Grants & federal funding.
A practical guide for Oklahomans — local governments, tribes, non-profits, small businesses, schools, and individuals — on how to find, evaluate, and apply for federal funding. Senator Armstrong’s office cannot award grants, but we can point you to the right resources and write a letter of support when your application warrants it.
Guidelines & Information
What a “grant” actually is.
“Grant” is a general term for the thousands of federal programs available to assist state and local governments, tribal nations, non-profit social-service organizations, and community-based groups. The assistance takes many forms — direct funding, low-interest loans, surplus property, technical advice, and other resources.
As you consider whether to seek federal assistance for your project, three characteristics shape every grant program in the country. Understanding them up front will save you weeks of work later.
When you search for funding, make sure you are exploring every source of assistance that might be applicable. In addition to federal government programs, look at state government agencies, councils of governments, philanthropic institutions, and private and corporate foundations. The grant-makers whose interests align with yours will be most likely to provide support — cast a wide, but targeted, net.
Targeted
Every grant program was authorized by Congress to address a particular problem within specified parameters. A grant will only fund projects that fall within the scope of that purpose.
Competitive
Grant programs almost always have many more applicants than available resources can fund. Even strong applications routinely don’t receive funding.
Conditional
Each program has its own eligibility criteria, grantee obligations, and reporting requirements. Every one of them must be strictly followed to receive funding.
How to Find Funding
Seven steps from “we have a project” to “we have an application.”
Adapted from federal grants guidance prepared by the Congressional Research Service for the U.S. Senate. This is the sequence most successful applicants follow.
01
Confirm you’re eligible.
Federal grants generally fund organizations — not individuals. Start at Grants.gov — Who is eligible for a grant? If you’re an individual looking for support, the right starting points are usually Benefits.gov (personal needs), StudentAid.gov (student loans), SBA.gov (small business), or USA.gov for Business (contracting).
02
Search the federal program catalog.
If you’re eligible, the canonical place to find every federal assistance program is SAM.gov Assistance Listings. The catalog covers more than 2,200 grants, loans, and other federal assistance programs, with the authorizing legislation, objectives, and eligibility criteria for each.
03
Contact the federal office named in the listing.
Every Assistance Listing names a federal office responsible for the program. Reach out directly — a five-minute call to the program officer often clarifies whether your project is in scope long before you spend weeks on an application.
04
Read the program’s home agency website.
Each Assistance Listing also links to the federal agency website that runs the program. Most agencies maintain state-administering-agency lists, current notices of funding availability, and specific application guidance.
05
Find and apply at Grants.gov.
Current federal grants opportunities are posted on Grants.gov. Applying for federal grants requires a Unique Entity ID (UEI) registered through the System for Award Management (SAM). Additional notices of funding opportunities also appear at FedConnect.
06
Search private and corporate foundations.
Many strong projects are funded by a mix of federal and private sources. Use Candid (formerly the Foundation Center) and its Candid Learning resources, plus the Community Foundation Locator, to identify national, state, and community foundations whose missions align with your work.
07
Learn how to write a competitive proposal.
A strong project does not automatically produce a strong proposal. Take the free Candid Proposal Writing Short Course, or browse the Candid Knowledge Base for samples, templates, and tips. Most successful Oklahoma grant applicants have someone on their team who has done the training.
Key Federal Funding Sources
Three sites do most of the work.
If you remember nothing else from this page, remember these three. They are the federal government’s official front doors for finding, applying for, and managing federal grants.
Canonical
Official descriptions of more than 2,200 federal assistance programs — grants, loans, and other financial and non-financial assistance. Run by the General Services Administration. Each program has a corresponding CFDA (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance) program number that you’ll see referenced elsewhere. This is the authoritative federal catalog.
Apply Here
The federal grants portal. Find current competitive grant opportunities from every federal agency, check notices of funding availability (NOFAs) posted in the last 7 days, subscribe to RSS feeds, and submit applications through a unified process. Requires a Unique Entity ID (UEI) via SAM.gov registration.
State Review
Under Executive Order 12372, some states require federal grant applicants to submit a copy of their application for state-level review and comment. The OMB-published SPOC list identifies the state office that coordinates federal financial assistance for each state. Oklahoma-specific contact information is included in the list.
Related Federal Resources
Specialized and sector-specific portals.
When the three above don’t quite fit your project, these are the federal portals that probably will.
A–Z
Every federal department and agency, with links to home pages, programs, and points of contact. The fastest way to find the right home agency for your project.
Energy
The U.S. Department of Energy’s primary funding vehicle for businesses, industries, universities, and others. Grants are awarded on merit, competitively. For state-by-state incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency, search DSIRE.
Homeland Security
Most DHS non-disaster grant programs are designated for state and local governments and specific entities such as colleges. Includes Urban Area Security Initiative, Citizen Corps, Operation Stonegarden (border security), and Infrastructure Protection. Programs for firefighters are at Assistance to Firefighters.
Business
Federal contracting, international trade, exporting, and small business. For financial assistance specifically, the Small Business Administration is the right next stop.
Education
Financial assistance for education beyond high school. Federal aid is generally needs-based and includes loans and work-study in addition to some grants. College and university financial-aid offices are also a primary resource.
Personal
Government grants do not directly fund individuals — they fund state and local programs that help people in need. This online screening tool identifies state and local government benefits and explains how to apply.
Compliance
The Office of Management and Budget establishes government-wide grants management policies and guidelines through circulars and common rules. OMB Circulars are cited in SAM.gov Assistance Listing program descriptions and govern how federal funds may be spent and reported.
FTC Consumer Alert
Beware of “federal grant” scams.
The Federal Trade Commission warns consumers to beware of paying “processing fees” for information that is available free to the public, and to be skeptical of any advertisement claiming federal grants are available for home repairs, home businesses, unpaid bills, or other personal expenses. Federal grants overwhelmingly fund organizations, not individuals. Learn more at the FTC Consumer Alert on government grant scams.
Private & Corporate Funding
Foundations and community-based funding.
Even when federal funding is the centerpiece, most successful projects also include private and foundation funding. These are the canonical resources for finding it.
Formerly the Foundation Center. The gateway to private funding sources, the grant-seeking process, proposal-writing guidance, state-library grant collections, and a comprehensive Foundation Directory Online database of foundations.
The Grantsmanship Center’s state-by-state map of foundations, community foundations, corporate giving programs, and state government funding home pages. Oklahoma-specific information is one click in.
More than 750 community foundations operate across the United States — grant-making public charities dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local area. The Council on Foundations maintains a state-by-state locator.
How Our Office Can Help
Letters of support for Oklahoma applicants.
A letter of support from Senator Armstrong’s office can strengthen many federal grant applications. The letter signals that the Senator is aware of the project, that it has merit, and that it serves the State of Oklahoma. It does not influence the federal agency’s scoring or selection, but reviewers do read them.
Our office reviews every letter request against the project’s eligibility, the strength of the application, the demonstrated community support, and whether the project aligns with the Senator’s stated focus areas. We can’t write every letter that’s requested, but we work hard to support strong applications from Oklahoma.
How to Request a Letter
Allow three weeks of lead time.
Contact our office with the project name and summary, the federal program and deadline, the requesting organization, the requested funding amount, and a one-page narrative of the project and its impact on Oklahoma.
By phone: (405) 246-0025 (Oklahoma City office, ask for the grants coordinator)
Letters are issued at the Senator’s discretion. Submitting a request does not guarantee a letter will be provided.