websites!
You may also need some guidance along this path many nonprofit organizations are very strict about who they fund and provide information specifically about what kinds of grants they offer (and where).
To find them all at once, try searching for single keywords such as “nonprofit grants,” which should yield hundreds of results in seconds!
Elevate your grant writing skills and enhance the impact of your proposals with actionable tips from our guide on improving your grant writing. These insights will help you craft compelling proposals that stand out to potential funders.
Search Based On Grant Location
Use the “Search Tools” section of Google to refine your search results by location. This will help you identify grants that are relevant to your organization and its mission, as well as those that might be available in your geographic area.
Here are some ways you can use this feature:
Search for a specific location: By searching for “grants for schools in Phoenix,” for example, you’ll see all of the grants that have been awarded to schools within the city limits of Phoenix since 2010 (the year we used in our sample search).
Note that this feature works best when using common names like “Phoenix” or “Portland” rather than official names like “Metropolitan City”, which is what we found when trying to locate information about grants awarded by New York State government agencies.
We also recommend searching globally rather than just within one country at first so that you don’t miss any international opportunities;
Once you’ve narrowed down your options based on these initial searches however these may not apply anymore then feel free to go back and narrow down further based on location again!
Search Based On Grant Type
Search for grants based on the type of grant you’re looking for. There are many different types of grants available, so it’s important to be specific when searching for them.
For example, if you’re looking for funding to start a nonprofit organization, don’t just search “grants” in Google; instead, search “grants nonprofit.”
Search for funds based on the type of organization you want to work with. If there’s an organization that is particularly close to your heart and doing great work in your community or even across the globe you should use this information when searching for funds.
Search by topic area or project focus area (such as sustainability). Some organizations offer grants specifically related to their areas of focus and expertise; these could include environmental conservation efforts or animal welfare initiatives.
Immediate Family Grants
Search For Grants For Immediate Family Members
You can search for grants for immediate family members your children, parents, siblings, and more.
If you have a spouse or partner you can also search by their name to find grant opportunities that might be right up their alley. If your grandparents are still living on their own and need some help with their bills, grant money may be available!
Search For Grants For Your Spouse/Partner Or Other Relatives And Friends Who Live Nearby
Another option is to look at local non-profits in your area that offer services to the elderly or disabled community in general many of these organizations award grants or scholarships annually as part of their mission statement (or fundraising events).
Crafting a successful grant proposal requires a systematic approach. Dive into our comprehensive guide outlining how to write a grant proposal in 13 easy steps, equipping you with the knowledge and structure needed to create compelling proposals.
Specific Types Of Grants
There are several different kinds of grants out there. Here are some of the most common types:
- Grants for specific types of research. These are often awarded by private companies or foundations, and they may require you to match a certain amount of funding yourself.
- Grants for specific types of education. These can be either undergraduate or graduate and usually require an application process where you submit your transcript and other documents that prove your eligibility.
- Grants for specific projects that benefit your community in some way (e.g., environmental protection).
- This is probably the type of grant you’ll find most easily when using Google search tools since it doesn’t have any requirements beyond general good intentions on your part!
- Organizations that provide grants to people with disabilities who want to pursue an education or career path but need financial help getting started from scratch – such as Wheelchair Foundation USA offers scholarships every year through their website.”
Non-Family Related Grants
Non-family-related grants are those grants that are not given out by a family member. They are usually given by organizations such as foundations, government agencies, and corporations.
There are many different reasons why non-family-related grants might be available to you. For example:
- You may be eligible for a grant if you have recently experienced a life change such as becoming unemployed or disabled.
- If your organization has had its funding cut, then there may be more money for small businesses like yours in the future through these types of grants.
- Some organizations give out awards to honor people who have made some sort of difference in society (for example, teaching children about science).
Foundation Grants
The term foundation refers to an organization that uses its assets and income to support initiatives in the community.
There are many different types of foundations, each with its specific mission, focus, and funding priorities.
Foundation grants are typically awarded as part of a competitive application process where you must demonstrate how your project aligns with the foundation’s goals and objectives.
You may be asked to provide proof that you meet eligibility requirements for receiving the grant (such as being an accredited non-profit) before applications are accepted by the foundation.
Government Grants
If you’re looking for government grants, you can start by typing the following into Google: “government grants” and then your area of interest. For example, if you’re interested in finding funding for a community garden project in Atlanta, Georgia, type this into Google:
“government grants + Atlanta Georgia.” This will generate results that show all kinds of different types of government resources that may be able to help fund your initiative.
Government grants are often given out to specific organizations or projects with certain purposes, for example, educational institutions might be eligible for more money than individuals (and vice versa).
If you know exactly how much money you need and who exactly should receive it (e.g., schools vs. shelters), then go ahead and limit your search accordingly by adding keywords such as “schools only” or “grants only.”
Corporate Grants
Another source of funding is corporate grants. These can be a great source of grant money, but you have to know how to find them. Corporate grants are often tied to specific products or services, locations, types of businesses, industries, and causes.
For example: let’s say your organization has created a new way for low-income families in rural areas to get access to health care by dispensing prescription medicine directly from their homes via drone delivery.
You may want to research what large companies are working on drone technology or developing affordable housing solutions so that you can find out if they have any grants available for such projects.
Conclusion
The more you know about grant opportunities, the more likely you’ll be able to apply for them. If you’d like to learn more about finding grant money with Google, take a look at our blog post on how to do just that!
Further Reading
Explore these additional resources to deepen your understanding of grant opportunities and funding:
Grants.gov Grant Programs Discover a comprehensive list of various grant programs available through Grants.gov, offering funding options for diverse fields and initiatives.
Google.org Opportunities Learn about the social impact projects and initiatives supported by Google.org, contributing to positive change through grants and collaborations.
Free Google Grants for NGOs Uncover information on how NGOs can apply for free Google Grants to amplify their online presence and mission.
FAQs
What types of grant programs are available through Grants.gov?
Grants.gov offers a wide array of grant programs catering to various sectors, including education, healthcare, research, and community development. Each program has specific eligibility criteria and funding purposes.
How can I explore social impact opportunities through Google.org?
Google.org supports projects aimed at addressing critical challenges and creating positive social impact. By visiting their Opportunities page, you can learn about ongoing initiatives and potential collaboration opportunities.
What is the purpose of the Google Grants for NGOs program?
The Google Grants for NGOs program provides eligible nonprofit organizations with free advertising credits on Google platforms, helping them reach a broader audience online and effectively communicate their mission.
How do NGOs apply for the Google Grants program?
NGOs interested in applying for the Google Grants program can find detailed information and application guidelines in the article Free Google Grants for NGOs: Find Out How to Apply.
Can I apply for multiple grant programs through Grants.gov?
Yes, you can apply for multiple grant programs listed on Grants.gov. However, it’s important to carefully review the eligibility criteria, requirements, and deadlines for each program before submitting applications.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.