Dear Friend,
I hope you had a safe and restful 4th of July weekend.
As I shared on the 4th, this Independence Day felt especially heavy. But here’s what gives me hope: our country was founded on the rejection of tyranny, the promise of freedom, and the pursuit of a nation in which all people are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights. It wasn’t perfect then, and it isn’t perfect now. But as we find ourselves facing tyranny and authoritarianism today, it’s more important than ever to remember that we all have agency and a say in how we are governed.
This month, we recommit ourselves to that idea of America. Thank you for everything you do to help improve the community and country we love. Now, I’d like to highlight a few grants that may help you to do that work.
The first grant I want to highlight, from the National Endowment for the Arts, celebrates our country’s history as we enter our 250th year - “Celebrating America250: Arts Projects Honoring the National Garden of American Heroes.” Grants of $25,000 each (no cost share required) are available for arts projects in any discipline that celebrate the contributions to American history of one or more of the national heroes listed in Executive Order 13978 of January 18, 2021. See full guidelines at the National Endowment for the Arts here. You can find the grants announcement here. The deadline for applications is July 14, 2025.
As we enter the summer months, I’d like to highlight an opportunity that supports summer jobs for youth - the “FY25 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Youth Conservation Corps.” This program employs participants and provides opportunities to gain work experience in public lands and natural resources management. Through their BLM experience, youth gain an appreciation for public lands, learn about conservation-related careers, and become the next generation of public lands stewards. More information on the grant is available here. Applications must be submitted by TODAY, July 11, 2025.
Finally, I want to highlight a grant that supports lower energy costs in rural and remote communities that may be impacted by summer heat - Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas. This program serves communities of 10,000 people or fewer. For further information, please see the Full Funding Opportunity Announcement here. The deadline for applications is August 28, 2025.
You can find up-to-date information on open federal grants here, though please note these grants may be subject to impacts from actions taken by federal agencies. This spreadsheet is updated monthly and will include grants across the spectrum of issues the federal government addresses. The grants can be easily sorted by category. We will also keep tabs open for previous grant opportunities based on the month sent.
In addition to sharing open and upcoming federal funding opportunities, my office can also help your grant efforts with a letter of support for any federal grant application. Congressional letters of support help show grant reviewers that your project has buy-in from regional stakeholders and make your application more competitive. If you would like to request a letter of support from our office, please contact [email protected] to learn more about how my staff and I can help you.
