Free Money -- how to get Help version 2010

PLANNING THE "BIG ASK"
Free books ... at the library on writing a grant proposal
-or on writing a business plan for a new business
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE

All grants megasite from SBA

Oregon Microenterprise Network lots of different local and state organizations (depending on your type of business) who have various programs.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance or come in to the library to flip through the catalog itself in bound form.

View Foundation Grants to Individuals in the library for free or use Foundation Grants to Individuals online at home, fee based.

Microenterprise Development for Small Businesses Individual development accounts.

SBA Loans -- See about Microloans, up to $25,000, if you are a small business. The average loan size is $10,000.

BECOMING NONPROFIT

Books becoming a nonprofit such as the Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Handbook
Books on funding your nonprofitSort results by date for newest items
Filing a 501c3 Application a dowloadable book on the IRS application to become tax deductible.
Help for your local nonprofit: Technical assistance http://tacs.org/
VENTURE CAPITAL
http://activecapital.org/
Venture Capital is NOT available for:
sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, "blank check" companies, (companies that raise money to invest in future ventures not yet identified), development stage companies that have no specific business plan or purpose, development stage companies whose business plan is to merge or be acquired by an unidentified company, investment companies, registered or required to register under the Investment Company Act of 1940, companies involved in oil, gas, or other mineral or extractive interests.
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
CCR-Central Contractor Registration-http://www.ccr.gov/ Central Contractor Registration (CCR) is the primary registrant database for the U.S. Federal Government. CCR collects, validates, stores and disseminates data in support of agency acquisition missions. Click here to learn more about CCR Policy and Background.
Browse Current Available Bids--use FedBizOpps which is on Stat-USA, available at the library. Ask at the Reference Desk, they have to log you on with their password in their rolodex.
http://www.stat-usa.gov/

• click on GLOBUS NTDB
• click on FED BIZ OPPS, type a search keyword. Suggestions of keywords might be "Portland" or "Oregon," or some keyword from his or her line of business such as "transformer" or "janitorial"

Government Contract Assistance Program, or GCAP. Oregon's Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) is sponsored and brought to you by the Organization for Economic Initiatives (OEI), the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (OECDD) and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).http://www.gcap.org/
HELP WITH LIVING EXPENSES
Find assistance for Food, Housing, Child Care, Healthcare, Adult Education, and More.

Community Action in Washington County http://www.caowash.org/

Oregon Child Care Subsidy Program http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/children/childcare/main.shtml

Oregon Helps - gives you an idea of what to ask for ahead of time
http://www.oregonhelps.org/

Free legal help for living expenses

Legal Aid Services of Oregon
For legal advice about unpaid bills, click on Consumer, Debt Collection, Garnishment.
http://www.oregonlawhelp.com/OR/

Oregon state bar.
Check legallinks for answers to your Oregon Law questions. With the help of legallinks you can find a lawyer with the Lawyer Referral Service, get information on hundreds of common legal topics and learn the basics of Oregon Law.
http://www.osbar.org/public/legallinks.html


INVENTORS, ARTISTS
Grants for People

Foundation Grants to Individuals REF 001.44 FOU
in reference, but you can reserve a copy of last edition

National Directory of Corporate Giving REF 361.7632 NAT
in reference stacks only

Oregon Innovation Center http://www.oregoninnovation.org/ or

Oregon Entrepreneurs Networkd
http://www.oen.org/

HOUSING AND REAL ESTATE

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) http://www.hud.gov/ click on select a state


Grants for communities, business districts
Office of Community Planning and Development - HUD
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/

Block Grants, Redevelopment, Enterprise Zones, direct loans to help newer businesses get started in Oregon, etc http://www.oregon.gov/ECDD/finance.shtml

Federal empowerment zones offer jobs, job training and small business development
Oregon Empowerment Zones http://www.econ.state.or.us/enterthezones/

STATE AND LOCAL JOBS ASSISTANCE, EDUCATION & VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS

State of Oregon's jobs page http://www.workinginoregon.com/

Oregon Student Assistance Commission http://www.osac.state.or.us/index.html

Capital career center and Worksource Oregon team up to provide career guidance assistance
http://www.workforceallianceonline.org/

Worksource Oregon
http://www.worksourceoregon.org/

College education
Library books on student aid

Career preparation databases via Washington County Library Cooperative
* Oregon Career Information Service-Start with the desired occupation, discover the outlook for that career, then link to schools, then to scholarships. Free at the library and free in many of the public schools.

* Learning Express Library - Prepare for GED, US Citizenship, ASVAB or SAT and many civil service tests online. Take courses on writing resumes and preparing for interviews.

Send your child to private kindergarten through high school
Oregon voters rejected a voucher program. But the subject continues to come up from time to time in news editorials.