How to Find Grants for Students and Individuals

Are you looking for funding for your artwork, education, film, research, writing, housing, or other projects? Do you want to know which foundations, associations or government agencies would be useful?

The Grants Collection housed within the Business, Science, and Technology Department at the Central Library/State Library Resource Center has prepared this guide to walk you through some of the available resources.

Government

Assistance from the Federal Government can be found through the following websites:

• Benefits.gov includes grants, loans, financial aid, and other benefits from the federal government
  
• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance provides access to a database of Federal programs that are available to states, local municipalities, nonprofits and individuals
• U.S. Government's Official Web Portal has information about benefits, grants, and financial aid available through the Federal Government
• Grant opportunities from the State of Maryland can be found using the Maryland Governor's Grants Office

Charitable Foundations

Generally speaking foundations do not provide grants to individuals; grantmakers provide support to individuals for:

• Arts and cultural support
• Educational support
• General welfare
• Research and professional support.

The database Foundation Grants to Individuals (freely available at Enoch Pratt Free Library's Central Library only) is a good place to start researching foundations. It contains information about more than 80,000 foundations, of which approximately 2,700 provide grants to individuals.

If you don't live in the Baltimore area, use the Foundation Center's directory of Funding Information Network partners to find a location. For more information, the Foundation Center's GrantSpace has several guides for individual grantseekers.

Artists, Musicians, Writers, and Other Creative Types 

People with Disabilities 

Disability Resource Monthly Guide to Disability Resources on the Internet has a comprehensive guide to resources, including funding sources. It is browsable by funder type.

Students 

Be sure to fill out the free FAFSA form as soon as possible (early January for the fall semester) to determine your eligibility for federal and state grants.  Talk to the Financial Aid Office at the schools you are interested in attending.  Also check these websites for scholarships and grants:

• Student Aid - U.S. Department of Education
• Fast Web Scholarship Search
• College Board - Scholarship Search
• Career One Stop Scholarship Search
• FinAid - Scholarship Search
• U.S. Department of Education Grants and Scholarships
• IRS - Tax Benefits for Education

Ask Us

If you have any questions about how to get started or need help using some of these sources, email us through our Ask A Question  service, call us at (410) 396-5317, or contact us by mail at:

Grants Collection
Enoch Pratt Free Library
Central Library/State Library Resource Center
400 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201