Up to $10,000 for Sports Enthusiasts…
… Balance Bar awards four-month grants of $500 to $10,000 to sports enthusiasts, amateur athletes and teams who enthusiastically pursue their passions and push themselves physically and mentally to achieve them. Any activity that enables a person to enhance their physical health while pursuing a passion that enriches their lives is appropriate for the BALANCE BAR Grant. Contact: Balance Bar Company Contributions Program, 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY 10573; http://www.balance.com/grants/default.asp. Application address for Balance Grants: c/o Grants Program, Hunter PR, 5th Fl., 41 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010.

Nurses Receive Financial Help for Bills…
… The Nurses House financial awards assist with such needs as rent or mortgage payments, food, utilities, telephone and health insurance. When possible, Nurses House attempts to assist applicants in identifying other potential sources of assistance. Awards will vary depending on the applicant’s level of need. Contact: Nurses House, Inc., 2113 Western Ave., Ste. 2, Guilderland, NY 12084-9501; (518) 456-7858; Fax: (518) 452-3760; www.nurseshouse.org/ or email mail@NursesHouse.org.

$475,000 To Start A Winery On Government Property…
… Who would have thought to look to the government to start a winery but the U.S. National Park Service has been doing this on the grounds of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio since 1999. An organization called Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) is responsible for identifying the project. See http://www.ems.org/nws/2004/08/25/national_park_se.

Truck Stop Employees Get $2,500 to Go to School…
… The Bill Moon Scholarship offers twelve $2,500 scholarships to truck stop industry employees or their dependents in memory of truck stop industry founding father, Bill Moon. Students who plan on enrolling on a full-time basis in postsecondary studies at an accredited school are eligible. Contact: The NATSO Foundation, 1199 N. Fairfax St., Ste. 801, Alexandria, VA 22314; (703) 549-2100; Fax: (703) 684-9667; http://www.natsofoundation.org; email foundation@natso.com.

“Adults Ages 25 to 34 Now Report Receiving…
… from their parents 20 times more support than they give them; even for adults 35 to 44, the ratio is 5 to 1.” The author shows that government programs to the elderly are helping the elderly help their children and not the traditional story of children helping their parents. See “Running on Empty”, Peter G. Peterson.

Up to $250,000 to Make Videos for T.V. …
… Independent Television Service (ITVS) brings high-quality, content-rich programs created by a diverse body of independent producers to local, national, and international audiences. These programs take creative risks, explore complex issues and express points of view seldom seen on commercial or public television by reflecting voices and visions of underrepresented communities and address the needs of underserved audiences, particularly minorities and children. Grants range from $20,000 up to $250,000. Contact: Independent Television Service (ITVS) 501 York Street, San Francisco, CA 94110; (415) 356-8383; Fax: (415) 356-8391; http://www.itvs.org; email itvs@itvs.org.

$7,500 to Teach Children History…
… The CiviConnections Grant awards $7,500 grants to a team of three teachers for implementing a new program that provides teacher teams and students in grades 3-12 with opportunities to link local historical inquiry with community service-learning activities. Contact: National Council for the Social Studies, 8555 16th St., N.W., Ste. 500, Silver Spring, MD 20910; (301) 588-1800; Fax: (301) 588-2049; http://www.ncss.org; email excellence@ncss.org.

Up to $1,000 to Help Pay for Your Tuition and Books…
… The Alpha Epsilon Pi Foundation provides educational grants to individuals and institutions for educational purposes and to assist in paying for tuition and books. Grants range from $100 up to $1,000. Contact: Alpha Epsilon Pi Foundation, Inc., 8815 Wesleyan Rd., Indianapolis, Indiana 46268-1171; (317) 876-1913; Fax: (317) 876-1057; http://www.aepi.org; email office@aepi.org.

Over $8,000 for High School Film Students…
… A&E awards grants and scholarships to K-12 students and teachers. Support is given on a national basis and in Canada. There are two different award programs under this Foundation: 1) the A&E Classroom Program, which awards $500 to K-12 teachers that demonstrate creative classroom uses for A&E and History Channel programming; and 2) History Channel Awards in which A&E annually awards 3 scholarships of $5,000 to high school students and 5 grants of $3,000 and a school video library to teachers participating in the National History Day competition. Contact: A & E Television Networks Corporate Giving Program, P.O. Box 1610, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163-1610; (212) 210-1400; http://www.historychannel.com/classroom/awards.html; http://www.aande.com.

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. This week’s question was submitted by Pam:

Answer: You are right, we identify programs that are only available in specific areas, and we do this so people will look for themselves for similar programs in their areas. Our books do contain the most complete listing available for programs at the federal and state levels. It is physically impossible to publish every program available in each of the thousands of city and counties that there are in the country. There would not be enough trees in the rain forest for us to publish such a book! When we don’t mention every city and county we try to give a good sampling of the kinds of programs that are available at the local level.

To find money for utility bills or for buying or repairing a home, there are certainly many local programs in every area of the country. You can start by contacting one of HUD’s Free Housing Counseling Centers near you. Contact Local HUD Housing Counseling Center at 800-569-4287 or online at www.hud.gov/hsgcoun.html. You can also find thousands of money sources for buying or fixing up a home in our book, Free Money for Real Estate (see www.freemoneyforrealestate.com/rebonus1).

Thank you for your question.

Learn How You Can See Copies Of Successful Grant Applications…
… . Attend Lesko’s 3-hour Free Money Seminar and find out how and where to get the money! Save your seat today at http://howtogetagrant.com/grseminar1/.