A few of the private foundation grants available include the AAUW Educational Foundation which was created by the American Association of University Women. They provide fellowships and private foundation grants to women working to obtain graduate degrees. The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon has produced the Swann Foundation Fellowship that gives up to $15,000 per year to MA or Ph.D. students completing their dissertation that focuses on the field of caricature and cartoon. The Bernard Osher Foundation has the Osher Reentry Scholarship Program that gives money to students pursuing their first bachelor's degree after a significant break in their studies.
Applying for private foundation grants can be challenging. However, it is a necessary process to go through if you want money for your education. After you have singled out a few private foundation grants that you would like to apply for, your first duty is to read all of the information they provide about the program. This is important because you want to make sure you meet the foundation's requirements for applying for the grant. The last thing you want is to put in hours of work filling out the application only to find out you are not eligible to receive it.
Fill out all the necessary paperwork for the grant. Most private foundation grants will require you to write an essay of some kind. They want to find out who you are, what goals you are trying to achieve, and whether or not you will put the money from their private foundation grants to good use. Take your time with the essay and put your best foot forward. Have the essay read by a trusted advisor to make sure it sounds good. Send the application to the correct department and then sit back and wait. Managers of private foundation grants have to sift through quite a few applications so it might be awhile before you get a response. However, it will be well worth the effort when you are able to apply that grant check towards your degree.