Dear Alexander,

One of my privileges serving as your Congresswoman is providing assistance with federal agencies. Recently, many federal agencies have announced funding opportunities for local governments, nonprofit organizations, and individuals. Listed below are some of the new grant opportunities including funding for community violence intervention, public safety, and to address veteran homelessness.

Don’t see an opportunity that fits your needs? Check back next month for new opportunities from funding agencies or feel free to contact my office at 470-773-6330 if you would like any assistance.

I’m always interested in helping you with your grant application. To request a letter of support for your grant application, please visit https://mcbath.house.gov/grant-applications.

Consumer Product Safety Commission

POOL SAFELY GRANT PROGRAM (PSGP)

• Closing Date: April 30, 2023
• Description: The Pool Safely Grant Program funding opportunity assists states, local governments, and Native American Tribal Governments in implementing enforcement and education programs to prevent the drowning and drain entrapment of children in pools and spas.
• Eligibility: State governments, City or township governments, County governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)

Department of Agriculture

Farmers Market Promotion Program

• Closing Date: May 2, 2023 
• Description: FMPP funds projects that develop, coordinate, and expand direct producer-to-consumer markets to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. The program focuses on:  Supporting and promoting domestic direct producer-to-consumer (including direct producer-to-retail, direct producer-to-restaurant, and direct producer-to-institutional marketing) marketing such as farmers markets, roadside stands, agritourism activities, community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, or online sales; Encouraging the development of value-added agricultural products; Developing marketing strategies for producers of local food and value-added products;  Facilitating regional food chain coordination development; Promoting new business opportunities and marketing strategies to reduce on-farm food waste;  Responding to changing technology needs in direct producer-to-consumer marketing; and Covering expenses related to costs incurred in obtaining food safety certification and improvements to food safety practices and equipment. 
• Eligibility: Agricultural businesses and cooperatives, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) networks and associations, Food Councils, Economic development corporations, Local governments, Nonprofit and public benefit corporations, Producer networks or associations, Regional farmers’ market authorities, Tribal governments

Department of Housing and Urban Development 

Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program - Update and Reissue

• Closing Date: May 2, 2023
• Description: The purpose of the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction (LHR) grant program is to maximize the number of children under the age of six protected from lead poisoning by assisting states, cities, counties/parishes, Native American Tribes or other units of local government in undertaking comprehensive programs to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible privately-owned rental or owner-occupied housing populations. In addition, there is Healthy Homes Supplemental funding available that is intended to enhance the lead-based paint hazard control activities by comprehensively identifying and addressing other housing hazards that affect occupant health.
• Eligibility: Only cities, counties/parishes, and other units of local government, and certain States and Native American Tribes (those that have an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency- (EPA) authorized lead abatement certification program on the submission deadline) are eligible applicants. Multiple entities may apply as a consortium, including nonprofit co-applicants, provided an eligible entity is the principal (lead) applicant responsible for ensuring compliance with NOFO requirements, and each entity must meet the Resolution of Civil Rights Matters threshold requirement. If your department or agency does not report directly or through a direct chain of command to your jurisdiction’s chief executive officer (governor, county executive, mayor, etc.), you must identify the specific statute(s) (e.g., 1 MyState Revised Code 2345) establishing it as a part of the government, and either attach the relevant wording, or include the specific freely accessible web address(es) in the application. An applicant with at least 3,500 pre-1940 occupied rental housing units (either alone or through a consortium) may apply under the Highest Lead-Based Paint Abatement Needs grants category for up to $8,000,000.  An applicant that would be a first-time grantee or whose previous lead hazard control grant ended two (2) or more years before the deadline may request up to $4,000,000. An applicant whose previous grant ended less than two (2) years ago may request up to $5,000,000 (Other Jurisdictions). An applicant requesting funding under the Highest Lead-Based Paint Abatement Needs category that does not meet the applicable criteria will be put into the general applicant’s pool and the requested amount lowered to the maximum for the category under which they are assigned, i.e., $4,000,000 or $5,000,000, as above, if the requested funding exceeded the applicable maximum. An applicant that is eligible for a grant under the Areas with the Highest Lead-Based Paint Abatement Needs grant category may choose to apply under the Other Jurisdictions category instead. 2020 and 2021 Lead Hazard Reduction grant awardees and 2022 Round 1 Lead Hazard Reduction grant awardees are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.

