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A Primer of Grant Resources for Writers

© Deb Jones

You've come up with a great idea for a project, but you're going to need time to develop the idea, interview people, and do extensive research to bring to fruition your creation. There's a small hitch-- you find yourself a little lean in the area of financial resources. Do you have to scrap your project until you hit the lottery? A more prudent resource may be the many grants available to writers, just ripe for the taking. Grants are gifts of sorts from the source; unlike a loan, they do not need to be repaid-- ever.

But speaking of taking...don't be the one getting taken when it comes to the many, many websites, books, and ezines out there that promise you grant awards but never deliver. As in all things, if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Take your time and use sound judgment in this arena.

The Better Business Bureau provides a "Top 10 Product Reviews" of websites selling information on U.S. Government grants at http://www.betterbusinessreviews.org/gra... The information here is in an easy format with useful review information to help you in your decision-making process about what resource(s) best fit your needs. As advised at the site, to qualify for any of these grants, you need to be a US citizen at least 18 years of age; credit history is of no concern in the grant process.

The "Grant Winner Guide" is also referenced in the Better Business Bureau article as an oft-used resource for grant-seekers. You can access the site at http://www.grantwinner.net/?hop=invest2 The cost for this resource is $35.00

A couple of resources for grants in Canada are the Canada Council for the Arts: http://www.canadacouncil.ca/grants/writi... and the Ontario Arts Council: http://www.arts.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/nts... Both of these have grant deadline for later this year. The deadline for the Toronto Arts Council just passed the end of June, so will not be listed here, but could be a resource for next year.

Moira Allen, a well-known and respected author who has penned several books on the writing craft and business has a chapter, "Grants for Writers" in her book THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO QUERIES, PITCHES & PROPOSALS.

The online version of "Poets & Writers" lists grants and awards available to writers: http://www.pw.org/mag/0407/deadlines.htm

Three other sites to peruse for grant information are the National Endowment for the Arts http://www.nea.gov/grants/apply/index_in... and Funds for Writers http://www.fundsfor writers.com/grants.htm and Freelance Writing.com's site at Contests plus grants, fellowships, & competitions: http://www.freelancewriting.com/contests...

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