What types of grants are available on Grant Search US?

Grant Search US aggregates thousands of grants across federal (NIH, NSF, DOE, USDA, SBA), state, foundation, and corporate sources. We cover nonprofits, small businesses, researchers, educators, and individuals. Our database is updated daily and includes grants from all 50 states plus select international opportunities.

Is Grant Search US free to use?

Yes — you can start completely free with no credit card required. Free users can browse grants, set up a profile, start applications, and use basic AI drafting tools. Premium plans unlock advanced features like the AI Grant Writing Engine, Proposal Evaluator, Winning Grant Analyzer, and Expert Review Panel.

How does the AI grant writing feature work?

You build your organization's profile once — including your mission, financials, team size, and key achievements. When you start a new application, our AI drafts every narrative section (project summary, goals, budget narrative, organizational capacity) using your real data — not generic templates. You review, edit, and submit.

What is the Win or Refund Guarantee?

If you submit 2 complete applications using Grant Search US and neither is awarded, we'll give you a full refund on your subscription. No questions asked. We're that confident in the platform's ability to help you win funding.

Can nonprofits use Grant Search US?

Absolutely. We have the largest collection of 501(c)(3) nonprofit grants on the platform — from major foundations like MacArthur, Walton, and Ford, to federal programs through HRSA, ACF, and AmeriCorps. Our eligibility filters let you instantly narrow to grants open to nonprofits.

How does the Proposal Evaluator work?

After drafting your application, the Proposal Evaluator scores your entire proposal A–F on a 100-point scale. It identifies strengths, areas to improve, missing sections, and eligibility flags — giving you a professional critique before you submit, so you can maximize your chances of winning.

What is Grant Audit Pro (Bring Your Own Grant)?

Grant Audit Pro lets you upload any existing grant draft — even from grants not in our database. Our AI analyzes it against professional grant-writing standards, provides a 6-person expert panel review, identifies winning patterns, and gives you specific revisions. It costs a fraction of hiring a professional grant writer.

How often is the grant database updated?

Our grant database syncs daily from federal sources (Grants.gov, NIH, NSF, SBA, USDA), state portals, major foundation websites, and curated nonprofit funding directories. New grants are added every day, and we automatically close expired listings.

What is GrantSearchUS?

An AI-powered platform to discover industry-specific grants, automate application drafting, and simplify your submission process.

A two-person STEM education nonprofit with zero grant writing experience used AI eligibility checking, the Expert Review Panel, and the Budget Builder to win a $180,000 National Science Foundation grant — expanding their coding bootcamp to 4 new schools.

Case Study: From Zero Grant Experience to $180K NSF Award

The Organization

A two-person STEM education nonprofit based in South-Central Texas. Their mission: bring coding bootcamps to underserved middle and high school students. They had passionate volunteers, a proven pilot program, and zero grant writing experience.

The Challenge

The National Science Foundation's STEM Education Expansion Grant had a 6-week deadline. The team had never written a federal grant. Their previous attempts at local foundation grants had been rejected — mostly for lacking measurable outcomes and a sustainability plan.

The Approach

Step 1: AI Eligibility Check

The team used Grant Search US's AI Eligibility Checker to score their fit against the NSF RFP. The checker flagged three areas where their org profile was weak:

Evaluation Plan: They had no measurable outcomes.
Sustainability: No plan for continuing the program after the grant period.
Budget Justification: Their pilot budget was too vague.

Step 2: Narrative Studio

Using the Narrative Studio, the team drafted responses to each NSF section. The AI suggested structuring their need statement around local school district data — which they pulled from public records using the platform's funder intelligence tools.

Step 3: Expert Review Panel

Before submission, the Expert Review Panel (6 AI reviewers simulating NSF reviewers) caught three critical logic gaps:

Their evaluation plan didn't include a control group.
Their budget didn't justify the indirect cost rate.
Their sustainability plan relied on future grants — a red flag for NSF.

The team fixed all three issues in a single afternoon.

Step 4: Budget Builder

The AI Budget Builder generated a line-item budget with a 12% indirect rate (NSF's standard for nonprofits), personnel costs, and a 3-year sustainability projection.

The Result

The proposal scored in the top 12% of NSF submissions. The program officer specifically cited their clear measurable outcomes and realistic sustainability plan as standout factors.

Award: $180,000 over 3 years Time to complete: 4 hours of active drafting (spread over 2 weeks) Tools used: Eligibility Checker, Narrative Studio, Expert Review Panel, Budget Builder

Key Takeaways

Fix the weak spots first. The AI eligibility check told them exactly where their proposal was vulnerable — before they spent hours writing.
Simulate the reviewers. The Expert Review Panel caught issues that would have caused a rejection — for a fraction of the cost of a human consultant.
Budget matters. A justified, line-item budget with a standard indirect rate signals professionalism to federal reviewers.

"A two-person nonprofit with zero grant writing experience. The Expert Review Panel caught three logic gaps before submission. After fixing them, we won $180K — enough to expand our coding bootcamp to 4 new schools." — Co-founder

Results are not typical. Individual results vary based on effort, grant fit, proposal quality, and funder discretion. Grant success is never guaranteed.

How a 2-Person Nonprofit Won a $180K NSF Grant in 4 Hours