Department of Health and Human Services

Community Economic Development Projects

• Closing Date: May 8, 2023 
• Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS) will solicit applications to award approximately $12.3 million in Community Economic Development (CED) discretionary grant funds to Community Development Corporations (CDC) for well-planned, financially viable, and innovative projects to enhance job creation and business development for individuals with low income. CED grants will be made as part of a broader strategy to address objectives such as decreasing dependency on federal programs, chronic unemployment, and community deterioration in urban and rural areas. CED projects are expected to actively recruit individuals with low income to fill the positions created by CED-funded development activities, to assist those individuals in successfully maintaining employment, and to ensure that the businesses and jobs created remain viable for at least one year after the grant period.  CED projects can be non-construction or construction projects, however, short-term construction jobs associated with preparing for business startup or expansion are not counted when determining the number of jobs created under the CED program as those jobs are temporary in nature.  OCS encourages applicants to target rural and underserved areas in states with current projects. Furthermore, OCS encourages potential applicants to explore how proposed projects can be aligned and/or integrated with other OCS-funded programs and priorities to more comprehensively address the needs of rural and urban communities with high rates of poverty, unemployment, and substance use disorder, as well as communities experiencing persistent poverty, as identified by US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service.
• Eligibility: To be eligible for the CED program, an applicant must meet three conditions: 1. Applicant must be a private, non-profit CDC with 501(c)(3) status; 2. Applicant must have articles of incorporation or bylaws demonstrating that the CDC has, as a principal purpose, the planning, developing, or managing of low-income housing or community economic development activities; and 3. The Board of Directors must have representation from each of the following: community residents, business leaders, and civic leaders. Note: The CDC designation does not need to be specified on any official documents as long as the three requirements stated above are met. Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity. Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, subject to the protections and requirements of 45 CFR Part 87 and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., ACF will not, in the selection of recipients, discriminate against an organization on the basis of the organization's religious character, affiliation, or exercise.

Mental Health Awareness Training Grants

• Closing Date: May 1, 2023
• Description: The purpose of this program is to: (1) train individuals (e.g., school personnel and emergency services personnel including fire department and law enforcement personnel, veterans, armed services members and their families, etc.) to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders and how to safely de-escalate crisis situations involving individuals with a mental illness and (2) provide education on resources available in the community for individuals with a mental illness and other relevant resources, including how to establish linkages with school and/or community-based mental health agencies. With this program, SAMHSA aims to increase the number of individuals prepared and trained on how to respond to individuals with mental disorders appropriately and safely. In accordance with Executive Order 14074, this program will help build secure, safe, and healthy communities; reinforce partnership between law enforcement and communities; and increase public trust and enhance public safety
• Eligibility: Eligible applicants are States and Territories, including the District of Columbia, political subdivisions of States, Indian tribes, or tribal organizations (as such terms are defined in section 5304 of title 25), and non-profit private entities.

Department of Justice

FY23 Microgrants-Community Policing Development Solicitation

• Closing Date: May 1, 2023
• Description: Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as violent crime, nonviolent crime, and fear of crime. Community Policing Development (CPD) Microgrants funds are used to develop the capacity of law enforcement to implement community policing strategies by providing guidance on promising practices through the development and testing of innovative strategies; building knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; and supporting new, creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities. The COPS Office is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and build trust between law enforcement and the community.CPD Microgrants program funds are used to develop law enforcement’s capacity to implement community policing strategies by providing funding to local, state, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies. When properly applied, community policing improves the identification and prioritization of community problems; builds trust and relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve; and enables an agency to build a culture toward accountability, transparency, open communication, and mutual trust. Applicants are invited to propose demonstration or pilot projects to be implemented in their agency offering creative ideas that advance crime fighting, community engagement, problem solving, or organizational changes in support of community policing in one of five engagement areas: (1) community violence intervention, (2) officer recruitment and retention and workforce diversification, (3) hate crimes and domestic extremism, (4) underserved populations, or (5) building trust and legitimacy with the community. The COPS Office encourages law enforcement agencies to partner nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, community groups, youth groups, and faith-based organizations to facilitate organized dialogues that bring together community members and law enforcement officers so that they may collaborate to develop shared goals that will enhance the collective safety of the community. The dialogues should include diverse groups of community members, local elected officials, law enforcement leaders and officers, business leaders, and community members, including youth groups, to assess the state of police-community relations in States and local communities.  The COPS Office also encourages agencies to consider evidence-based practices or evaluation components based on the type of activities. If proposing to implement a pre-existing program (such as Police Athletic Leagues, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Explorers, or Coffee with a Cop), the applicant will need to justify how their replication is innovative or builds on prior program success. Under this solicitation, the COPS Office will fund projects in the following subcategories: Community Violence Intervention, Officer Recruitment and Retention and Workforce Diversification, Hate Crimes and Domestic Extremism, Underserved Populations, Building Trust and Legitimacy with the Community
• Eligibility: This solicitation is open to all local, state, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies. To advance Executive Order 13929 Safe Policing for Safe Communities, as of October 28, 2020, the Attorney General determined that all state, local, and university or college law enforcement agencies must be certified by an approved independent credentialing body or have started the certification process to be allocated FY 2023 DOJ discretionary grant funding, either as a recipient or a subrecipient. For detailed information on this new certification requirement, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/SafePolicingEO.

