Where to Find Payroll Grants?

Are you seeking grants for payroll? If so, you should read this first. If you are new to grants, you will quickly discover that the majority of grants will not fund payroll expenses. In fact, funders usually list wages, salaries, rent, debt and other overhead costs or general operating expenses as items that are ineligible for funding. So where does that leave you?

While payroll grants are nearly impossible to find, they do exist! However, they are often very specific when it comes to location and eligibility criteria. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, there are currently more payroll grants than usual that are available. But these won’t last long! There has been a steady decline in payroll-related grants available. Below we’ve included grants currently listed on GrantWatch for payroll.

Payroll Grants You Don’t Have to Pay Back:

1. Minority-owned for-profit food establishments based in Chicago can apply for payroll grants.
2. Organizations within Montgomery County can apply for grants of up to $100,000 to help pay salaries.
3. Qualifying businesses in St Louis, Missouri, can request grants of $5,000 to help with payroll.
4. There are grants for California small businesses in eligible locations for a range of expenses, including utilities and rent, payroll, overhead expenses, inventory, PPE, and capacity-building activities.
5. Grants of $10,000 to eligible libraries at IHEs for payroll and other operational assistance.

As an alternative to grants, you could also consider applying for a loan. Unlike a grant, you do need to pay back a loan. However, in some cases, certain loans may be forgivable. It is essential to read the full details before applying.

General Operating Grants & Loans:

1. Women and minority-owned businesses in Kalamazoo, Michigan, can apply for loans of up to $50,000 to provide capacity-building support.
2. Eligible New Jersey businesses in Trenton can apply for loans of up to $20,000 for payroll and other operational support.
3. Grants to Minnesota and North Dakota arts and cultural nonprofits in specific counties for supporting general operations.
4. Funding of up to $30,000 is available to California arts nonprofits, government agencies, and tribes for expenses associated with general operations. 
5. Grants are also available to Massachusetts for-profit and nonprofit employers for training and workforce development programs for newly hired and incumbent full-time and part-time workers.

Other Options:

If you are determined to seek more grants, you may need to think outside the box. You could search for Capital Funding opportunities. In addition, grants are also frequently available for workplace training and workforce development.

Otherwise, we strongly recommend searching for grants that can fund your organization’s programs, projects and/or other services. By locating funding for your programming needs or projects, it will free up your funds to help cover payroll expenses.

Looking for grants? With close to 8,000 grants currently available, GrantWatch.com is the leading grant listing directory. Upgrade to a MemberPlus+ subscription to view full grant details, including eligibility criteria and application information. For more information, you can also visit the GrantWatch FAQ page, and to see the great value with the top 20 GrantWatch features, click here.