You may be eligible for low income grants and assistance programs that you’ve never even heard of before. We’ve been researching low income assistance programs for years and we’ve found tons of programs that may be able to help you!
Are these low income grants scams?
II wouldn’t blame you for thinking this is too good to be true. After all, scams are everywhere, right?
That’s why I spend so much time on research. All of the information we present is fact-checked and verified. I know there are a lot of scammers out there, but we do our best to make sure that we only present information that is factual, reliable and actually helpful. So, if you like accurate and honest resources, be sure to subscribe to our email list!
How to Get Low Income Grants
Without further ado, let’s go over seven ways that you can get low income grants and assistance. You can try for one of these grants or all of them, depending on your individual needs and circumstances.
Modest Needs
Modest Needs is one of my favorite go-to resources. Modest Needs provides short-term financial assistance to people who are dealing with a temporary emergency, like an unexpected car repair, medical bill, or sickness. Modest Needs understands that most working people are just one or two missed paychecks away from catastrophe, so they do their best to help.
Grants from Modest Needs have no strings attached and they never have to be repaid. You never have to pay a fee to apply, either. Their only request is that you say thank you to the donors who made it possible for you to receive the help you needed.
ModestNeeds can help you with many different expenses. Usually, they help when there is an unexpected emergency or extenuating circumstance. These could include things like emergency car repairs, medical bills, major appliance replacements, tools or uniforms so you can start a new job, funeral costs for a family member, that sort of thing. They cannot assist you with legal fees, tax payments, child support payments, groceries, gas, payday loan payments, or credit card debt.
So how do you get help from Modest Needs? It’s actually very easy. You’ll need to register an account on their website, click the Apply for Help Now button and complete the application. It’s easy and free to register – in fact, it takes less than five minutes. The application takes about 20 minutes to complete.
We have a guide that will show you how ModestNeeds works.
Make a Netwish
Netwish is a little interesting. This site is funded by a wealthy Philadelphia businessman who anonymously blesses low income families across America. In order to keep you safe from scams, Netwish will never call you and never ask for bank details. If the organization decides to fill your wish, they will mail you gift cards and prepaid debit cards through regular postal mail. They will not do any electronic deposits.
To make a Netwish, you must go to Netwish.org and fill out a basic form. You’ll need to submit your name, email address, street address and explain your wish. You should be specific about why you need assistance, clearly explaining what you need and why.
Of course, they receive far more wishes than they can possibly fill… but they do their best. To give yourself the best chance of getting your Netwish filled, be sure to check out our GoFundMe tips for advice on how to craft a compelling story for your application. I know that Netwish isn’t the same thing as GoFundMe, but some of those principles of storytelling still apply.
Guaranteed Income Programs
Guaranteed income programs are a great way to get consistent cash grants to help you with your financial hardships. There are currently guaranteed income pilots happening all over the United States.
These programs are administered locally and each program sets its own rules, payment schedule and more. Some programs are distributing $500 per month to eligible participants, others send $1,000 or more. It just really depends on what your local program is doing… and that’s why it’s so complicated.
Find your local guaranteed income program.
Gradient Gives Back
The Gradient Gives Back Foundation is a nonprofit that helps people across America pay their mortgage or lease payments when they’re struggling financially.
This organization is based in Minnesota but has helped people in many different states, including Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
The organization has been featured in nationwide news outlets, including ABC News Now and Fox News Channel, so I think they’re fairly trustworthy. Apply for assistance on their website.
If you need help with housing costs, don’t forget these other housing assistance options!
Healthywell Foundation
Healthywell Foundation may be able to help you when your health insurance is not enough to cover your medical costs. In order to be eligible, you must have an income that is below 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, you must have some form of insurance (even if it’s Medicare or Medicaid), and you must be being treated in the United States for a disease that they currently cover. They have a long list of eligible diseases on their website. At the time this video was created, there were 26 eligible diagnosis. If you are eligible, you can apply for assistance on their website.
Homebuyer Grants
There are many programs that offer homebuyer grants to low income homebuyers. These grant programs are offered by community organizations, banks, and other sources – and there are simply too many to list in this post. If I tried, we’d be here all day. So I’ll just talk about a few.
The Homeownership Across Texas, or HAT, Grant is available to low income residents in Texas. The grant can cover up to 5% of the amount of the mortgage loan, and the HAT Grant never has to be repaid.
In New York City, the HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program can provide up to $100,000 toward the down payment or closing costs on a home, condo or coop in New York City.
There are programs like this in every state so if you have a dream of someday owning your own home, look for low income homebuyer grants in your state.
Grants for Specific Needs
Of course, there are many other grant programs that offer assistance with specific needs. We’ve found grants that can help you with housing, food, utilities, health care costs, dental costs, transportation and so much more. Check the grants directory here.
Nicole Thelin
Nicole is the founder and lead researcher of Low Income Relief. After a personal experience with poverty and homelessness following her husband's sudden medical discharge from the U.S. Army, Nicole discovered the life-changing impact of community resources. This experience ignited her passion for empowering others to navigate similar crises. Nicole launched her writing career at age 16, working for various newspapers and publications. Her commitment to in-depth research and accessible content has been recognized by Google for Publishers and other industry leaders. For over 20 years, she has applied her investigative skills to uncover the most helpful, up-to-date information on benefits programs and community resources, ensuring Low Income Relief maintains the most extensive resource databases available.