Grant News

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 September 10, 2025, at 4:36 pm ET**

The federal grant landscape was upended early this year by the release of several Executive Orders and Memorandum M-25-13, a sweeping directive that temporarily halted financial assistance programs for a review process aligned with the new Presidential Administration’s policy priorities. While the Administration later rescinded some of these efforts with memorandum M-25-14, grant seekers across all sectors - including public agencies and nonprofits – still face a multitude of questions and uncertainty around the effect of the President’s Executive Orders on federal funding opportunities.

SUMMARY: This opportunity focuses on New York State’s healthcare facilities and optimizing their training capacity. The primary aim is to increase the healthcare workforce and provide the opportunity to improve facilities’ ability to support a capable, well-functioning, and highly skilled population of healthcare professionals. This program’s secondary aim is to train healthcare students or employees to become licensed or certified healthcare workers. The program can accommodate current, new, and/or future employees.  

Overview
The Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) is a cooperative agreement initiative led by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), within the Office of Preparedness. The program strengthens the health care delivery system's ability to save lives during emergencies that overwhelm routine health care and emergency response capabilities. As the primary federal funding source for health care system preparedness and response, HPP supports the development of Health Care Coalitions (HCCs) collaborative networks of health care, public health, and emergency management organizations. These public-private partnerships enhance coordination and readiness across communities. ASPR requires HPP recipients to prioritize investments in HCCs, establishing a strong foundation for national health care preparedness.

Overview
The Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) is a cooperative agreement initiative led by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), within the Office of Preparedness. The program strengthens the health care delivery system's ability to save lives during emergencies that overwhelm routine health care and emergency response capabilities. As the primary federal funding source for health care system preparedness and response, HPP supports the development of Health Care Coalitions (HCCs) collaborative networks of health care, public health, and emergency management organizations. These public-private partnerships enhance coordination and readiness across communities. ASPR requires HPP recipients to prioritize investments in HCCs, establishing a strong foundation for national health care preparedness.

SUMMARY: The purpose of the Lead 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 in homes with lead-based paint hazards being treated under the grant.

SUMMARY: The Legal Services for Veterans (LSV) program aims to increase access to legal services to eligible Veterans through the award of grant funds and by promoting Medical Legal Partnerships and VA-affiliated legal clinics throughout the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

By Amber Walker, Grants Development Associate (Healthcare & Human Services)

Hospitals and health systems of all sizes know that securing grant funding can be a crucial part of the ongoing growth of their organization. Healthcare needs are evolving, and securing financial support from foundations can help providers address those changing needs. Understanding the different funding avenues, the strategies needed to secure them, and the types of projects that attract funding can significantly improve the chances of receiving grant support.

Foundations are local, regional, or national in scope, often with different priorities, criteria, and grant award processes. Hospitals and healthcare systems seeking funding must carefully evaluate which foundations align with their goals, whether it is expanding direct services, investing in infrastructure, cyber security, medical research, or enhancing workforce development.

SUMMARY: The Hearst Foundations support well-established non-profit organizations that address important issues within the foundation's major areas of interest, which are: Education, Health, Culture, and Social Services.

By Marc Smithers, Grants Development Associate (Higher Education)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has consistently been one of the largest sources of federal grant funds and serves as the global leader in health research funding. Of its $47.7 billion budget in the fiscal year 2023, $34.9 billion was awarded across 58,951 grants to 2,743 organizations for biomedical research. For grantseekers that are either new to federal biomedical agencies or are simply looking to expand their scope of funding streams, a basic understanding of how NIH grants are applied for and awarded is an important first step in considering whether to pursue funding through this essential federal grant maker.

SUMMARY: Provides funding for a single, costly, specialized modern scientific instrument for use by biomedical researchers at academic and research institutions. The instrument can be purchased for individual institutional usage or shared-use arrangements. The instrument must be used for advanced biomedical research and/or clinical treatments.

By Dr. Liz Shay, Higher Education

Whether it is through conversations with one of our grants consultants, other grant-seeking efforts, or completely outside of the grants space, organizations often realize that they should consider collaborating with institutes of higher education. These partnerships can open additional avenues to pursue different types of projects and work towards your organization’s mission-driven goals in new ways. Grant makers often favor collaborative efforts as they are seen as having a larger impact on the money invested in the project.

Regardless of why you started considering collaborating with an institute of higher education, navigating these conversations can often seem intimidating or complex. This article is a guide to the basic information you need to feel confident in pursuing partnerships with institutions.

By Amber Walker, Grants Development Associate (Healthcare & Human Services)

As 2024 has ended, the state of hospital cybersecurity has come into focus. One thing is clear, hospitals are at an increased risk of cyber security attacks and attacks are getting more prevalent each year. Due to the nature of hospitals being technologyreliant, complex organizations with very sensitive personal data, they are especially vulnerable. The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights HIPAA Breach Reporting Tool website lists 677 major health data breaches in 2024.  These security breaches not only affected more than 182.4 million people in 2024, but they were also the cause of long-reaching IT outages across healthcare systems. Looking ahead, threats and security breaches are not expected to slow down. Experts are looking at trends in health service delivery to identify new avenues for ransomware attacks, data theft, and destabilization. The rise of telehealth services and remote patient monitoring increases the vulnerability and potential exposure of sensitive patient data. As threats to hospitals and healthcare organizations increase, stakeholders from all areas recognize the severity and the longterm implications of the situations. From federal and state provisions, grant funding, and corporate programs, things are coming together to protect patients and hospitals. 

