Guide to Federal Grants Through Grants.Gov for Disabled

Author: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Published: 2009/08/04 - Updated: 2026/01/13
Publication Type: Instructive / Helpful
Category Topic: Finance - Related Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates

Synopsis: This announcement from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services provides official guidance on accessing federal grant programs through Grants.gov, the centralized portal managed by HHS that consolidates information from all 26 federal grant-making agencies. The information proves valuable because it explains how individuals and organizations, including those serving people with disabilities and seniors, can navigate the single authoritative source for finding and applying to more than 1,000 federal grant programs that collectively distribute over $500 billion in annual funding. The announcement details specific features like webinar training sessions on grant applications, step-by-step registration processes, and targeted support for those new to federal grant seeking, making what can be an intimidating bureaucratic process more accessible to community organizations and individuals who might benefit from federal financial assistance programs - Disabled World (DW).

Introduction

Applying for ARRA Federal Grants on Grants.Gov

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has unveiled a new feature on Grants.gov to help users find and apply for The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant opportunities. Grants.gov contains information about finding and applying for all federal grant programs.

Main Content

The launch of this Recovery Act feature on the homepage of Grants.gov will direct users to Recovery Act opportunities, other Recovery Act resources, and upcoming Webinars.

"Grants.gov is the single government-wide source for information about grant programs across the federal government," Secretary Sebelius said. "Many agencies and departments across government are working together to bring this information to the public. Now we are making it easier for individuals to find critical and time sensitive Recovery Act grants from all over government on the Grants.gov page with new technical improvements to the site and an aggressive outreach campaign to the public."

Working together across government to provide additional information to new grant applicants, HHS will host on behalf of Grants.gov a Webinar series on Aug. 13th, 18th and 20th, 2009. The Webinar sessions are targeted towards potential grant applicants.

The Webinar series topics include:

Introduction to Grants.gov and the Recovery Act
Finding Recovery Act Opportunities
Registration to Submit Recovery Act Opportunities

Each Webinar session will include time for questions and answers.

All Webinars will be recorded and made available to view on Grants.gov after each series is completed. More details for registration can be found on Grants.gov in the new Recovery Act feature on the homepage.

HHS is the managing partner of the cross-agency Web site, which now has information about more than 1,000 available grant programs involving all 26 federal grant-making agencies. These agencies together award more than $500 billion in grant funds annually.

Further information about Government grants for the disabled and Grants.gov

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: While the original announcement focused on the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the fundamental structure it describes remains relevant today - Grants.gov continues to serve as the primary gateway for federal funding opportunities across government. For disability advocates, nonprofit organizations, and individuals seeking financial support, understanding this centralized system can mean the difference between missing critical funding deadlines and successfully securing resources that make real-world differences in people's lives. The webinar model introduced here has evolved into an ongoing educational resource, reflecting a broader shift toward making federal grant processes less opaque and more accessible to smaller organizations that may lack dedicated grant-writing staff but possess the community connections and mission-driven focus that federal programs aim to support - Disabled World (DW).

Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and published on 2009/08/04, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.