Whirlpool Gets Millions in Smart Grid Stimulus Grants

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Smart Grid Investment Program has awarded a huge $19.3 million grant to Whirlpool corporation. Whirlpool, based in Michigan, controls over 40% of the appliance market in this country. They will use the grant money to develop appliances that can communicate with newly developed electronic power meters.

These new power meters will be installed by DTE Energy, who also received millions in grant money from the same department to accelerate installation of the meters. These meters allow them to remotely monitor residential power use and respond more quickly to outages.

Supposedly, they will create more jobs in the field of meter manufacturing and save energy by reducing carbon emissions and fuel consumption.

In addition to federal funding, Whirlpool will likely also participate in a cash-for-clunkers program. Sponsored by the Obama administration, this program will give consumers incentives to buy new energy efficient appliances.

This is a classic example of how business grants given to one or two major corporations can stimulate the economy for everyone, and even create potential business opportunities for small businesses.

CNN Elaborates On The Authenticity of Business Grants

CNN.com recently published a very compelling and resourceful article on business grants and funding. Eilene Zimmerman, a contributing writer for CNN Money, advices entrepreneurs to use caution about buying books and software packages that make false promises.

She then makes a very true statement that many people seem to disagree with. She says, "There really are opportunities to land free money from state, county and city governments, as well as private foundations and corporations."

Sadly, the overwhelming influx of grant offers designed to just take people's money has convinced many that all grant opportunities are a waste of time. This is not true, and it's good to have a reputable source like CNN to confirm this.

The article lists several resources where individuals can find grants, and encourages them to inquire within their local governments (city, state, and county).

It also mentions that having a start-up tech company gives you a better chance of getting grant funding from the federal government. There are opportunities for non-tech companies too, but it does require more effort to obtain.

To read the full article, visit:
http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/27/smallbusiness/free_money_small_business_grants/

Citi Announces Entrepreneurship Grants For Native Americans

Citi, a leading global financial services company, has recently announced a series of grants from their foundation that will support small business growth and education for Native Americans in the state of South Dakota.

More than $280,000 in funds will be disbursed to local non-profit organizations that provide support services to Native Americans. In addition to providing scholarships to students and supporting financial literacy and training programs, the grants will support micro-enterprise and small business development.

Specifically, $50,000 will be allocated to First Nations Oweesta Corporation to provide technical assistance to existing and proposed community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and asset-building programs.

Another $35,000 will be allocated to the Four Bands Community Fund to educate small businesses on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in need of bookkeeping and other financial management assistance.

Another $25,000 will go to the Harvest Initiative Fund to expand access for entrepreneurs on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation to mainstream financing and enhance lending sources.

Finally, $2,000 will go to the Lakota Fund to support the Building Lakota Family Assets Program, which will provide small business planning courses for local residents.

For more details, interested ones should visit:
www.citigroupfoundation.com/citi/foundation/grant_search.htm

How To Get A Grant From Bank of America

Bank of America, one of the largest financial institutions in the country, gives away a lot of money every year through their corporate philanthropy programs. Although they don't directly give grant money to for-profit businesses, there are ways for entrepreneurs to benefit.

Bank of America gives money to tons of local and national non-profit organizations including United Way of America, Habitat for Humanity International, National Urban League, NeighborWorks America, and others. Not all, but many of these will in turn give funds to local small businesses who need and qualify for assistance.

According to their web site, Bank of America calls these organizations their "partners" and they strongly believe that it takes nonprofits and for-profits "to build and rebuild our neighborhoods into healthy places to live, work, and do business."

In addition to giving funding to such organizations, they also run three of their own internal programs: Neighborhood Builders™, Local Heroes™, and Student Leaders™. Each of these trademarked initiatives are a part of their Neighborhood Excellence Initiative® Programs, in which they aim to build up communities.

For this to happen, at one point or another, a check has to be cut to a for-profit business. That's where you come in the picture!

For more details, visit:
www.bankofamerica.com/foundation/index.cfm?template=fd_grantprograms

Funding Specialists Go On The Road To Help Life Science Companies Get Grants

FreeMind Group, a consulting firm that specializes in helping companies and academic institutions in life sciences get government grants and contracts, has recently announced that they are hitting the road.

Their road show will travel to the following cities: San Francisco, Indianapolis, Orlando, Raleigh-Durham, Houston, and Lansing (Michigan). Their goal is to deliver a series of presentations and meetings with scientific and state organizations whose members are looking to obtain strategic sources of funding.

A company or organization that qualifies for their assistance would be one that conducts business in the following life science industries: Biology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmaceutical, etc.

