Many ex-felons leave prison wondering what their lives will be like on the outside. They are aware that finding employment will not be easy. Happily, for those who have a desire to produce their particular employment opportunities there are numerous government grants for felons for. Some government agencies offering felon grants make it easy by letting you apply online.
The US Department of Labor in 2012 declared that it was making $20.5 million in grant funds (http://www.loop21.com/politics/obama-administration-20-million-ex-felon-grants) available to assist in providing employment opportunities for ex-prisoners. This is done through the Reintegration of ex-Offenders plan. Section 171 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (https://www.cfda.gov/?s=programdanmode=formdantab=step1danid=d69e451fa19934ebad489717f68f3b27) allows for funding to develop plans for job training, mentoring, basic skills training and other services to help youths and young offenders in getting back into the workforce. You have to be at least 18 years old and sentenced as an adult to take advantage of the program. The offense you were imprisoned for must be one that violated state and or federal laws, and like many similar programs, sex-offenders cannot benefit. The program doesn\`t offer direct employment.
The Houston-based Prison Entrepreneurship Program (http://www.prisonentrepreneurship.org/who/) helps to connect ex-prisons with sources of financing to begin or develop businesses. The nonprofit additionally provides mentoring for former prisoners and training opportunities. Some church-based organizations also assist ex-prisoners with modest grants for starting a small business as well as providing company mentoring and guidance programs.
Angel Investors/Informal Investor
Some felons will even be able to convince business investors to give them an opportunity to demonstrate that they\`ll begin and run a successful business. It may be somewhat difficult for an ex-felon to locate angel investors, but companies and some people will take a chance should you sell your thought and yourself well. Similar to angel investors, some family members and even friends will assist with loans that will help you begin a business to get back into mainstream society. It could be more challenging as a former prisoner to get a loan, however, the SBA states that it does not discriminate so it\`s worth a try.
Every state has different systems set up, thus check the Bureau of Justice Assistance regarding how you are able to profit under this particular program for more information.
The National Re-Entry Resource Center (http://nationalreentryresourcecenter.com/) is another source of information for felons who desire help and guidance when they are released from prison. The Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html) website is also worth investigating for opportunities.
To improve your chances when applying for any kind of grant, you must have certain things in place. While you might not need everything, it makes sense to keep the following in mind:
Ensure that you know the program process
Have your paperwork prepared, this includes identification documents, proof of address etc.
business grants convicted felons
Have a clear outline of what it is you intend to do if you\`re applying for a business loan.
Proof of tax returns
Hunting online will supply links to websites and newsgroups with info that may help ex-prisoners. One site that\`s popular among ex-prisoners and their family members is penitentiary conversation (http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/links/0).
Educational Grants
Because it\`s hard for some ex-felons to get small business loans and grants, they are able to also consider educational grants. With these grants, they can get training in particular fields that will help them start their very own company.
For a lot of ex-prisoners, the very best alternatives available for self-sustainability are through self-employment. SCORE (http://www.score.org/onlineworkshops/tab-a) is also another means of gaining information to help start and run a successful company through their free webinars.
Their mentorship system is, in addition, invaluable as a way of business support and guidance. On top of that, SCORE\`s mentorship program also contains face to face interaction.
While it can not be easy, ex-felons could also apply for grants which are not expressly designed for them. It can be difficult to get some of those grants, but it is not impossible. Many bureaus provide you with the grant to help you make a new start in life and will look beyond your criminal past.
For anybody who received any business grants for felons and successfully applied for, it makes sense to talk to a lawyer or accountant for guidance. Talking to other company owners is just another good strategy to get information on the best way to achieve success.
Read more : federal grants for convicted felons
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