By C. Hope Clark – I forget that new writers enter the profession daily, and I’m most reminded when a slew of them write me after seeing FundsforWriters.com for the first time. The first thing they see is GRANTS, and that throws their fledgling minds into overdrive, wondering how they can find some generous grant provider to offer money to a new writer. It’s like rumors that some government agency will pay off your mortgage or write off your debt. In writing, nobody offers you a free lunch. You pay for that lunch. You can hope for a coupon here and there, or a free sandwich if you buy a coke, but nobody is going to offer lunch for free. Let’s look at grants. Why do grants exist? Nobody cares about that, but grants have missions, too. Grants have specific purposes, and providing money to people who don’t have it isn’t the leading purpose. It’s more about what someone wants to do with that money that matters. 1) They are created to fill an identified need. 2) They are created to make a difference with humanity. 3) They must demonstrate to the world that the money they spend has done More