" Grants are a form of federal assistance consisting of payments in cash or in kind for a specified purpose and they represent an important tool for achieving national objectives. They vary greatly, including in the types of programs they fund, the methods they use to allocate funds to recipients, and the amount of discretion they give to the grant recipient on how the funds are spent. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has previously estimated that grants to state and local governments represent roughly 80 percent of all federal grant funding, with the balance going to recipients such as nonprofit organizations, research institutions, or individuals. In a time of fiscal constraint, continuing to support the current scope and breadth of federal grants to state and local governments will be a challenge. In response to a request, this report (1) provides information regarding the amount of grant funding to state and local governments for fiscal year 2011, how such funding has changed over the last three decades, and difficulties related to identifying the exact number of such grant programs; and (2) identifies selected grants management challenges that have been identified in previous work by GAO and federal IGs over the last several years. Towards this end, GAO analyzed data from OMB and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance and conducted a review of previous reports from GAO and federal IGs. "

Each fiscal year, Congress appropriates funds for grants to state and local governments to further national goals and assist state and local government operations. Examples of goals include attaining minimum national standards and improving program effectiveness. The federal government provides grants for numerous substantive purposes, such as crime prevention, community development, and transportation. In FY2001, grants to state and local governments totaled $317 billion. Grants can be classified by the substantive purposes they address. This report, however, reviews the fundamental characteristics by which they can also be classified. Examples of grant characteristics include range of eligible activities, objectives, award process, and administrative requirements.

The government has literally billions of dollars to give away. While many people express interest in applying for government grants they falsely think the process is too complicated. The Guide to Government Grants Writing simplifies this process. In addition, information is provided on bidding for government contracts, which are available to organizations of all types as well as individuals. The Guide to Government Grants Writing is a concise, simple but elegant tool designed to assist any individual or organization, including non-profit and for-profit businesses on researching and writing government grant applications. The Guide illustrates and provides specific step-by-step examples on how to complete the seemingly dense application as well as forms required of all government grant applications. The Guide is a basic reference tool for accessing grants information on all government levels-federal, state and local. Specific state-by-state details are provided on grants available in all 50 states. Don't let the forms and the length of the application announcement prevent you or your organization from applying for government grants and or seeking government contracts. The Guide to Government Grants Writing makes the entire process manageable. Don't let your organization miss out on the opportunities.

Each fiscal year, Congress appropriates funds for grants to state and local governments to further national goals and assist sub-national governments. Examples of goals include attaining minimum national standards and improving program effectiveness. The federal government provides grants for numerous substantive purposes, such as crime prevention, community development, and transportation. In 1999, grants-in-aid to state and local governments totaled $270 billion. Grants can be classified by the substantive purposes they address. This report, however, reviews the fundamental characteristics according to which they can also be classified. Examples of grant characteristics include range of eligible activities, objectives, award process, and administrative requirements. This report will be updated as circumstances warrant.