Federal grants churches can use

Federal agencies can fund faith-based organizations on the same terms as other nonprofits. The funds have to pay for secular services, though, such as meals, mentoring, reentry support, preservation or security, and not for worship, religious instruction or proselytizing. Explicitly religious activities must be kept separate in time or place from the federally funded program, and participation in them must be voluntary. Federal opportunities are posted on Grants.gov . Before you apply, your organization needs a Unique Entity ID and an active registration at SAM.gov . Allow several weeks for this. Some programs, like USDA child nutrition, TEFAP, EFSP and CDBG, reach churches through a state agency, food bank or city instead of a direct application. The DOJ and NEH award ceilings and close dates on this page come from the opportunity records on Grants.gov, as published Oct 20, 2026.