Community Services Block Grant Discretionary Awards (93.570)
Community Services Block Grant Discretionary Awards (Assistance Listing 93.570) is run by the Administration for Children and Families, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. It awarded $141 million in 159 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $889,173 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $800,000. Half of the 159 awards fell between $399,111 and $800,000, and they ranged from $100,000 to $5.2 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$141 million
- Grant awards159
- Typical award$800,000
- Awarded in FY 2025$29.8 million
- Size rank703 of 1824
- Type of assistanceProject grants
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $26.7 million in fiscal 2021 to $29.8 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 703rd largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 67% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 40 states and territories.
What the program funds
CED and RCD are two funding opportunities in this program with a focus on development of communities with low income. CED is the only federal opportunity that primarily focuses on creating jobs for individuals with low income in communities with high unemployment and poverty rates. CED projects utilize multiple strategies such as providing start-up capital, loans, financial equity investments, and funding for construction. Projects create and expand businesses that include but are not limited to: restaurants and commercial kitchens; distribution, shopping, and childcare centers; and agricultural and environmental initiatives. RCD supports the nation’s unincorporated areas and lowest income communities, including tribal and persistent poverty areas that face unique challenges in managing their water and wastewater systems. RCD award recipients use funds to provide training and technical assistance to communities so that they can develop and manage affordable, safe water and wastewater systems.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
For each CED award, eligibility is restricted to private, nonprofit organizations that are community development corporations (CDCs) that provide technical and financial assistance for economic development activities designed to address the economic needs of low-income individuals and families by creating employment and business development opportunities. For a CDC to receive funds to carry out CED activities, the corporation shall be governed by a board that shall consist of residents of the community and business and civic leaders and shall have as a principal purpose planning, developing, or managing low-income housing or community development projects. Under RCD, eligibility is restricted to multi-state, regional, private, nonprofit organizations, including those that support tribal entities, with the ability to enable the organizations to provide training and technical assistance to small, rural communities concerning meeting their community facility needs. Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under all funding opportunities. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity.
What the money can and cannot pay for
CED awards cover project costs for (1) startup or expansion of business, physical improvements, or commercial activities; (2) capital expenditures such as the purchase of equipment or real property; (3) allowable operating expenses; and (4) loans or financial equity investments. Award expenditures must result in three basic pillars: (1) The creation of new high-quality, permanent, full-time jobs for individuals with low incomes; (2) Provision of support to individuals that address barriers to employment by providing wraparound services that focus on the needs of the individuals with low incomes hired into jobs created through CED; and (3) Promotion of community revitalization and equitable support by infusing funding into underserved communities to create economic development.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Deadlines for availability of funding for CED and RCD are published on www.Grants.gov in the Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs).
Award range and average, in the agency's words
FY 2023 –The range of assistance under the CED program was $125,978 up to $800,000. The average CED award was $404,651. Each RCD recipient received the same award level of $1,381,975. FY 2024 –The range of assistance under the CED program was $150,000 - up to $800,000. The average CED award was $500,097. Each RCD recipient received the same award level of $1,381,975. FY 2025 –The range of assistance under the CED program is expected to be $100,000 - Up to $800,000. The average CED award is expected to be $583,333. Each RCD recipient is expected to receive the same award level of $1,381,975.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2020: Current funded CED project can be found at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/map/ced-map-current-grantee-locations-fy-2020. RCD funded projects can be found at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/grant-funding/rcd-fy2020-grant-awards.Fiscal Year2021: CED projects develop new products, services, and commercial activities that result in the creation of new, full-time, full-year jobs — at least 75 percent were filled by individuals with low incomes. A CED project uses $800,000 in CED funds to make a loan to an adult day care center, to expand facilities, upgrade technology and equipment, and add additional staff with behavioral management licensing. The total project created 32 jobs of which 75% were fill by individuals with low-incomes. A second project which was a CED-Energy community grant recipient uses $800,000 in CED funds to support the construction of meeting and conference center that provided lodging accommodations, meeting venues, recreation amenities, and hospitality facilities on a former coal mine site. Another CED-Energy community expand the local public market, stimulating agricultural production and the distribution of locally grown produce and products.Fiscal Year2025: Examples of two CED projects: In one CED project, funds were used to provide a loan to expand a construction business to purchase equipment and hire more employees.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Community Services Block Grant Discretionary Awards (93.570) awarded$141 million across 159 grant awards, an average of $889,173 per award.
Who usually wins
Almost all of the money went to nonprofits.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 159 | $141 million | 100% |
By state
23 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California | 19 | $19.4 million |
| Ohio | 8 | $11.8 million |
| Arizona | 8 | $10.2 million |
| Massachusetts | 5 | $8.5 million |
| Kentucky | 10 | $7.7 million |
| Missouri | 4 | $7.7 million |
| Virginia | 4 | $7.5 million |
| Tennessee | 4 | $7.0 million |
| Arkansas | 3 | $6.8 million |
| Michigan | 10 | $6.5 million |
| Wisconsin | 6 | $5.1 million |
| Maine | 8 | $5.0 million |
| Louisiana | 5 | $4.0 million |
| Montana | 5 | $4.0 million |
| Indiana | 5 | $3.5 million |
| Florida | 5 | $3.3 million |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | $3.3 million |
| District of Columbia | 4 | $3.2 million |
| Maryland | 3 | $2.4 million |
| New Mexico | 3 | $1.7 million |
| Kansas | 2 | $1.6 million |
| Texas | 4 | $1.2 million |
| Hawaii | 1 | $1.1 million |
| Georgia | 2 | $950,000 |
| Illinois | 2 | $950,000 |
| Utah | 2 | $949,966 |
| Mississippi | 3 | $917,401 |
| Connecticut | 3 | $900,000 |
| New York | 1 | $800,000 |
| West Virginia | 1 | $800,000 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | $500,000 |
| South Carolina | 1 | $312,945 |
| North Carolina | 2 | $300,000 |
| Minnesota | 2 | $297,440 |
| New Jersey | 2 | $275,978 |
| Delaware | 1 | $150,000 |
| Oregon | 1 | $150,000 |
| Washington | 1 | $150,000 |
| Alabama | 1 | $149,854 |
| Nevada | 1 | $149,849 |