Native American Grants

There are an abundant number of Native American grants available for registered American Indian tribal members and Alaskan and Hawaiian natives. There are Native American grants for education, housing, caring for elderly tribal members, cultural renewal, environmental protection, and tribal economic development. And that's just the tip of the ice burg! However, just because funds are available in all of these areas and more, one must not get the impression that the money is easily won. Receiving Native American grants is a competitive procedure and that requires persistence and research. My website at the bottom of this article will give you all the information you need to get a hold of one.

One of the first steps of applying to almost all Native American grants is proving that you are a registered member of a federally recognized tribe. It is important to get this underway as soon as possible. To determine if you are eligible for tribal membership you should contact your ancestral tribe. Individual tribes determine tribal membership. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Tribal Leaders Directory lists all federally recognized tribes, as well as contact information for local tribal leaders and BIA offices. Other avenues for tracing your Native American heritage include searching home records, using internet search engines, and checking local and state record keeping offices. Talk to your older relatives and try to find birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, diaries, newspaper clippings, etc. Check school, church and county courthouse records for information - also look for deeds, wills, land or other property conveyances. You can also write to the Bureau of Vital Statistics for information. Another options is employing a professional genealogist to do the research for you for a fee. You can write to the Board of Certification of Genealogists or the Association of Professional Genealogists and request their listings of genealogical researchers for hire.

When searching online you'll be astonished at the amount of grants out there (just use 'Native American Grants' as your key word on my website). For example, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1966 created a block grant that gives money annually to low-income Native Americans and Alaskan natives to help with housing needs. The money is awarded to tribes and Alaskan villages who in turn manage the money and distribute it in the way that best fits the needs of their individual community. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also has home ownership and housing rehabilitation opportunities available specifically for Native Americans.

One interesting resource is the Seva Foundation, which awards grant money anywhere between $500-$5,000, for grass roots, native people initiated programs which may be overlooked by the larger foundations. Seva awards $50,000 a year in small grants to urban and rural communities in the United States. Because of Seva's strong belief in the importance of self-reliance and self-determination only Native led and initiated projects are accepted. The beauty of these grants is that they allow for a lot of creativity and originality.

Another great resource is CodeTalk, which is a federal, interagency, Native American website designed specifically to deliver electronic information from government agencies and other organizations to Native American communities.

Search my site for Native American Grants Here: [http://www.freegrantdollars.com/Native-American-Grants]

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