Cassidy To Host Grants Conference

Press Release

Louisiana Congressman Bill Cassidy will host a Grants Conference Wednesday, August 18 to help connect local organizations with federal grant opportunities. The Conference will take place from 9:00 -- 1:30 at the Capital Area American Red Cross, located at 4655 Sherwood Common Boulevard in Baton Rouge.

"Louisiana competes with other states for these grants," said Cassidy. "The money will be spent somewhere. The question is whether or not it will be spent in Louisiana."

"Louisianans are not exempt from the taxes that fund these programs, so we certainly do not want to exempt ourselves from getting those dollars back. This conference will help equip Louisiana organizations to compete successfully and secure funding for local priorities."

More than 1,000 grant programs are offered through 26 separate federal agencies. Eligibility for federal grants ranges from municipalities to school districts and universities to non-profit agencies and even small businesses.

Last year, organizations in Louisiana's Sixth Congressional District secured 2,319 grants totaling $4.9 billion, with the bulk of the funding going to state government agencies headquartered in Baton Rouge. Nationwide, over 300,000 grant applications were submitted to federal agencies in 2009 and $659 billion in grant funding was awarded.

Featuring representatives from the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Labor, Health & Human Services, Housing & Urban Development, Transportation, and Homeland Security, Cassidy's Grants Conference will help local organizations locate federal grant opportunities and develop competitive applications for them.

In addition to presentations from federal agencies, representatives from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Alzheimer's Services of the Capital Area, the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations, and the Huey & Angelina Wilson Foundation will share tips and information learned from their successful grant applications.

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