Grants fair to give tips on federal,state funds

Grant funds often can make what was thought to be impossible possible.

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U.S. Rep. Paul Broun has organized a Grants Fair for Wednesday to help organizations understand what funding is available to them and how to get it.

"It is tailored toward nonprofit organizations, local governments and small-business owners," said Nicole Acevedo, Broun's grants coordinator. "But everybody is welcome to learn about the process."

The fair will be held from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Savannah Rapids Pavilion in Martinez. It will provide those seeking grant funding the opportunity to talk to representatives from state and federal agencies about their grants programs and applications process.

In years past, grants often went unnoticed because businesses and other organizations didn't know funding was available. The fair is designed to raise awareness of what is available.

"A lot of groups don't really know how to look for grant funding," Acevedo said. "A lot of groups, when they do find a grant or know how to look for grant funding, they don't know how to apply for it effectively."

Groups available at the fair include the Georgia Department of Community Health, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the Appalachian Regional Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, U.S. Small Business Administration and Small Business Development Centers.

The day before the grants fair, Broun will hear residents during an American Speaking Out Listening Town Hall meeting.

The meeting will start at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Columbia County Library Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center.

The meeting is open to all 10th District residents and is part of the national campaign, America Speaking Out, which is designed to gather ideas from the public to help determine the country's direction.