Free Money and Free Help You Are Probably Not Using
Aug 4, 2026 · 4 min read
Every week I talk to someone paying for something they could get free.
Your local workforce board
Federally funded career centers offer free coaching, free training vouchers, and job placement help. Look yours up in the Community & Government Resources section.
SCORE mentoring
Free, ongoing, one-on-one mentoring from people who have run businesses. You can request a mentor in your industry and switch if it is not a fit.
SBA planning tools
If you are starting something, the SBA business plan tool is better than most paid templates — and lenders already recognize its structure.
None of this requires a pitch or a credential. It requires filling out a form and showing up.
Related resources from the hub
Tagged Community & Government Resources — these go with what you just read.
Summer Search — Apply
Application page for Summer Search, a nonprofit that pairs students from low-income backgrounds with a professional mentor and paid-for summer experiences through college. Students apply as high school sophomores at partner schools in the SF Bay Area, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Seattle; the program is free.
Vanderbilt Frist Center for Autism and Innovation: Neurodiversity at Work Resources
The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt University maintains this resource hub for employers and job seekers interested in neuroinclusive workplaces. It gathers tip sheets on managing autistic employees, the Neurodiversity @ Work and Autism @ Work playbooks developed with Disability:IN and University of Washington researchers, a six-module self-paced neurodiversity curriculum, profiles of companies with neurodiversity hiring programs such as Microsoft, SAP, EY, and JPMorgan Chase, and a section of resources for job seekers on preparing for employment. All materials are free to access.
Disability:IN Learning & Development
Disability:IN's learning and development hub collects the organization's disability-inclusion programs in one place. It includes the NextGen Leaders Program, which connects emerging talent and veterans with disabilities to mentorship and career-connected development with partner companies; DOBE certification for disability-owned businesses; Veterans Initiatives for career development pathways; and digital learning modules on accessibility, neuroinclusion, and disability-inclusive AI. The page also links to free Microsoft courses on AI and accessibility. Membership and certification programs are aimed at companies; the learning modules and program pages are free to browse.