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 While the Administration later rescinded some of these efforts with memorandum M-25-14, grant seekers across all sectors - including public agencies and nonprofits – still face a multitude of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: 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 Christina Fernandes, Grants Development Consultant (Education)

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) was signed into law on July 31, 2018, reauthorizing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV). One of the most significant updates in its reauthorization was the introduction of the comprehensive local needs assessment (CLNA). The local needs assessment must be completed by each eligible recipient of federal Perkins funds, which includes individual school districts, school districts that are part of a consortium, and community colleges. This requirement was put in place to help institutions refine their Career and Technical Education (CTE) offerings and identify areas where targeted improvements can be made to better serve their students and align with local economic needs.The CLNA is the foundation of the local Perkins application for both secondary and post-secondary institutions.

The assessment must be completed or updated every two years and requires a great deal of planning and coordination. The process may seem overwhelming, but by breaking it down into manageable steps, institutions can make their assessment both meaningful and efficient. While CLNA processes differ by state, there are commonalities that are required at the federal level. This article will include tips on those common requirements, such as data collection, stakeholder consultation, and program alignment.

SUMMARY: The purpose of Perkins V is to develop more fully the academic knowledge and technical and employability skills of secondary and postsecondary education students who elect to enroll in career and technical education programs and programs of study.

By Dr. Liz Shay, Senior Grants Development Consultant (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.

The program aims to train job seekers in industrial occupations such as advanced manufacturing, information technology, and professional, scientific, and technical services occupations that support renewable energy, transportation, and broadband infrastructure sectors. Awardees may use the funding for staffing, equipment, supplies, planning, and software expenses for career pathway programs that meet the growing needs of local employers.

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?

Access to high-speed internet has become a necessary part of everyday life. For example, education, employment (job duties and hiring), banking, and even some healthcare, are now done online. However, there are still many communities and individuals who lack access to high-speed internet. As a result, the federal government has prioritized increasing access across the country by allocating $1.44 billion for the Digital Equity Capacity program. At this stage, all states have finalized their digital equity plans and the program has opened for all states and territories to apply for funding. As this is a pass-through program, states apply for funding and then will sub-award the funds they receive from the federal government through their own grant programs. It has been a long road thus far but we anticipate some states will begin to open their own grant programs in the fall or winter of 2024, allowing local organizations to apply for these funds.

The recent increase in jobs in the U.S., coupled with the increased need for skilled workers across sectors like technology, healthcare, construction, and various trades, underscores the critical role of workforce development programs. These programs are vital in equipping the next generation of workers to meet these emerging employment opportunities.

ELIGIBILITY: Eligible lead applicants are Nonprofit Organizations, Labor Unions, Labor-Management Organizations, and Worker Organizations, Education/Training Provider(s), Workforce Development Entities, Economic Development Agencies, and Native American Tribal Governments.

Approximately 12.3 million students across the US are enrolled in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. CTE programs vary by institution, but the overarching purpose is to provide students with the academic and technical skills needed to succeed in an emerging career field. The Department of Education established a list of 16 career fields, referred to as career clusters, representing up to 79 different career pathways. These different pathways allow students to explore a career cluster of interest while also learning employability skills that complement their academic studies. CTE evolved from vocational education, which focused on an isolated elective with specific job training associated, to be more academically rigorous and integrated within other programs of study in comprehensive high schools, technical centers, and community colleges. Read on for a description of the common elements that make CTE programs successful, a high level overview of the funding landscape, and to learn how CTE programs function within different institutional settings.

ELIGIBILITY: The eligible lead applicant must be a community college that is a public institution of higher education as defined in Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act and whose most common degree awarded is an associate degree.