Grant scams: a guide for nonprofits

Most grant-scam advice is written for individuals promised "free money." Nonprofits get a different pitch: paid grant lists, writers who guarantee awards, award notices for programs you never applied to, and look-alike portals that want your EIN and bank details. The underlying tells are the same.

The five tells

1. You're asked to pay. A fee to apply, to "process," to "release" funds, to hold your place, or to see the application link. Legitimate grantors charge nothing at any stage. More →
2. You've been "selected" for something you never applied for. Real grants are competitive and start with your application. Nobody awards money to organizations that didn't ask. More →
3. Someone guarantees an award. No consultant, writer, or database can promise a grant. Success rates for well-matched applications are often well under half. More →
4. The site, email, or caller imitates an agency. Odd domains, a "Federal Grants Administration" that doesn't exist, a .gov look without a .gov address, caller ID showing Washington. More →
5. They want bank or card details before anything else. A grantor collects banking information only after an award, through its own secure portal or a signed agreement, never by phone, text, or a form reached from an email link.

What real grants always look like

• California state grants are listed on grants.ca.gov; federal grants on grants.gov. If a "state" or "federal" grant isn't findable there, treat it as unverified.
• Published guidelines, an eligibility list, a deadline (or a stated ongoing cycle), and a named agency contact.
• An application you submit yourself, on the grantor's own site, for free.
• An award letter or agreement from the agency, followed by reporting requirements. Money is reimbursed or advanced per the agreement, not "released" on payment of a fee.

Sixty-second check

Before you spend time on any grant someone sent you, run the Is this grant real? checklist. It takes about a minute and catches nearly everything above.

About this site

Grants for Nonprofits is an independent, free directory. We are not a government agency, we don't award grants, we never charge a fee, and every listing here links to the grantor's own application page. If you're ever unsure whether a listing on this site is real, go to grants.ca.gov and search the portal ID shown on the grant page.

Sources and where to report

• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Avoid Grant Scams
• Federal Trade Commission, Prize and Grant Scams
• Report a scam: reportfraud.ftc.gov. Impersonation of a federal grant program: the HHS Fraud Hotline, 1-800-447-8477. A California state program being impersonated: contact that agency directly through its listing on grants.ca.gov.

Grants for Nonprofits is an independent directory. We do not investigate scams or take reports; use the official channels above.