Best Government Grant Programs: Compared (2026)
Compare 38 government grant programs side by side — verified data, transparent methodology, and clearly labeled featured placements.
How we rank
Rankings are computed from verified listing data: facts we could confirm from official sources, publicly stated figures where available, and verification depth. Featured placements are labeled and never change editorial order. Rankings refresh as we verify more programs — last updated October 2026.
ACF Community Economic Development (CED) Program
Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services program funding community development corporations to create employment and business opportunities in low-income communities. Eligible applicants are private nonprofit CDCs (501(c)(3) or non-501(c)(3)) with community economic development as a principal purpose and board representation from community residents, business leaders, and civic leaders; no cost share required per the cited notice.
ACF Early Head Start Expansion and EHS-Child Care Partnership Grants
Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start competitive grants expanding high-quality, comprehensive early childhood services for pregnant women, low-income infants and toddlers, and their families through Early Head Start expansion or Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships. Eligible: public and private nonprofit organizations (including community-based and faith-based), for-profit agencies, governments, tribes, housing authorities, and higher education institutions.
AmeriCorps Planning Grants
Capacity-building grants that help organizations design and develop a future AmeriCorps program so they can compete for a full program grant in the next cycle; funds may not be used to support AmeriCorps members. Eligible applicants include public and private nonprofit organizations (including faith-based and community organizations), labor organizations, higher education institutions, and government entities.
AmeriCorps State and National
The Corporation for National and Community Service's flagship grant program funding national service programs that engage AmeriCorps members in education, disaster response, health, environmental stewardship, and economic opportunity work. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, tribes, institutions of higher education, and local governments; single-state programs apply through their state service commission, multi-state programs directly to AmeriCorps. Three-year awards with cost-share requirements.
BJA Kevin and Avonte Program
Authorized by Kevin and Avonte's Law (2018), this Bureau of Justice Assistance program supports local efforts to reduce deaths and injuries of individuals with dementia (such as Alzheimer's) or developmental disabilities (such as autism) who wander from safe environments, funding locative technologies and wandering-prevention programs. Unusually for DOJ, 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofits, nonprofit health clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers can apply as prime applicants.
BJA Second Chance Act Mentoring Grants to Nonprofit Organizations
Bureau of Justice Assistance program under the Second Chance Act providing mentoring grants to nonprofit organizations to deliver services and programs facilitating the successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals into their communities. Source solicitation is from 2011 - verify the current program cycle before publishing details.
DOL YouthBuild
Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration pre-apprenticeship program for at-risk youth ages 16-24, combining education, occupational skills training, and leadership development with construction or rehabilitation of housing for low-income or homeless families. Eligible: public and private nonprofit agencies (with or without 501(c)(3) status), governments, housing authorities, tribes, and educational institutions with a physical presence in the target community. 25% cost share required.
ED American History and Civics - National Activities Grants
US Department of Education discretionary program supporting American history and civics education initiatives at national scale. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, and consortia.
ED Promise Neighborhoods
US Department of Education discretionary program supporting cradle-to-career, neighborhood-based initiatives that improve educational and developmental outcomes for children and youth. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, Indian tribes and tribal organizations, and institutions of higher education.
ED Ready to Learn Programming
US Department of Education discretionary grant program for which nonprofit organizations are eligible applicants; 1-3 awards expected per the Department's available-grants listing.
EDA Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance
The Economic Development Administration's core infrastructure and economic development programs for distressed regions. Public Works funds physical infrastructure to attract industry and create jobs; Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) - EDA's most flexible program - funds strategy and implementation grants including revolving loan funds, workforce development, and business incubators. Eligible: nonprofits acting in cooperation with local government officials, governments, tribes, and higher education institutions. Rolling applications; federal share 60-80% based on distress level.
EPA EJ Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs)
EPA program funding regional technical assistance centers that help disadvantaged communities and their partners access federal resources for environmental and energy justice work. Eligible applicants include public and private nonprofit institutions/organizations (including philanthropic organizations), universities and colleges, and intertribal consortia.
EPA Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program
EPA program supporting eligible organizations in developing and implementing projects that address environmental or public health issues in local communities through the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving model. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations (including environmental justice networks), federally recognized tribal governments, and Native American organizations; for-profit organizations are not eligible.
HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Entitlement Program
HUD's flagship community development program providing annual formula grants to entitled cities and counties, which then award funds to nonprofits as subrecipients for housing, public services (capped at 15% of the grant), public facilities, and neighborhood improvements. Nonprofits do NOT apply to HUD directly - they apply through their city or county CDBG office's annual competitive process.
HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) Program
HUD's competitive homelessness program funding permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and supportive services. Eligible project applicants include nonprofit organizations, states, local governments, tribes, and public housing agencies - but applications go through the local Continuum of Care's collaborative applicant via e-snaps, not directly to HUD. Recipients must match grant funds (except leasing) with at least 25% from other sources.
IMLS 21st Century Museum Professionals
IMLS competitive grant program supporting professional development for museum professionals. Appears on the FY2027 slate with 8 expected awards.
IMLS Inspire Grants for Small Museums
Supports small museums in addressing strategic priorities; applicants must demonstrate small-museum status by staff size, budget, or relative size. Two funding tiers: $5,000-$25,000 with no cost share, and $25,001-$75,000 with a 1:1 cost share.
IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
Supports development of a diverse library workforce and library leadership, including recruitment, education, and professional development for librarians and library staff.
IMLS Museum Grants for African American History and Culture
Supports museums whose primary mission reflects African American life, art, history, and/or culture. Two funding tiers: $5,000-$100,000 with no cost share, and $100,001-$500,000 with a 1:1 cost share.
IMLS Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture
Supports museums focused on American Latino history and culture, with grant requests from $5,000 to $500,000.
IMLS Museums Empowered
IMLS competitive grant program supporting museum professional development and organizational capacity building. Appears on the FY2027 slate with 20 expected awards.
IMLS Museums for America
The Institute of Museum and Library Services' largest competitive grant program by number of awards, supporting exhibitions, educational and interpretive programs, digital learning resources, professional development, community dialogue, and collections care. Open to museums only; projects must align with an IMLS agency-level objective; a 1:1 cost share is required.
IMLS National Leadership Grants for Libraries
Supports projects that address critical needs of the library and archives field and have the potential to advance professional practice and strengthen library services for the American public. FY2027 slate expects 45 awards.
IMLS National Leadership Grants for Museums
Supports projects that address critical needs of the museum field and have the potential to advance practice in the profession to strengthen museum services for the American public.
IMLS Native American / Native Hawaiian Museum Services
Supports federally recognized tribes and organizations primarily serving Native Hawaiians in strengthening museum and cultural heritage services. Applicants are not required to have a physical museum, and there is no cost-share requirement.
NEA Grants for Arts Projects
The National Endowment for the Arts' principal grants category for organizations, funding project-based work across disciplines including arts education, dance, folk and traditional arts, literary arts, museums, music, opera, theater, and visual and media arts. Eligible applicants are nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations (other than institutions of higher education), units of state or local government, and federally recognized tribes with at least five years of arts programming; all awards require a 1:1 cost share.
NEA Our Town
The National Endowment for the Arts' creative placemaking grant program, supporting projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes. All applications require a partnership between a nonprofit organization and a local government entity, one of which must be a cultural (arts or design) organization; a nonfederal cost share/match equal to the grant amount is required.
NEH Collections Stewardship Grants
Supports projects that preserve and increase access to physical and digital humanities collections held by libraries and archives, in planning, single-organization implementation, and collaborative implementation tiers. Program details seen in a September 2026 grant newsletter - verify against the current NEH notice before publishing.
NEH Digital Humanities Advancement Grants
Supports innovative digital projects that advance humanities research and teaching, from planning and prototyping through expansion of mature projects with established user bases and dissemination plans. Eligible: US nonprofit organizations, public and nonprofit higher education institutions, state and local government agencies, and federally recognized tribes; consortia may apply with a lead applicant.
NEH Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities
Brings together humanities scholars and digital technology specialists to share ideas and methods advancing humanities research and teaching through digital technologies, and to build communities of inquiry. Eligible: 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than higher ed), public and private higher education institutions, and state, county, city, and tribal governments.
NEH Media Projects
National Endowment for the Humanities program supporting film, television, and radio projects that bring the humanities to the public. Eligible: nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, accredited institutions of higher education, state or local governments, and federally recognized tribal governments; partnerships with independent producers are encouraged.
NEH Public Humanities Projects
National Endowment for the Humanities program supporting exhibitions, long-term interpretive programs at historic places, and humanities discussion series grounded in sound humanities scholarship for public audiences. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than institutions of higher education), public and private higher education institutions, and state, local, and tribal governments.
SAMHSA Children's Mental Health Initiative (CMHI)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration program providing comprehensive community mental health services to children, youth, and young adults (birth through age 21) with serious emotional disturbance, including efforts to identify and serve at-risk children and their families. $43 million in program funding was announced in 2026; per-award amounts vary by notice of funding opportunity.
SAMHSA Zero Suicide
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration program providing resources for health care systems to implement the Zero Suicide framework - an evidence-based, comprehensive, multi-setting approach grounded in the belief that suicide deaths within care systems are preventable - for adults at risk of suicide. $16.1 million in program funding was announced in 2026.
SBA PRIME (Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs)
Small Business Administration grants to nonprofit microenterprise development organizations with a demonstrated record of delivering microenterprise services to disadvantaged entrepreneurs. Two tracks: Track I requests $75,000-$200,000 and Track II requests $75,000-$250,000; grantees must match SBA funding 50%. This funds intermediary organizations serving microentrepreneurs - not individual businesses.
USDA Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program
USDA Rural Development program providing direct loans and/or grants for essential community facilities - health care, child care, schools, food banks, community centers, public safety - in rural areas of 20,000 or fewer residents. Eligible applicants are public bodies, community-based nonprofit corporations, and federally recognized tribes. Grants cover 15%-75% of project cost based on population and median household income; applications are accepted year-round.
USDA Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grants
USDA Rural Development grants to identify and plan for community facility needs - grant funds can be used to identify public and private financial resources, prepare reports, surveys, and applications, and improve the operational and financial management of existing community facilities. Eligible: government organizations, nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes in rural areas of 20,000 or fewer.
USDA Economic Impact Initiative Grants
USDA Rural Development grants developing essential community facilities - health care, public safety, and public services - in rural communities enduring extreme unemployment and severe economic depression. Eligible: government organizations, nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes in areas of 20,000 or fewer; can be combined with Community Facilities direct or guaranteed loans.
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