Finding Funding: A Guide to Federal Sources for Asset-Building Initiatives. Finding Funding Series

This guide outlines strategies for financing asset-building initiatives and provides information on 71 federal funding sources that can be used to support a range of activities and services. It includes well-known sources of funding for asset building, for example, the Assets for Independence Demonstration Program and the Family Self-Sufficiency program. It also includes some less obvious sources, such as the Medicaid Infrastructure Grant program and the Housing Counseling Assistance Program. Section I looks at the funding landscape for asset-building initiatives. It provides an overview of public and private investments in asset building and outlines some of the key challenges facing policymakers and initiative leaders in financing and sustaining these initiatives. Section II describes the structure and requirements of the various federal mechanisms to fund asset-building initiatives. Section III presents strategies for maximizing federal funds and building partnerships to support asset-building initiatives. Section IV catalogs federal funding sources that can support asset-building initiatives. Each one-page summary describes the funding source and provides eligibility, application, and contact information. To help readers identify specific funding sources to support their programming, each source is also categorized according to the specific asset-building activities or services it can fund. Appendices include: (1) Funding Sources Listed by Federal Agency; and (2) Funding Sources Listed by Funding Type. (Contains 16 footnotes.)[This is a companion to ED509411, "Making the Most of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: A Guide for Asset-Building Leaders."]