$45,000 To Start An Art Gallery…
… Echoing Green awards fellowship grants to individual entrepreneurs and two-person teams to fund innovative projects to bring about social change – everything from providing free legal assistance, to developing earthquake-resistant housing, to starting an art gallery in a Laundromat. Grants are $30,000 per year for two years for individuals and $45,000 per year per project for partnerships. For information contact Echoing Green, 212-689-1165, info@echoinggreen.org, http://echoinggreen.org.

$30,000 To Finish College…
… The Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Program awards scholarship grants in amounts up to $30,000 each to students and recent alumni from community colleges or two-year institutions who transfer to and will pursue bachelor's degrees at four-year institutions. Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, 703-723-8000, Email jkc@jackkentcookefoundation.org, http://www.jackkentcookefoundation.org.

$50,000 To Go To Graduate School…
… The Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Program awards scholarship grants worth up to $50,000 each to college seniors or recent graduates to attend graduate or professional programs. Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, 703-723-8000,
Email: jkc@jackkentcookefoundation.org, http://www.jackkentcookefoundation.org.

$500 For Young Women Who Want To Help…
… Youth Service America, the cosmetics firm BonneBell and the teen magazine CosmoGirl! offer a Born to Lead Grant program. Grants of $500 are available to young ladies between the ages of 13-25 for service and/or volunteer programs that promote the importance of health and fitness of the community, themselves, and their peers.
Youth Service America, 202-296-2992, 202-296-4030, info@ysa.org, http://www.ysa.org/awards/award_grant.cfm.

$12 For A Doctor’s Office Visit….
… . That is all I paid when my family and I were traveling in Prague in the Czech Republic this summer and my son had to see a doctor for an illness. This was not the co-pay, this was the entire cost and we didn’t have to wait. It was great treatment too. The cab ride cost more. I checked the worldwide statistics http://www.nationmaster.com/cat/hea and it shows that we live a little longer but we have a higher infant mortality rate. What are we doing wrong???

$ To Study Flowers Overseas…
… The Harold F. Wilkins Scholarship, administered by the American Floral Endowment, provides grants to students to study the floral industry in a foreign country, to pursue a floral industry internship abroad, to attend an International Floricultural Symposium, and/or other related intellectual pursuits. Funding allocations vary depending on the length of the program and anticipated expenses. American Floral Endowment, 618/692-0045, afe@htctech.net, http://www.htctech.net.

Ask Lesko…
Each week, I answer a reader’s question about government grants. If yours is selected, you will receive a free copy of my book, “Gobs and Gobs of Free Stuff”. Send your questions to Dixiestjohn@earthlink.net. Please keep your questions short and as specific as possible.

This week’s question was sent in by Tawni, of San Bernadino, California:

Answer: There are a lot of programs for first time homebuyers. And a good number of these programs are grants. If you do your research you should be able to find over 150 programs for any city in the country. You have to research a number of different places including:

A good starting place is your local U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Housing Counseling Center. You can find your local office at 800-567-4287 or http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hcc_home.cfm.

My "Free Money For Real Estate" book offers a complete list of government housing grants to buy or fix up a home. Go to www.freemoneyforrealestate.com/rebonus1. Thank you for your question.

$2,000 For Old Lesbians…
… Grants to fund projects supporting and developed by lesbians age 60 and older are available from The Edie Windsor Fund for Old Lesbians, 718-768-2249, openmeadows@igc.org, http://www.openmeadows.org/.

$2,000 To Care For Your Pet Lab…
… Helps owners or rescuers of Labrador Retrievers who are in need of financial assistance to cover various medical costs (surgery, treatment, medication) and help to cover rescue or transportation expenses. Funding is typically for up to 50% of the proposed treatment/therapy with a maximum funding per case of $2,000. Labrador Lifeline, Mequon, Wisconsin. Fax: (206) 289-5905, questions@labradorlifeline.org, http://www.labradorlifeline.org.

$5,000 To Travel To South America…
… Offers grants for students to help pay travel costs when traveling to and studying at programs in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa; must demonstrate academic preparation and financial need. Grants generally around $1,000 to $5,000. Council on International Educational Exchange, 7 Custom House Street, 3rd Floor, Portland, ME, 04101, 1-800-40-Study, 207-553-7600.

Get Three of My Best-Selling Books for Just $29.95…
… Plus no shipping! Find thousands of sources for legal help, health care, and freebies from the government. Go to www.howtogetagrant.com/gr3books7 to take advantage of this limited offer.