FY23 Implementing Crisis Intervention Teams-Community Policing Development Solicitation

• Closing Date: May 1, 2023
• Description: Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as violent crime, nonviolent crime, and fear of crime. Community Policing Development (CPD) funds are used to develop the capacity of law enforcement to implement community policing strategies by providing guidance on promising practices through the development and testing of innovative strategies; building knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; and supporting new, creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities.The COPS Office is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and build trust between law enforcement and the community.Under this solicitation, the COPS Office seeks to support projects that allow for the identification and expansion of promising practices and produces knowledge products that follow the principles of good guidance: Quality-driven, with an emphasis on action statements to drive promising practices and reduce variations in performance; Evidence-based, with recommendations that are consistent with the weight of the best available evidence identified through systematic review; Accessible, with clear language and manageable lengths that are appropriate and relevant for the law enforcement field; Memorable, to encourage immediate actions or aid for the complex situations law enforcement professionals face.
• Eligibility: This solicitation is open to all local, state, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies. To advance Executive Order 13929 Safe Policing for Safe Communities, as of October 28, 2020, the Attorney General determined that all state, local, and university or college law enforcement agencies must be certified by an approved independent credentialing body or have started the certification process to be allocated FY 2023 DOJ discretionary grant funding, either as a recipient or a subrecipient. For detailed information on this new certification requirement, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/SafePolicingEO.

FY23 COPS Hiring Program

• Closing Date: May 4, 2023
• Description: The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by the nation’s state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources. The COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 136,000 officers. COPS Office information resources, covering a wide range of community policing topics such as school and campus safety, violent crime, and officer safety and wellness, can be downloaded via the COPS Office’s home page, www.cops.usdoj.gov. Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as nonviolent crime, violent crime, and fear of crime. The goal of the COPS Hiring Program (CHP) is to provide funding directly to law enforcement agencies to hire and/or rehire additional career law enforcement officers in an effort to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Anticipated outcomes of CHP awards include engagement in planned community partnerships, implementation of projects to analyze and assess problems, implementation of changes to personnel and agency management in support of community policing, and increased capacity of agency to engage in community policing activities. Applicants will be expected to describe their community policing strategy and request the number of newly hired and/or rehired full-time sworn career law enforcement officer positions necessary to support that strategy. COPS Office funding must be used to reorient the mission and activities of law enforcement agencies toward the community or enhance their involvement in community policing. FY 2023 CHP awards will cover up to 75 percent of the entry-level salary and fringe benefits for each approved position for a three-year funding period, based on the applicant’s current entry level salary levels for full-time officers. There is a minimum 25 percent local cash match (cost share) requirement unless a waiver is approved. The maximum federal share per officer position is $125,000 over the three-year period, (not $125,00 per year) unless a local match waiver is approved. Any additional costs for higher than entry-level salaries and fringe benefits will be the responsibility of the recipient agency. Note: the local match requirement may be higher than 25%.  For example, if salary and fringe for an entry-level officer totals $190,000 over three years, the CHP award will only cover $125,000 and the recipient agency will be responsible for the remaining amount:  $65,000 or 34% of the $190,000 award, unless a local match waiver is granted. Funding under this program will support three years of officer or deputy salaries within a five-year period of performance to accommodate time needed for recruitment and hiring. Agencies must retain each CHP-funded position for a minimum of 12 months following the three years of funding for that position. The additional officer positions should be added to your agency’s law enforcement budget with state and/or local funds over and above the number of locally funded officer positions that would have existed in the absence of the award. Absorbing CHP-funded positions through attrition (rather than adding the extra positions to your budget with additional funding) does not meet the retention requirement.
• Eligibility: City or township governments, Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification), County governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), State governments, Additional Information on Eligibility: Eligible applicants are limited to local, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies that have primary law enforcement authority.

BJA FY 23 Office of Justice Programs Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative

• Closing Date: May 18, 2023
• Description: OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. OJP’s Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) seeks to prevent and reduce violent crime in communities by supporting comprehensive, evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs. These programs include efforts to address gang and gun violence, based on partnerships among community residents, local government agencies, victim service providers, community-based organizations, law enforcement, hospitals, researchers, and other community stakeholders. BJA is administering OJP’s CVIPI, working in partnership with OJJDP and OVC. This collaborative approach will help ensure jurisdictions have access to expertise to address community violence that involves youth, young adults, and adults, both as the individuals responsible for perpetrating this violence and those who are victims of it. Awards made under this solicitation may be managed by BJA, OJJDP, or OVC, depending on the nature of the funded project.
• Eligibility: State governments, County governments, Private institutions of higher education, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), For profit organizations other than small businesses, Special district governments, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

