In my grant-writing class, I was given the opportunity to do something I didn't expect: write a grant proposal to fund my own research. The Foundation Center has a Grants for Individuals database. I am pretty sure it's not available for free. If you want to access it, you may need to find a university or public library that has a full subscription.
I write historical fiction and have plans for at least three research trips over the next year. When I searched for funding sources specifically for individuals doing historical research, I didn't find many. But there are plenty for authors. And lots for writers like me - not yet published older mommies. However, there are apparently a lot of us, so the competition is fierce. Once you apply, you have to wait a while to reapply for most of grants.
I compiled a list of the grants that I may apply for down the line once I actually get something impressive on my CV (besides my vast experience as a software developer/nerd, which doesn't help at all).
If anyone is interested, I can do some posts about the specific opportunities later (not just the ones for middle-aged mommy types of people). Have you ever thought about applying for a grant to fund your writing?