Founded in 1999 with offices worldwide, FreeMind Group is the largest global consultancy that specializes in raising funds from U.S. government agencies and other non-profit organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

For information about the company or their upcoming road show, visit:
www.freemindconsultants.com

President Obama To Provide More Funding To Small Businesses

Today, President Obama introduced some new initiatives designed to increase available funding for small businesses. One of those initiatives is an immediate request to Congress to increase the limits for existing SBA loans.

Another initiative is to give smaller community banks greater access to the government's $700 billion financial rescue fund. Apparently, the Obama Administration is realizing that giving so much money to all the big financial institutions was a mistake. According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Treasury Department will reportedly wind down and terminate such bailout programs.

What does this mean to entrepreneurs and small business owners?

Well, essentially it could mean that funding for your business may become easier to obtain in the next few weeks or months. You don't have to worry about being turned down by major banks because you can also approach the small community banks.

Also, it could mean that more money will be allocated to local non-profit organizations who disseminate business grants to local businesses.

It seems that the federal government is finally prioritizing the future of small business - and this may be manifested in more ways than one.

Grants Give A Local Coffee Shop A Jolt

Comity Buzz, a small coffee shop in Pontiac, Indiana, recently received help from the local city council. The city agreed to give the shop a $5,000 redevelopment business grant, and will also pay a 25 percent share of about $11,000 in construction costs to bring the coffee shop site up to code.

Located downtown, the shop is being assisted in an effort to preserve inner city businesses. It also benefits from the city's rent subsidy program, an incentive funded by the city's downtown tax increment financing district which diverts property tax income into a special fund to pay for economic redevelopment.

This same effort is occurring in several other mid-size and small cities across the United States - such as Columbus, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Mobile, Alabama; and many others.

If you have a business in the downtown area, and would like to know if you qualify for grants from your city, contact your local city council.

Intuit Software Giving Away $1,000 Local Business Grants

Intuit, the veteran software company behind QuickBooks and TurboTax, are running a very interesting promotion that can help entrepreneurs and business owners.

The campaign is called "Love a Local Business". It encourages customers to nominate their favorite small business, and get others to vote and comment too.

The businesses with the most support will be randomly selected to receive a $1,000 grant in the form of a $500 VISA prepaid card and $500 worth of Intuit products.

There is also a grand prize $5,000 grant that will be awarded by guest judge, Becky McCray - author of the SmallBizSurvival blog. She will review the nominating compliments and choose which one best represents a business that is truly "loved by its customers, vendors, employees, or local community."

According to Intuit's web site, they have already awarded $55,000 in business grants.

For more details, visit:
http://smallbusiness.intuit.com/blog/where-small-is-now/2009/07/love-a-local-business.html

Gates Foundation Awards $10 Million Grant To Black History Museum

Bill Gates, the billionaire founder of Microsoft Corporation, has awarded a $10 million grant to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture planned for the National Mall in Washington. The award was made through his foundation that he runs with his wife Melinda.

The grant will support the capital campaign for design and construction of the first-of-its-kind museum, which according to the president of the foundation "will make the stories and history of African Americans available to everyone."

Groundbreaking for the project will take place in the year 2012, and the grand opening is scheduled for three years after that. Total estimated construction costs will amount to about $500 million. Congress will pay at least half that.

AALL/Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Grants Program Seeks Applications for $5,000 in Research Grants

The AALL Research & Publications Committee is accepting applications through Monday, November 9, 2009, for research grants from the AALL/Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Grants Program, totaling up to $5,000.

The committee will award one or more grants to library professionals who wish to conduct research that supports the research/scholarly agenda of the profession of librarianship.

The grants program funds small or large research projects that create, disseminate, or otherwise use legal and law-related information as its focus.

The AALL Research Agenda offers suggestions for possible research projects that cover a wide segment of professional interest, including the profession of law librarianship, law library patrons, law library services, legal research and bibliography, legal information resources, and law library facilities.

For more details or to apply, visit:
www.aallnet.org/about/grant_application.asp

Imagine This: Business Grants To Help Your Clients Pay Their Invoices

Sustainable Future, a small business in Tennessee, has found a unique way to sell their customers a product, and help them get money to pay for it too. The company installs solar power systems for businesses - something that can be quite expensive.

However, they did research and found out the USDA (United States Dept of Agriculture) will pay for 40 percent of the system with a maximum grant of $75,000. Plus, the buyers can apply federal tax credits for up to 30 percent of the cost.

So in addition to installing solar panels, Sustainable Future also became a grant consulting firm - going after potential customers who are most likely to qualify for the assistance. And the strategy has paid off hugely.

