Many federal assistance programs are funded by formula grants that have historically relied at least in part on population data from the decennial census and related data to allocate funds. In June 2009, the Census Bureau reported that in FY 2007 the fed. gov¿t. (FG) obligated over $446 billion through funding formulas that rely at least in part on census and related data. This report determined: (1) how much the FG obligates to the largest fed. assistance programs based on the decennial census and related data, and how the Recovery Act changed that amount; and (2) what factors could affect the role of population in grant funding formulas. The report identified the 10 largest fed. assistance programs in FY 2008 and 2009. Charts and tables.

The fed. gov¿t. has annually distributed over $300 billion in fed. assistance through grant programs using formulas driven in part by census population data. The U.S. Census Bureau puts forth tremendous effort to conduct an accurate count of the nation's population, yet some error in the form of persons missed or counted more than once is inevitable. Because many fed. grant programs rely to some degree on population measures, shifts in population, inaccuracies in census counts, and methodological problems with population estimates can all affect the allocation of funds. This testimony discusses: how census data are used in the allocation of fed. formula grant funds; and how the structure of the formulas and other factors can affect those allocations. Illus.

Many federal assistance programs are funded by formula grants that have historically relied at least in part on population data from the decennial census and related data to allocate funds. In June 2009, the Census Bureau reported that in fiscal year 2007 the federal government obligated over $446 billion through funding formulas that rely at least in part on census and related data. Funding for federal assistance programs continues to increase. GAO was asked to determine (1) how much the federal government obligates to the largest federal assistance programs based on the decennial census and related data, and how the Recovery Act changed that amount; and (2) what factors could affect the role of population in grant funding formulas. To answer these objectives, GAO identified the 10 largest federal assistance programs in each of the fiscal years 2008 and 2009 based on data from the President's fiscal year 2010 budget. GAO reviewed statutes, agency reports, and other sources to obtain illustrative examples of how different factors could affect the role of population data in grant funding. Appended to this report are: (1) Objectives, Scope, and Methodology; (2) Descriptions of the Largest Federal Assistance Programs; and (3) GAO Contact and Acknowledgments. (Contains 2 tables and 29 footnotes.).

What goes on inside your grant reviewer's head? Understanding this is the key to avoiding rejection and getting your next grant funded. You may wonder...What is my reviewer really looking for? Did they reject my grant just because of politics? Why did one reviewer love my grant and another one hate it? How can I revise my grant to make it more fund-able? The answers lie within a four step process reviewers go through when they read your grant proposal - a process most reviewers aren't even aware they're doing. If you gloss over one of these steps - or worse, leave it out all together - your grant will be rejected, and you may get cryptic reviews back that don't explain why it was rejected or help you avoid another rejection. Four Steps to Funding gives you the simple process that will clarify your thinking, organize your proposal, and address reviewer objections before you submit your grant. Going far beyond the typical "word-smithing" and fill-in-the-blank examples of other grant writing books, 4 steps to funding gets into the mind of your reviewer and provides techniques for persuading him/her of the value of your work, your own credibility, and your approach. Written in an easy to read, engaging style, the concepts in this book are critical, for writing NIH or NSF grants. However, the concepts are easily applicable to Foundation, SBIR, or even business or non-profit proposals. It is your turn to crack the code, by learning the four steps that your next grant proposal must have in order to succeed. Your proposal will go beyond providing the facts and will get your reviewer excited about your work, and ready to fund it!