Believe it or not, your government (state and federal) can help you realize your dreams. Each year, millions of people receive a portion of the billions of dollars the federal government earmarks for assisting individuals, organizations, and communities in achieving their goals.

The federal government offers 1,425 assistance programs administered by 57 federal agencies. It offers 15 types of assistance (seven financial types of assistance and eight non-financial types of assistance). The most comprehensive listing of federal programs, whether for education, healthcare, personal or business, can be found in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).

'The CFDA provides a full listing of all Federal programs available to State and local governments (including the District of Columbia); federally-recognized Indian tribal governments; Territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals.

Once you have found the Federal assistance program you want, contact the office that administers the program for application instructions.'

Click here to download the current Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) print edition (.pdf) file.