Individual Grants

Federal Grants for Seniors

You probably know that the federal government is continually providing various types of grants for its U.S residents and even for those who are abroad. But did you know that there are government grants aimed at improving the lives and wellbeing of senior citizens in the country?

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Furthermore, most senior citizens are eligible for federal grants that are not specifically tailored for them. And while those that are available are geared for organizations that offer elderly assistance and care, there are grants awarded to individual senior citizens.

Each year, there are grants available to support the needs of the elderly. These individual grants aim at enhancing the way of life for senior citizens in areas that include education, housing, nutrition, and starting a business. Individual senior citizens looking for financial assistance need to work through organizations and agencies.

Various departments of the federal government offer grants that are designed with a specific purpose.

Here are a few examples of federal grants for seniors:

  • Capital Assistance Program for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities: This program offers financial assistance for the transportation needs of senior citizens and individuals with disabilities where public transportation services are unavailable, inadequate or unsuitable.
  • The Foster Grandparent Program : This program is authorized in 1965 by Congress as a way to allow low-income older adults to obtain benefits while providing personalized services to children with special needs.
  • Mortgage Insurance-Rental Housing for the Elderly: This program grants quality rental housing for elderly persons. Funds are available to support programs which insure mortgage lenders against potential losses and which augment rental housing opportunities for older adults.
  • The Nutrition Services Incentive Program: This program furnishes funds to state agencies that focus on serving aging and Indian Tribal organizations to help them with food and commodity purchases from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). These purchases will be used for service programs like home-delivered meals as part of USDA’s nutrition efforts and advocacy.
  • Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. This program funds grants to encourage older adults (persons 55 and up) to volunteer for community service programs.

Obtaining grants for seniors

If you would like to apply for grants aimed at seniors, you can check out the CFDA – Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance top find the grant you’re looking for.  The CFDA catalog lists tons of available grant opportunities from all U.S. federal agencies and branches. You can ask for a copy of this catalog by mail or have a readable PDF version downloaded at a federal government website.

When leaf through a CFDA catalog, you can get a good idea of the types of grants that you like to apply for. Before applying, however, read the guidelines carefully. Some of the grant solicitations for seniors may entail documentation to accompany your grant application such as proof of income, tax returns, personal identification or even pay stubs. Just ensure that you fill out your application accurately and completely.

Make sure to follow deadlines since some grants are only available for a short time. Missing the due date will automatically result to disqualification from your sought after government grant.

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