Grants help people in need deal with difficulties and achieve dreams.
Some people face dire emergencies. Others have dreams that low-incomes and financial challenges keep just out of reach. It can be very difficult to get help when people are in tight situations. That's why philanthropists and non-profit organizations have created grant programs to assist people in need. Private and public entities usually base their grants on specific types of people or situations they want to help and impact. On the part of individuals, getting desperately needed financial help can be a matter of research and perseverance.
Personal Emergencies
Some community, religious and charitable non-profit organizations offer personal emergency grants for low-income individuals and families. The Jewish Federations of North America, for example, offers emergency grants of up to $1,800 for Jewish people in financial need. The organization gives money for people to use on health care, household expenses and shelter, employment support and emergency childcare. Organizations do not always advertise or promote grants of this kind. Grant seekers often have to research online, make phone calls and visit local organizations to get information.
Scholarships
The idea of a smart and talented student unable to attend a college or university because of financial hardship bothers many people -- including the American public. Federal agencies as well as numerous private foundations and schools themselves give millions of dollars in scholarships each year to students with financial hardships. Students can access students.gov -- the federal government's directory of scholarships, grants and financial aid resources which include links to some of the largest private scholarship programs. However, the site is hardly exhaustive. Small community, religious and non-profit organizations offer scholarships they may not report to the federal government for publication.
Business Grants
When people lose their jobs or face a personal crisis, they sometimes conclude that their best options is to become their own bosses. Starting a business is a dream for many Americans and an option that helps reduce unemployment. Without start-up money, it can be very difficult to enter the market. Several private foundations understand that and make free grant money available to entrepreneurs with ambition coupled with strong, detailed plans. Programs like the MillerCoors Urban Entrepreneurs Series and the Women's Financial Fund Business Grants for Women are examples of programs that give cash grants to those who need help starting businesses that will benefit themselves and their communities.
Medical Expenses
Unfortunately, heavy medical bills can drive otherwise financially stable people into fiscal crisis. Rather than face the burden of ever-increasing debt or the horrors of not being able to get needed medical treatment, people in need can turn to non-profit organizations and foundations including the Addison H. Gibson Foundation Medical Grant Program, that aim to help the sick. Such programs usually address large-scale medical issues such as major surgeries and chemotherapy. In some cases, including the Gibson Foundation, grant money only goes to those with curable conditions.
