The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance - Starting Point for Federal Government Grants

By Michael Saunders

If you are interested in researching federal government grant opportunities, a great place to start is the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance is a government-wide collection of Federal services and activities, including programs and projects that provide benefits or assistance to residents of the United States. The catalog non-financial and financial assistance programs managed by departments and other entities within the Federal government.

In 1984, Public Law 98-169 authorized the transfer of responsibilities of the Federal Program Information Act from the Office of Management and Budget to the General Services Administration. The transfer took place in July 1984. These responsibilities include the dissemination of Federal domestic assistance program information through the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act, Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law 98-169.

Responsibility for the database of Federal assistance lies with the GSA. The Office of Management and Budget interfaces with the range of Federal agencies on behalf of the GSA delivering the required oversight to the program data related to domestic assistance.

As the basic reference source of Federal programs, the primary purpose of the Catalog is to assist users in identifying programs that meet specific objectives of the potential applicant, and to obtain general information on Federal assistance programs. In addition, the intent of the Catalog is to improve coordination and communication between the Federal government and State and local governments.

The Catalog provides the user with access to programs administered by Federal departments and agencies in a single publication. Program information is cross referenced by functional classification (Functional Index), subject (Subject Index), applicant (Applicant Index), deadline(s) for program application submission (Deadlines Index), and authorizing legislation (Authorization Index). These are valuable resource tools that, if used carefully, can make it easier to identify specific areas of program interest more efficiently.

Since its inception the General Services Administration has produced a printed edition of the CFDA. Legislation dating back to 1977 required free dissemination of the Catalog to designated recipients. In 2003 the General Services Administration distributed almost 10,000 copies of the Catalog.

Current legislation, however, authorizes GSA to determine in what form to prepare and publish the Catalog. Consistent with the Administration's Electronic-Government initiatives, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act, and a move to a paper free environment, GSA will now disseminate the Catalog electronically through the CFDA website on the Internet. As a result, effective immediately, General Services Administration will no longer print and distribute free copies of the Catalog.

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