Launching on September 18, 2023, CFA helps underserved communities win competitive federal grants. CFA demystifies the competitive federal grants landscape. It delivers world-class technical assistance and drives implementation to scale innovative education and workforce solutions in communities across the U.S.
There are new federal funds available to foster and scale innovative solutions in education. However, competitive federal grants are complex. Many organizations need support to make the most of this moment.
“The Community Funding Accelerator initiative is instrumental in helping us capitalize on funding opportunities previously unexplored, with the specific goal of fortifying our coalition and enhancing our collective impact,” said Ronnie King, Co-Founder of MyVillage Project in Jacksonville, Florida. King and his colleagues are working to create a collective of Black organizations to lift up Black students and families. “The CFA team has demonstrated expertise in the federal grant process, but, most importantly, they understand our community’s desired outcomes.”
Along with technical assistance, CFA increases access to competitive federal grants through a Competitive Federal Grants Tracker. Users can search grants by topic. They can sort by closing date, grant ceiling amount, and recently-added competitive federal grants. This tool helps them find competitive grants they might not have been aware of to advance their community’s goals. From there, they can reach out to CFA for technical assistance. This assistance may include idea incubation, grant application support, coalition building, and implementation planning.
Currently in its pilot phase, CFA has helped 9 coalitions apply for up to $10 million in federal funding. It has the potential to support 1.9 million K-12 students. By the end of its first year, CFA estimates it will have supported 25 grantees to apply for up to $178 million in federal funding.
Read the official press release here.
