Nonprofit Expert
Home » Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

The Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) empowers faith-based and community organizations to compete more effectively for Federal funds so that they may provide better human services to more people.

HOW FEDERAL AGENCIES USE GRANT MONEY

The Federal government uses two kinds of grants:

  1. Grants awarded by an agency of the Federal government (also known as ‘discretionary’ grants)—for instance, a homeless assistance grant given out
    by the Department of Health and Human Services to a homeless shelter.
  2. Grants that put Federal money in the hands of States, cities, or counties
    for them to distribute to charities and other social service providers, usually
    under their own rules and regulations (also known as ‘formula’ or ‘block’ grants). Therefore, you can apply directly to the Federal government or you can apply
    for funds to an entity that distributes money it receives from the Federal government.

How can our organization find out about funding opportunities?
First, you must become familiar with what is available. The following list contains general information on over 170 programs operated by multiple Federal agencies. Use this list as a starting point. If you find a program that interests you, you can get more information such as when and how you can apply for funds from the agency contact in each listing or from the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). To use the CFDA, locate the CFDA Number at the end of each listing. Use that number to search for the program on the CFDA website: https://www.cfda.gov/.

An important point: More Federal money is available from programs administered by States and localities than from the Federal government. For example, in the past, the Department of Health and Human Services has awarded significantly more money to States and localities, which in turn made much of the money available to non-governmental organizations, than it gave directly to grant applicants. So, in addition to finding out more about grants from the Federal government, you will probably want to look into partnering with your State and local government.

We’ve found some programs we’re interested in. What’s next?
All Federal grants have to be announced to the public. These announcements (sometimes called a “Program Announcement,” “Request for Proposal,” “Notice of Funding Availability,” or “Solicitation for Grant Applications”) are the government’s way of looking for charities and other groups to provide a Federally-funded service. Each grant announcement will contain instructions on how to apply, including where to get an application packet, information the application should contain, the date the application is due, and agency contact information.

Grant announcements are issued throughout the year. Unfortunately, there is no single document that contains every Federal grant announcement and no uniform format for these announcements although that President’s Administration is working to change this. In the future, it hopes to have all Federal agencies publish grant announcements electronically, in a single format and on a single website www.grants.gov. Currently, most grant announcements are listed in the Federal Register, a daily publication that can be accessed on the Internet (www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html) and at major public libraries. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (https://www.cfda.gov/) also contains information about grant announcements. You can also call the agency contact identified in the list that follows and ask that person how you can get a copy of the grant announcement.

How can our organization get more help?
Most Federal agencies have experts who are available to help organizations apply for and manage their grants. Applicants should call the contact identified in the grant announcement or contact an agency’s regional office. These agency staff are available to answer questions over the phone. They may also refer applicants to local or nearby technical assistance workshops or to organizations that are under contract with the Federal government to provide this kind of assistance. Assistance may also be available from the organizations funded by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Compassion Capital Fund. These organizations help small faith-based and community-based organizations learn about the grants process. They may also help small groups with other challenges, such as training volunteers and staff or expanding the reach of the services they provide. They do this at no cost to your organization. You can learn more about the Compassion Capital Fund and the organizations it funds through the White House and HHS faith-based website http://www.hhs.gov/partnerships/. In addition, for general questions about writing a grant proposal, many State governments and cities provide grant writing workshops, as do a number of nonprofit organizations and foundations.

OVERVIEW OF THIS LIST
The following list of over 170 programs represents most of the programs, offered by various Federal agencies, of interest to small, faith-based and community groups. However, there may be other programs in these or other agencies that we have not listed. Additional programs will be added over time. Visit www.grants.gov, and https://www.fbo.gov/ to look for further funding opportunities.

The programs that follow are organized into general categories. In most categories, you will find programs from several different Federal agencies. For example, in the Elders in Need category are programs operated by the Departments of HHS and HUD. At the beginning of each category are programs for which you make application directly to one of the Federal agencies. In every case, the contact information in the listing is a good place to start for learning about the application process and other details about the program.

You will find “State and locally-administered Federal funding” at the end of most categories. These are the programs in which the Federal government makes large grants available to States and local governments. These States and localities then award grants themselves to grassroots and other organizations. Totaling more than $50 billion, State and locally-administered Federal funding represents a wide range of funding opportunities. To learn about these opportunities, you will need to get in touch with State and local agencies responsible for managing these programs where you live.

