Grant News

By Chris LaPage, Chief Services Officer, & Ashley Schultz, Manager of Community Engagement

For grant professionals, the start of a new federal fiscal year usually brings a familiar sense of déjà vu. We track the process from the President’s initial budget announcement through Congress’s final vote, anxiously anticipating when federal agencies will finally open their competitive and allocation grant cycles.  

However, the 2026 funding landscape will be built upon a vastly different process from previous years. This year’s budgetary cycle was paralyzed by the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and further complicated by aggressive executive realignments. Navigating these legislative delays requires grantseekers to cut through the headline noise and pinpoint the actual drivers that will impact their grant funding pipeline. Ultimately, the most successful organizations will be those ready to identify emerging priorities and adapt their programmatic strategies to the realities of the current administration.

This article will outline the major federal budgetary updates from 2026, breaking down how these shifts impact the grantseeking landscape. For more targeted insights, please refer to our sectorspecific breakdowns available throughout this issue.

Navigating the Grant Landscape Under a New Administration

What Recent Executive Orders and the Review of Federal Financial Assistance Mean for You

**This is a comprehensive blog that covers the key developments, implications, and strategies for grant seekers navigating the landscape of federal financial assistance under the new Administration. Updates to this blog will continue to be made as the situation develops. Blog last updated on March 24, 2026, at 2:47 pm ET**

This blog explores how executive orders and an ongoing review of federal financial assistance under the new Administration are reshaping the grant landscape. It highlights key developments affecting eligibility, compliance, and funding priorities, outlines the potential implications for grant seekers across sectors, and provides strategies to help organizations adapt and remain competitive in securing federal support. With policy changes still unfolding, the blog serves as a living resource that will continue to be updated as new guidance and opportunities emerge.

Congressionally directed spending (also known as community project funding or earmarks) are line items in the United States federal budget specifically requested by individual legislators. There was a 10-year moratorium on these appropriations, but that ran out in 2021. Proponents of congressionally directed spending argue that it creates a more transparent appropriation process and enables local jurisdictions to more directly request and receive funds for their specific needs. Others believe that congressionally directed spending is wasteful or corrupt. Regardless of how you feel about this type of funding, they are a part of the current federal funding landscape and should be considered carefully when looking for support for your project.

In this article, we will explore the fiscal year 2024 congressionally directed spending landscape. We will evaluate where the funds are going and what types of projects they are predominantly funding. We will also reflect on where we are in the fiscal year 2025 funding congressionally directed spending process.

Last month marked the start of the U.S. federal Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) new set of rules directing the majority of federal grantmaking to nonprofits; education institutions; state, local, or tribal government agencies; and others. These rules, colloquially known as the Uniform Guidance, were first established in December 2013. Originally a consolidation of several federal rulemaking circulars, the Uniform Guidance’s policies have been periodically adjusted over the last 20 years. The most recent of these updates took effect on October 1, 2024.

When browsing through Grants.gov, you find a grant perfectly aligned with what your organization is trying to accomplish. Say you work in a university's criminal justice program and want to research police practices. You find a seemingly perfect grant, but as you read the eligibility…" Only applicants that received an official invitation letter from NIJ are able and eligible to apply." This "invitation-only" status is a common frustration for grant seekers. So, how do you crack that elusive list and get your foot in the door?

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 provides payments to states for activities to improve the administration of elections for Federal office, including enhancing election technology and making election security improvements. Consistent with the requirements of HAVA, states may use this funding to

•     Replace voting equipment that only records a voter’s intent electronically with equipment that utilizes a voter-verified paper record.
•     Implement a post-election audit system that provides a high level of confidence in the accuracy of the final vote tally.
•     Upgrade election  related computer systems to address cyber vulnerabilities identified through Department of Homeland Security, or similar scans or assessments of, existing election systems.
•     Facilitate cybersecurity training for the state chief election official’s office and local election officials.
•     Implement established cybersecurity best practices for election systems; and
•     Fund other activities that will improve the security of elections for the Federal office, including physical security services and social media threat monitoring.