Department of Labor

Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP), Incarcerated Veterans’ Transition Program (IVTP), and the Homeless Women Veterans' and Homeless Veterans' with Children Reintegration Grant Program (HWVHVWC) (referred to collectively as HVRP)

• Closing Date: March 30, 2023
• Description: The intent of HVRP, an employment-focused competitive Federal grant program, is to enable America’s veterans to reach their full employment potential and obtain high-quality career outcomes for veterans experiencing homelessness. The Department encourages applicants to propose strategies to achieve economic prosperity, address historical inequities, and provide equitable access and outcomes to marginalized groups to meet the fluctuations in the population and changing needs of veterans experiencing homelessness, DOL/VETS requires grant recipients to provide an array of client-centered services utilizing a case management approach that directly assists homeless veterans and provides critical linkages to a variety of support services available in their local communities. The HVRP approach is focused on obtaining high-quality career outcomes for the veteran. Veterans are to receive the job training and employment services required to re-enter and be successful in the labor force. To realize long-term benefits for veterans experiencing homelessness, grant recipients must address the complex employment-related requirements and support services necessary to meet the needs of this population. This can be achieved either through direct services or through a robust referral system with established tools, resources, and partnerships to identify, recruit, prepare, and support veterans experiencing homelessness for employment success. Through one of these methods, grant recipients will provide job placement, job training, job development, career counseling, and resumé preparation services among other services to assist with obtaining high-quality career outcomes.The HVRP approach is focused on obtaining high-quality career outcomes for the veteran.  The HVRP grant prioritizes ensuring fair and equitable treatment for all workers, providing opportunities for marginalized communities and ensuring accessibility for underserved communities. Grant recipients will be better able to achieve more outcomes that are equitable for marginalized veterans by understanding the inequities that exist and by embedding equity into decision-making processes. Applicants are encouraged to address systemic and programmatic barriers that have created employment and economic inequities for historically marginalized populations, particularly Black, Latino, and Indigenous Native American persons, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; justice-impacted individuals, and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.
• Eligibility: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), State governments, County governments, Small businesses, City or township governments, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Special district governments

Department of Transportation

FY 2023 Competitive Funding Opportunity; Low or No Emission Vehicle Program

• Closing Date: April 13, 2023
• Description: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of approximately $1.22 billion in competitive grants under the Low or No Emission Grant Program (Low-No Program) for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, including acquisition, construction, and leasing of required supporting facilities. Synopses and full announcement will be posted on Grants.gov as opportunity FTA-2023-002-TPM-LWNO. Proposals must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov website by 11:59 PM Eastern Time April 13, 2023.
• Eligibility: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

Department of Veterans Affairs

Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program

• Closing Date: May 19, 2023
• Description: Congress has authorized $174 million to be appropriated to carry out the SSG Fox SPGP, a three-year community-based grant program that provides resources to community organizations serving certain Veterans and their families across the country. Organizations can apply for grants worth up to $750,000 and may apply to renew awards from year to year throughout the length of the program. VA may prioritize grant awards to organizations that focus on areas with limited access to medical services, in rural communities, on tribal lands, in U.S. territories, in areas with a high number or percentage of minority Veterans or women Veterans, or in areas with a high number or percentage of calls to the Veterans Crisis Line. Grants will be awarded to organizations that provide or coordinate suicide prevention services for eligible individuals at risk of suicide and their families that qualify, including:
• Outreach to identify those at risk of suicide
• Baseline mental health screening for risk (required of all grantees for participants ages 18+)
• Education on suicide risk and prevention to families and communities
• Provision of clinical services for emergency treatment
• Case management services
• Peer support services
• VA benefits assistance for eligible individuals and their families
• Assistance with obtaining and coordinating other benefits provided by the federal government, a state or local government, or an eligible entity
• Assistance with emergent needs relating to health care services, daily living services, personal financial planning and counseling, transportation services, temporary income support services, fiduciary and representative payee services, legal services to assist the eligible individual with issues that may contribute to the risk of suicide, and child care
• Nontraditional and innovative approaches and treatment practices, as determined appropriate by VA
• Other services necessary for improving the mental health status and well-being and reducing the suicide risk of eligible individuals and their families as VA determines appropriate
• Eligibility: State governments, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, City or township governments, County governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

National Endowment for the Humanities

Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants: Capital Projects

• Closing Date: May 17, 2023
• Description: The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Office of Challenge Programs is accepting applications for Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants: Capital Projects. This program supports the purchase, design, construction, restoration, or renovation of buildings or sites of national, historical, architectural, or cultural significance and facilities that house humanities collections or are used for humanities activities. Projects are financed through a combination of federal matching funds and related fundraising from nonfederal third parties. Proposals must enhance the institution’s long-term impact on the humanities and build on careful strategic planning.
• Eligibility: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), County governments, City or township governments, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Special district governments, State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education

Thank you for taking the time to read these updates. It is an honor to represent you in Washington.