Some states, counties have created the position of Faith/Community Liaison. Faith/Community Liaisons are officials or consultants who serve as a bridge between government and faith-based and community grassroots groups.

ALABAMA
Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
RSA Union Building, Suite 134
100 North Union Street
Montgomery, AL 36104
334-242-7110
334-242-2885 fax

ALASKA
Stephanie Wheeler, Executive Director
Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
State of Alaska
Department of Health and Social Services
3601 C Street., Room 902
Anchorage, AK 99524
(907) 269-8019
(907) 269-5236 fax
http://www.hhs.gov/partnerships/

ARKANSAS
Office of Community and Faith-Based Initiatives
Governor’s Office
State Capitol, Suite 11
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
501.682.3619
501.682.3609 fax
ark.org

Governor’s Liaison for Family Policy
Office of the Governor
State Capitol
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 682-2325 or (501) 682-8568

ARIZONA
Jannah Scott
Policy Advisor, Faith and Community Initiative
Office of the Governor
1700 W. Washington, Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-542-3489

COLORADO
Office of the Governor
136 State Capitol
Denver, CO 80203
303-866-6380
303-866-6368 fax

Kevin R. Richards
Director, Colorado Works Program
Office of Self-Sufficiency
Colorado Department of Human Services
(303) 866-2054

CONNECTICUT
Brian Mattiello
Office of the Governor
State Capitol
210 Capitol Ave.
Hartford, CT 06106
860-524-7325

Michael J. McCarthy
Manager, The Center for Capacity Development
The WorkPlace, Inc.
(203) 576-7030 Ext 313
(203) 335-9703 fax

James Brennan, Director
CT Department of Labor
Center for Faith-based/Community-based Initiatives
200 Folly Brook Blvd.
Wethersfield, CT 06109
(860) 263-6513

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Dr. Susan Newman- Washington, D.C.
Senior Advisor of Religious Affairs
Executive Office of the Mayor
The John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Suite 211
Washington, DC 20004
202-727-1750
202-727-5931fax

Pat Henry
Manager, Faith-Based Relations
District of Columbia Mayors Office of Partnerships and Grants Development
441 4th Street, NW, Suite 200S
Washington, D.C. 20001
202-727-0946
202-727-1652 fax

Deborah Murphy
Department of Employment Services
Office of Faith and Community-Based Partnerships
(202) 671-1552

FLORIDA
Volunteer Florida Foundation
401 South Monroe Street
Elliot Building
Tallahassee, Florida 32301
(800) 825-3786 Tollfree Main Office
(850) 410-0696 Main Office
(850) 414-0096 Fax

Del Palmer
Director OFBCI for Florida Department of Children and Families
1314 Dixon Boulevard
Cocoa, FL 32922
Phone: 321-637-7250 x 271


GEORGIA

Edna S. Foster, Program Director
DHR/DFCS Faith & Community Based Initiatives
8160 Veterans Parkway
Columbus, Georgia 31909
Phone: (706)507-1021
Fax: (706)507-1001

HAWAII
Sam Aiona
Office of Community Services
830 Punchbowl Street
Room 420
Honolulu, HI 96813
808-586-8675

IDAHO
Tammy M. Payne
Division of Welfare
450 West State Street, 6th Floor
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720–0036
(208) 465-8431

ILLINOIS
Rev. Derrius Colvin
Regional Community Liaison
Illinois Department of Human Services
(312) 793-4343
(312) 793-3789 or 5019 fax

Fred Nettles
Regional Community Liaison
Illinois Department of Human Services
(217) 782-1268

INDIANA
Isaac Randolph, Director
Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives State of Indiana
Phone:(317) 233-4273
Toll Free: (888) 335-9490
Fax: 317-233-5660
http://www.IN.gov/ofbci/
Twitter: @INOFBCI

Marquisha Bridgeman
Faith-Based Coordinator
Office of the Mayor
2501 City-County Building
200 East Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317- 327-3711
317- 327-5271 (fax)

LOUISIANA
Johnny Anderson
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 94004
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
225-342-1263

