Grants.gov is the source to FIND and APPLY for federal government grants. Managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Grants.gov is a portal for all discretionary grants offered by 26 federal grant-making agencies.

You do not have to register with Grants.gov to find grant grant opportunities. However, once you are ready to apply for a grant, you will need to get registered. This process takes 3-5 business days.

Afterschool.gov is a one-stop website connecting the public, and particularly afterschool providers, to federal resources that support children and youth during out-of-school time. A great range of resources is included on Afterschool.gov, including issues that face America’s youth, and information about starting and operating an afterschool program. Afterschool.gov includes resources from a variety of federal agencies, including a searchable database of federal funding sources. While afterschool resources are spread across the Federal government (including HHS, ED, Justice, and others), Afterschool.gov provides a single location for the public to access this information.

The Afterschool Investments Project, a contract with the Finance Project, helps to maintain the content of Afterschool.gov. Afterschool.gov is governed by an Interagency Executive Oversight Committee, including representatives from several Federal agencies across Government. If you have any questions or comments about the site, please refer to the "Contact Us" link on the Afterschool.gov homepage.

The Finance Project has published federal funding guides targeted to leaders interested in funding programs and services in specific policy and program areas, including early care and education, out-of-school time, obesity prevention, workforce development, and substance abuse and mental health.  These resources are available online and in published form.

In addition, we have developed and maintain an up-to-date, online tool that enables leaders to search for federal funding sources relevant to their specific needs.  This tool brings together information on:

• Funding sources and their purposes
• How these funds can be used across an array of policies, programs and services
• Eligible recipients, partners, and beneficiaries of funding
• The flow of funds
• Funding history
• Application processes and requirements
• Links for additional information

This program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The program helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.

With the recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Act, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21stCCLC) competitive grant program has been transferred to the state level. The purpose of this important program is to establish or expand community learning centers that provide students, particularly those who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools, with academic enrichment opportunities along with activities designed to complement the students’ regular academic program. Community learning centers must also offer families of these students literacy and related educational development.

Centers, which can be located in elementary or secondary schools or other similarly accessible facilities, provide a range of high-quality services during non-school hours or periods when school is not in session (such as before and after school, or during summer break). These services support student learning and development and may include: tutoring/mentoring, homework help, academic enrichment (such as hands-on science or technology programs), community service opportunities, as well as music, arts, sports and cultural activities.

Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and public or private organizations are eligible to apply for a 21st CCLC grant.

Afterschool.gov connects afterschool providers to federal resources that support children and youth during out-of-school time. The site offers information from an array of federal agencies on starting and operating an afterschool program, accessing resources for program funding and financing, delivering fun and innovative curriculum and activities, and addressing issues facing America’s youth. Afterschool.gov provides in a single location information on a myriad of federal afterschool resources that are otherwise widely dispersed and difficult to find in one setting. The resources below represent a sample of the many information sources that Afterschool.gov has to offer.

Download Reference Sheet

This Guide provides communities with detailed information about more than 100 federal funding sources that help promote the five core resources needed by young people. Each funding source in this guide has been categorized according to the five resources, and information on the programs' goals, grantee eligibility, and updated contact information has been provided to help you determine if pursuing these grant opportunities is right for you.

Download Resource Guide

As states and districts prepare for the disbursement of billions of dollars from the federal stimulus bill, there is a tremendous opportunity both to create jobs quickly and take a major step toward closing the achievement gap through innovative programming.

A joint paper from the Education Commission of the States and the National Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University identifies how states can use summer learning programs to maximize new federal funds while also increasing their chances of receiving additional federal funding through the Race to the Top awards program

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Published: March 2009