Federal Grant Surge Expected

Agencies to Release Delayed Funding Fast

 

Control over Grants.gov, has been returned to individual federal agencies, allowing them to directly post opportunities once more. This change will unblock stalled funding and speed up the launch of new grant programs. 

 

Several federal funding opportunities that were previously paused or restricted are now expected to be posted in the coming weeks. A backlog of delayed funding is expected to be cleared quickly. All newly posted grants must be awarded before September 30. Be prepared: Many of these grants may have short turnaround times, sometimes offering only 3–4 weeks from posting to deadline. Applicants should act quickly, stay informed, and have materials ready to respond.

 

This change marks a return to agency-led grant administration and is aimed at improving efficiency and access for applicants across the country.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

This list of 2025 grants and current funding opportunities is regularly updated on the REA Analytics blog.

 

Schedule a FREE application meeting to discuss your grant opportunities.

 

Domestic Violence Reduction

O-OVW-2025-172373 - Due August 1, 2025 up to $475,000

OVW Fiscal Year 2025 Grants to Enhance Community-based Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program

Homeless Youth

Forecasted Opportunity

HHS-2025-ACF-ACYF-YO-0108 - Est Post TBD up to $150,000

FY25 Street Outreach Program

Marriage and Family Relationships

Forecasted Opportunity

HHS-2025-ACF-OFA-ZB-0109 - Est. Post TBD up to $1,250,000

Helping Every Area of Relationships Thrive - Adults (HEART)

HHS-2025-ACF-OFA-ZD-0013 - Est. Post TBD up to $1,250,000

Relationships, Education, Advancement, and Development for Youth for Life (READY4Life)

HHS-2025-ACF-OFA-ZJ-0014 - Est. Post TBD up to $1,250,000

Family, Opportunity, Resilience, Grit, Engagement – Fatherhood (FORGE Fatherhood)

HHS-2025-ACF-ACYF-TS-0007 - Est. Post TBD up to $450,000

Title V Competitive Sexual Risk Avoidance Education

Mental Health

Forecasted Opportunity

SM-25-002 - Est. Post TBD up to $1.3 million

Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances 

HHS-2025-ACL-AOA-CSSG-0034 - Est. Post TBD up to $ 1,250,000

Advancing Strategies to Deliver and Sustain Evidence-Based Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Programs to Support Older Adults with Behavioral Health Conditions

 

Schedule a FREE application meeting to discuss your grant opportunities.

Email rea@reanalytics.com to be included in this funding alert and receive qualifying grant announcements.

 

Behavioral Insights for Better Grant Design: Focusing on Program Impact

 

Funders are no longer just asking what you do, they want to know why it works. With limited resources and high competition, successful proposals must go beyond activities and promises. You must show a clear, evaluable design: how your program works, how change happens, and how you’ll measure and prove it.

 

Proposals that show evaluability demonstrate an understanding of how real people make decisions, how programs influence behavior, and how to measure and duplicate success.

 

Evaluable design means your program is structured to be measured, evaluated, and improved over time. Funders want to clearly see:

• What the program does

• Who it’s impacting

• How the desired change happens

• Whether the program caused that change

A program is evaluable when it has the structure to show whether it’s achieving its goals. This includes having clear objectives, defined activities, measurable outcomes, and methods for tracking progress, as shown in the table below:

• Easier to fund

• Easier to replicate or scale 

• Easier to improve 

How to Show That Your Program Works

Here are three practical ways your organization can make programs more evaluable and more fundable:

 

1. Start with a Logic Model or Theory of Change

A logic model or theory of change is a way to visually and verbally map the cause-and-effect structure:

• Inputs – what resources you use

• Activities – what your team actually does

• Outputs – what is produced (e.g., classes held, services provided)

• Outcomes – what changes (e.g., skills gained, behaviors changed)

• Impact – long-term transformation in the community

Include a narrative or diagram of this model in your grant proposal to show funders your program has a solid and logical structure.

 

2. Explain the Mechanism of Change

Funders want to know why your program is expected to work. Clearly explain how your program will create the desired change, and not just what you intend to do.

• Begin with the problem: Describe the problem your program solves and why it's important.
• Define the intervention. Explain the activities or services you will provide.
• Connect actions to outcomes: Demonstrate how your activities will result in specific, measurable changes.
• Use evidence: Provide research, best practices, or previous results to back up your approach.
• Include indicators: Determine what success looks like and how you will measure it.

 

Include 1–2 sentences in your grant explaining how your program produces change and why that process is evidence-informed.

 

3. Describe Your Data Loop

It’s not enough to say you’re collecting data; you also need to demonstrate that you are using it to make improvements.

 

Funders look for programs that:

• Track who is reached 

• Monitor what’s working

• Adapt based on findings 

   

Include a brief evaluation plan outlining what you will measure, how the results will be used to improve your program, and how you intend to share your findings with funders or the community. This demonstrates that your program is designed to promote continuous learning, accountability, and impact.

 

Change You Can Measure

Programs with high evaluability build trust, attract funding, and achieve meaningful results. By creating a clear logic model, explaining how change occurs, and demonstrating how you use data to learn and adapt, your organization sends a strong message: this program works, and here's why. When funders see that your approach is thoughtful, measurable, and adaptable, they recognize it as a wise investment with real and lasting impact.