MARYLAND
Faith-Based and Community Liaison
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
Schaefer Tower
6 St. Paul Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-767-4800

MICHIGAN
Greg Roberts
Director, OFBCI
Office of the Governor
Cadillac Place
3022 West Grand Blvd., Suite 14-150
Detroit, MI 48202
(313) 456-0020

Wanda Bostic
Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
Mayor’s Office, Detroit
(313) 224-6855

Daniel R. Guild
Office of Faith-Based Initiatives
City of Lansing, Office of the Mayor
124 W. Michigan Ave.
Lansing, Michigan 48933
(517) 483-4000

MINNESOTA
Lee Buckley
Special Advisor on Faith and Community Service
Office of the Governor
50 Sherburne Avenue, Room 200 St. Paul, Minnesota 55155

MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Faith-Based Coalition for Community Renewal
PO Box 20546
Jackson, MS 39289
(601) 346-7503

MONTANA
David M. Young, Co-conferer
Rural Health Resource Specialist Montana State University
(406) 994-5552
(406) 994-1756fax

NEBRASKA
NEBHANDS Initiative
Caroline Walles
University of Nebraska Public Policy Center
121 South 13th St., Suite 303
Lincoln, NE 68588-0228
(402) 472-5678
(402) 472-5679 fax
http://www.nebhands.nebraska.edu

NEW JERSEY
Edward LaPorte, Executive Director
Office of Faith Based Initiatives
Department of State
State of New Jersey
225 West State St.
P.O. Box 456
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0456
609-984-6952 (phone)
609-633-7141 (fax)

NEW YORK
Janice Bibb-Jones
Office of Children and Family Services
518-474-9461

Office of Children and Family Services:
http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/

Larry Ritter
New York State Department of Temporary Disability Assistance
(518) 474-9510
(518) 473-8590 fax

NORTH CAROLINA
Sonia Barns
Special Assistant for Community Affairs
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0301
Phone: 919-715-3522

Diana Jones Wilson
Faith Partnerships, Inc.
Post Office Box 1150
Raleigh, NC 27602
919-834-8335
919-834-8457 fax
http://www.faithpartnerships.org

OHIO

Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
77 S. High Street, 7th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215Office Phone: (614) 466-3398
Fax: (614) 644-6763Website: http://governor.ohio.gov/

OKLAHOMA
Bradley Yarbrough
Director, Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
2400 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405) 522-0606
http://www.faithlinksok.org

PENNSYLVANIA
Gilbert Gomez
Liaison to the Faith Community
Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
717-787-0262

J. Robert Harrison
Associate Director
City of Philadelphia, Mayor’s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives
(215) 686-3958 / (215) 686-3905
(215) 686-1458 fax

SOUTH CAROLINA
Wilbert Lewis
Faith-Based Initiative Coordinator
South Carolina Department of Social Services
803-898-7855

Gene Beckman
SC Employment Security Commission
(803) 737-2673

Harry Prim
SC Dept. on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services
(803) 896-1199

TEXAS
Beau Egert
Director, Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
OneStar Foundation
816 Congress, Suite 900
Austin, TX 78701
512-473-2140
http://www.onestarfoundation.org

UTAH
Gordon Walker
Director, Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
Division of Housing and Community Development
Department of Community and Culture
(801) 538-8661
(801) 538-8888 fax

VIRGINIA
Jane Brown
Director, OFBCI
Virginia Department of Social Services
7 North 8th St.
Richmond, VA 23219
(800) 777-8293
(804) 726-7912
(804) 726-7947 fax
http://www.dss.state.va.us/community/faith.cgi
Contact Jane Brown for information on the state’s regional faith-based liaisons.

WASHINGTON / IDAHO / OREGON / ALASKA — (Region X for U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families)
Caron Dwyer
Program Specialist
Youth, Diversity & Faith-Based Outreach
Administration for Children and Families
2201 Sixth Avenue, Suite 600
Seattle, Washington 98121-2500
(206) 615-3656
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/index.html

WYOMING
Andy Aldrich
Director, Wyoming OFBCI
130 Hobbs Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0490
Phone: 307-777-6031

Meet your fundraising success partner

To learn more about DonorPerfect, fill out the form below or call us at 800-220-8111

"*" indicates required fields