Government Grant Scams: The Real Deal Behind Free Money Offers

In times of economic insecurity, seeing an advertisement for free government grant money can seem like a blessing from heaven. We all know how huge the U.S. government is and there's lots of money flowing through its coffers. While it's true that the government gives away an estimated $240 billion each year in grants, how easy is it for the average person to claim some of this money for themselves?

Well, let's go through a typical scenario at a website that claims to help show you how to get government grants. You read at this site that the U.S. government is constantly awarding grant money to average citizens. You get your hopes up because you are in need of some money to either: get out of debt, go back to school, start up a business or take care of some pressing needs at home.

This site claims that they have a list of hundreds of grants that you can apply for and all you need to do is obtain this list. Okay, so you spend a few bucks getting this list and indeed discover that it's a list of agencies who award grant money.

Unfortunately, this list tells you almost nothing about the requirements needed to fill out an application. The dirty little secret that those list hawkers forget to tell you is that all of these agencies have specific things they look for in applications for grant money.

In order to qualify for real government grants, you need to meet their standards. The average person is simply not going to qualify for these grants. Even if you manage to put in an application stating your specific needs for this money, you are likely to be rejected.

Why?

Because government grants are mainly awarded to non-profit, educational and public organizations. It's very rare for an individual to be awarded a grant. Because you didn't know this fact, that website was able to mislead you and get your money.

So, does this mean that it's hopeless for you to ever qualify for free government grant money?

No. It means that if you wish to have a chance at this funding, you're going to have to create your own non-profit organization and come up with a proposal that offers something positive to your local community. You can include yourself as a staff member or consultant who will get a salary based on your active participation in your proposed project.

This is the most common way that average citizens compete for and are awarded government grant money. It's not easy and it will take a lot of initiative on your part, but it is doable. Many people are able to come up with small and medium-sized projects that contribute something positive to their local communities.

If you feel this is an opportunity you want to continue pursuing, then there are legitimate tools and resources online that can help you claim government grant money for yourself or your business.

Nikki LeRoi