In just a few years, the firm has quickly grown to 12 employees, and by the end of 2009, they will have completed about 10 commercial solar installations and 8 residential installations.

For more info about grants issued by the USDA, visit:
www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/funding.cfm

Urban VC Announces New Community Program For Entrepreneurs

Caleb Brown Venture Capital and Consulting has recently launched a new program that will award up to $12,000 in grants and over 6,000 consulting hours to national businesses.

To be qualified, entrepreneurs must have been in business for more than three years and must be making a commitment to hire full-time, part-time, or intern staff over the next 12 months.

Since 2003, Chicago-based Caleb Brown is a minority-owned venture capital group that provides access to seed money up to $150,000 to small businesses throughout the country by taking a hands-on approach to grooming aspiring entrepreneurs in the areas of cash management, sales training, real estate basics, and networking.

To learn more, visit:
www.calebbrownonline.com

Business Grants Are Real In Nebraska

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development recently awarded nearly $400,000 to support business development and entrepreneurship in the state of Nebraska.

The grant recipients are:

Ho-Chunk Community Development Corporation who received over $107,000 for construction and project oversight for building expansion;

Region V Foundation who received $99,000 to purchase and install a new cooker/mixer and cooling rack truck for a popcorn factory;

Center for Rural Affairs who also received $99,000 to expand a series of small business networking events; and

Nebraska Venture Capital Forum who received $92,000 to conduct new venture competitions whereas entrepreneurs can submit business plans to win cash awards.

These huge grant awards were given to non-profit organizations, who in turn, disbursed funds and resources to actual small business owners. Unlike local government agencies, federal government agencies never give grant money directly to business owners and entrepreneurs.

For more details on the story, visit:
http://journalstar.com/business/article_b86ff616-b503-11de-b3d5-001cc4c002e0.html

Biology Firm Receives More Than $3.8 Million in New NIH Small Business Grants

Texas-based Asuragen, Inc. announced today that it has received over $3.8 million in new grant funding for 2009 from the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR), Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funded initiatives of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to further its development of molecular diagnostics for oncology and genetic disease.

Since the Company was spun off from Ambion in 2006, Asuragen has received more than 20 NIH small business grants totaling approximately $12 million, mostly in the area of oncology diagnostics, miRNA, and innovative technologies to facilitate molecular diagnostic development and discovery.

For more details, visit:
www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS151970+07-Oct-2009+BW20091007

NASE Members Receive $20,000 In Business Development Grants

Micro-business owners received a financial boost to their business in the third quarter, thanks to the National Association for the Self-Employed’s Business Development Grant Program. These NASE Members, with businesses as varied as a communications firm and a recycling service, were awarded a total of $20,000 for their businesses.

With the Business Development Grant program, NASE Members can apply for up to $5,000 for a specific business need such as the purchase of new equipment or software, or the funding of advertising, marketing materials and training. Since the program began in 2006, the association has awarded over $350,000 to member businesses.

The NASE Business Development Grant Program offers access to capital for micro-business owners who have a specific business need – but lack the finances to carry out that goal. The program was designed after an online NASE Member poll found that a majority of micro-business owners (57 percent) initially fund their businesses using personal savings, and many (40 percent) continue to use personal savings for ongoing financing.

For the full press release, visit:
http://www.nase.org/About/PressReleases/09-10-01/NASE_Members_Receive_20_000_In_Business_Development_Grants.aspx

EBay Gives Away $25,000 Business Grants

Online marketplace EBay recently awarded four entrepreneurs with $25,000 each to bring their business plans to life.

They were the winners of a annual competition also sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation - the world’s largest foundation devoted to entrepreneurship. Actual EBay members were the judges and were allowed to select the winners across four categories.

As runner-ups, an additional entrepreneurs were given $5,000 each to pursue their plans for starting or growing a business on eBay.

For more details, visit:
http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/10/05/daily48.html

Emerging L.A. Designers Get A $10,000 City Grant

Four fashion designers, from three different labels, recently learned that they would receive Los Angeles' first ever Fashion Angel emerging designer awards. The announcement came from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa himself during a press conference at the California Market Center.

The money won't go directly to the designers; it will be used to cover the cost of staging a Oct. 13 runway show at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA that will showcase looks from each label.

The general manager of the city's Department of Cultural Affairs said that although the organization annually bestows $10,000 grants in 15 different arts disciplines, this was the first time an award was given away for the fashion industry.

For more details, visit:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/2009/10/fashionable-funding-winners-of-10000-city-grant-announced.html