Im on ssdi disability how do i find a grant to start a buisness so i can get off disability?
Answer:
It is hard to find grants to start a business. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for a for-profit business. And yes, grants mean PAPERWORK - lots and lots of it, that is why a cottage industry of grant writers was born.
Nonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture.
Even if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently. But still the info is the same - hardly any grants for starting a for profit business.
Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/expanding/grants.html.
"The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See http://www.sba.gov/financing for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments."
Here is a listing of federal grants for small businesses. See if there is any available for individuals for starting a business -- THERE'S NONE.
http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/catalo.
Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program
Grants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs
For private grants, you may want to check the Foundation Center's Foundation Grants for Individuals Online. It's a subscription based website ($9.95 per month) but their opening blurb only says that the database is ideal for "students, artists, academic researchers, libraries and financial aid offices." Entrepreneurs are apparently not one of them, so I take it they also don't have listings of private foundations who give grants to would-be entrepreneurs.
Are you on Social Security disability, SSI, or state disability? If its sate disability, go to your local state disability office and ask for information about grants. As far as Social Security goes, SSA does not offer any type of grants. However, other disability program offered by SSA, SSI, offers the PASS program. In essence it allows you to work while still disabled and any earnings will not be counted against you. But your PASS outline/program must be first approved by your SSI worker. Your PASS program needs to be prepared by you and a social worker of some type. You can find this type of worker at your local employment offices.
For example, you begin to work and the money you earn is going towards buying a computer so that you can start an on-line business. We will not count that money against you. You'll continue receiving your monthly SSI check as if you weren't working.
If your not getting SSI then forget what I just wrote and go to your local state disability/unemployment offices.
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