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Economic development grants are typically awarded to communities to revitalize, expand and upgrade their physical infrastructure to attract new industry, encourage business expansion, diversify local economies, and generate or retain long-term, private sector jobs and investment. Local governments, state governments, and the federal government all provide economic development grants. Private foundations and trusts, as well as corporate foundations and trusts also award grants for economic development.

Economic development grants from the federal government are normally awarded through the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration. The mission of EDA is to lead the Federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. The EDA has seven different economic development grants programs:

• Public Works
• Economic Adjustment Assistance Program
• Research and National Technical Assistance
• Local Technical Assistance
• Partnership Planning
• University Center
• Trade Adjustment Assistance

There are at least 178 private foundations in the United States that give economic development grants with total giving that ranges from $431 million to less than $100,000. The Ford Foundation, Open Society Institute, Mott Foundation Woodruff Foundation, Knight Foundation, Kauffman Foundation and Citigroup Foundation lead the pack in total giving of economic development grants. In 2003, the Ford Foundation awarded $1,258,488 in economic development grants to Corporation for Enterprise Development for core support of a program called “Savings for Education, Entrepreneurship and Downpayment, national demonstration to explore the potential of Children’s Savings Accounts.

For high quality, cost effective training on how to write successful economic development grants is to check out some of the grants sites listed in this web site. These sites have track record of success in writing grants, not only for economic development, but also for elementary-secondary education, technology, healthcare, science, literacy programs, and labor-management cooperation. With an average of 30 Billion dollars in grant awards each year, these grants sites authored grants that have:

• Encouraged economic growth.
• Promoted labor-management cooperation.
• Established community technology centers.
• Advanced professional development.
• Increased learning outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Increased interest and learning outcomes in science and citizenship.