Government Grants

Greetings,

I was looking at the following website:

http://www07.grants.gov/aboutgrants/eligibility.jsp

I figured there had to be government grants out there for good purposes such as my environment website.

However, a few statements on this website are rather confusing.

At the top, it states that personal financial assistance such as small business start-up loans can not be found on this website. However, near the bottom of the page, it says that small businesses can qualify for government grants. So I have a few questions.

1. What is the difference between a for-profit organization and a business? I am in the process of starting an LLC but I have a .ORG domain name. I would think I am going to be a for-profit business?

2. Regarding the size standards on that grant website, do I need to be under those specifications in terms of size or are they the minimum specifications to qualify as a small business?

The money I am looking for is actually to hire people to write environmental news articles and help with my green forum. I figure if I have information on my website that can help the environment, the government might be willing to help out on that since it benefits Americans.

Does anybody here have any experience with government grants?

Thanks for any feedback and / or assistance you can provide me with.

Sincerely,
Travis Walters

I believe the stated standards are slots, and not minimums or maximums on their own.
It looks like some industries are classified by revenue while others by number of employees.



I get the impression that a for-profit organization is the classification for what would otherwise be small businesses, that do not have at least three-quarters of a million dollars in revenue or 100 employees.

501(c)(3) status research is probably going to give the best answers in terms of who is and isn't non-profit.
I think the general idea is that non-profits billing practices revolve around how much it costs to produce something rather than how much they can get for it.

Those are just general 'catch all' guidelines.
When you find a specific grant you are interested in, there will be detailed information re: criteria you need to meet in order to qualify. Look unter the 'eligible applicants' heading