Grants for College Students With Community Service Projects

Government Grants

• One of the most obvious ways to acquire funding for your community service project is to apply for a government grant. By accessing the U.S. government grant website, you can search for hundreds of grants that might fit the particular needs of your community service project. Government grants can serve a variety of purposes, from covering start-up costs to establishing a non-profit to community clean-up initiatives, to building educational resource development in underdeveloped communities (e.g., building libraries in rural schools, etc).

  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
  HHH Building
  Washington, DC 20201
  800-518-4726
  grants.gov

Administration of Children and Families

• If your grant is geared toward the development of a community, you may qualify for a grant through the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Various grant opportunities exist for service to community development initiatives, including those aimed at community economic development or familial development in underdeveloped communities. Your student organizations would likely have an increased chance of grant consideration given their association with the educational institution. Ensure your grant proposal is strong when applying for government grants as they are typically competitive and highly selective.

  Administration for Children and Families
  370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.
  Washington, D.C. 20447
  acf.hhs.gov

Corporate Funding

• Many corporations offer grant opportunities for community service initiatives as a way to promote economic sustainability and foster philanthropic endeavors. Corporations like Microsoft, AT&T, Wal-Mart and IBM all offer grant opportunities for community service projects through their respective websites. However, read carefully what grant monies can be used for before writing any grant to help increase your chances of funding consideration. Corporate grants are often generous and favor student-organized projects.

Non-Profit Funding

• Depending on the nature of your project, consider establishing a non-profit to help procure funding for your community service initiative. Non-profit organizations are eligible for far more grant opportunities than non-official organizations. The Corporation for National and Community Service offers a variety of funding opportunities for non-profit organizations seeking sponsorship in order to help build communities and strengthen education, infrastructure or resources.

  Corporation for National and Community Service
  1201 New York Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC 20525
  202-606-5000
  nationalservice.gov