The purpose of the Delta Health Systems Implementation Program (DSIP) is to improve healthcare delivery in rural areas by implementing projects that will improve the financial sustainability of rural healthcare organizations and allow for increased access to care in rural communities. These projects focus on financial and operational improvement, quality improvement, telehealth, and workforce development in rural healthcare organizations in the rural counties and parishes of the Delta region. 

By Joseph Phelan, Grants Development Consultant (Broadband, Transportation, & Utilities)

By the end of 2024, every entity had its State Digital Equity Capacity Grant approved by the NTIA, paving the way for funds to funnel to reach populations throughout the United States.

As a refresher, included within the IIJA was the Digital Equity Act, which provided $2.75 billion across three grant programs for various digital equity and inclusion activities. Two of the programs went directly to the 56 entities that make up the US. The first provided allocations (totaling $60.6 million) to entities to create their digital equity plans. States and territories then submitted intentions for the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant by the end of May 2024. NTIA then approved on a rolling basis—beginning last summer with Nevada, and ending with Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Maryland, North Dakota, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands on December 19, 2024. This first round of capacity grants provided roughly $768 million in funding to states and territories. In addition to the planning and capacity grants, the NTIA offered competitive grants for any eligible entity through the Digital Equity Competitive Grant. 

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.

Special education funding in the United States continues to be a complex, evolving landscape shaped by decades of legislation, advocacy, and shifting priorities. Beginning with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, students with disabilities were guaranteed a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). This law prohibited discrimination based on disability and laid the groundwork for future legislation. By ensuring that students with disabilities had access to education and accommodations, the act marked a turning point in the public school system's approach to special education.

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?

A major trend in healthcare funding is establishing equity in access to services. This is being realized through service expansions to medically underserved and rural areas across the country. Federal entities, such as the Center for Disease Control and Health Resources Services Administration, the State Offices of Rural Health, and an increasing number of Private and Corporate Foundations are making commitments to support rural health. The rural population is a particular focus for many grant opportunities because of its vulnerability and potential lack of resources, including an increasing number of rural hospital closures. Rural communities have special considerations like high rates of poverty, high rates of maternal and infant mortality, high rates of opioid use and rates of death from substance misuse, healthcare insurance status, and overall access to health services that need to be accommodated. Funders are not only focusing on the symptoms but also the root causes of health disparities. Social determinants of health are non-medical factors that influence and affect health outcomes. Things like access to education, healthy food, education, housing, and other outside forces shape how individuals receive care.

An estimated 60 million people, nearly 1 in 5 Americans, live in a rural area. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, these rural areas are seeing increasing shortages in the healthcare workforce. To alleviate the burden healthcare workforce shortages have on rural communities and the hospital systems that serve them, governments and private associations have prioritized financial interventions and incentives.

In the area of diversifying healthcare workforce development, many multi-pronged grant funding opportunities have been developed. The Department of Health and Human Services is leading the way. Many federal and private foundation opportunities explicitly fund programs to increase a workforce that is diverse and inclusive. In addition to those, many more opportunities include diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) as a funding priority, a focus area, or given special consideration when making award decisions. These programs are just a small fraction of a grants landscape that has identified our healthcare workforce inclusivity as a top funding priority. 

Following years of challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States continues to see workforce shortages across the healthcare services industry. This trend was anticipated prior to 2020, however, the pandemic accelerated the rate at which physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals have left and continue to leave the field. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States is projected to face a workforce shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects nearly 195,400 nursing positions will be vacant and openings for home health aides and other personal health aide workers will increase by 37% by the year 2028. 

Telehealth has been around for years, but COVID-19 necessitated the use of telehealth services. Before the pandemic, telehealth was not readily accepted by patients, doctors, administrators, insurance companies, and healthcare regulators. With the advancement of technology, a shortage of healthcare providers, practical experience, demonstrated benefits, and increasing acceptance of telehealth by patients and providers, telehealth and its benefits are here to stay.

In the realm of public healthcare in Brazil, the Unified Health System (SUS) is of great significance. Established in 1988, SUS serves as a cornerstone in ensuring that all Brazilians have unfettered access to quality medical care, free of charge. However, SUS does not operate in isolation; it relies on a vital partner, the National Health Fund (FNS).

Many grants- federal, state, and foundation, operate on cycles. Federal and state grants may be one-time, annual, or multi-year grants. Foundations may have one or more application periods per year. Grants may open for short periods or during busy times, leaving applicants with little time to plan, prepare, write, and review the proposal. Learning the funding cycle and application periods for grants of interest is necessary to enable you to apply promptly and budget the time needed to plan and apply when the grant is open.

The Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Program is designed to provide access to education, training, and healthcare resources for rural Americans. The DLT program provides financial assistance to encourage and improve telemedicine and distance learning services in rural areas using telecommunications, computer networks, and related advanced technologies that students, teachers, medical professionals, and rural residents can use. Grants may fund telecommunications-enabled information, audio and video equipment, and related advanced technologies that extend educational and medical applications into rural areas. Grants are intended to benefit end users in rural areas, who are often not in the same location as the educational or health care service source.