Grants for State, Local & Tribal Governments

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency · $50K–$1.5M

Illinois EPA offers this Clean Water Act Section 319(h) grant to a very wide range of applicants — individuals, small businesses, nonprofits, for-profit companies, schools/universities, and government organizations with legal standing to receive Illinois state funds — for projects that reduce nonpoint source pollution (like agricultural and stormwater runoff) in Illinois waterways. Awards range from $50,000 to $1,500,000, but applicants must provide matching funds, front project costs for later reimbursement, and be pre-qualified in Illinois' GATA portal (active SAM.gov registration, good standing, no debarment). Priority goes to projects implementing an already-approved watershed-based plan or TMDL plan; routine maintenance, permit-required activities, and pure habitat/flood-control projects are not eligible. Applications are due September 16, 2026.

DOC NIST ERA · Amount varies

This NTIA (Department of Commerce) Native Entities Grant Program funds digital equity work and is restricted to Indian Tribes, Alaska Native entities, Native Hawaiian organizations, or consortia of such eligible entities. It combines funds from two Digital Equity Act programs into a single application. Other organizations and individuals are not eligible. Award amounts are not specified here; review Section III of the NOFO for eligibility details.

DOC NIST ERA · Amount varies

This NTIA (Department of Commerce) Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program funds expansion of broadband access and adoption on Tribal lands, including remote learning, telework, and telehealth. Eligibility is restricted to Tribal governments, Tribal colleges/universities, Tribal organizations, Alaska Native Corporations, and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands on behalf of the Native Hawaiian community. Other organizations and individuals are not eligible. Award amounts are not specified here.

Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) · $50K–$250K

Illinois-based nonprofits, small businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and public housing organizations can apply for this ICJIA grant, which funds capacity-building and violence-prevention work with awards up to $250,000. Applicants must have an annual operating budget under $2 million, must have already completed a structured capacity-building program and an independent organizational assessment, must be current in the state's GATA Grantee Portal, and must not have received ICJIA funding in the past 24 months. The application deadline is September 17, 2026.

Community College Board · Amount varies

Open only to Illinois community colleges located in counties or census tracts that meet HRSA's rural classification criteria — not available to nonprofits, individuals, or non-rural institutions. Funding expands healthcare support-worker training programs, with emphasis on maternal care and substance abuse, through added instructional and clinical capacity, student supports, and delivery models designed for rural barriers. No maximum award is specified; applications are due September 18, 2026.

Community College Board · Amount varies

Open only to Illinois community colleges in counties meeting HRSA's rural classification — not available to nonprofits, individuals, or non-rural institutions. Funding strengthens rural healthcare workforce pipelines by expanding clinical and allied-health training capacity, student supports, and workforce partnerships. No maximum award is specified; applications are due September 18, 2026.

AGRICULTURE & MARKETS · Up to $16.9M

New York's Dairy Promotion or Research Program 2027 funds projects that market, promote, or research New York-produced fluid milk and dairy products, with a maximum award of about $16.9 million. It is open broadly to for-profit businesses, nonprofits, government entities, and individuals. Applications are due September 18, 2026.

Emergency Mgt Agency · Amount varies

This federal fiscal year 2022 Congressionally Directed Spending program funds pre-disaster mitigation projects for seven specific Illinois communities pre-selected by Congress. Because recipients are predetermined by congressional earmark, this is not a competitive, open application for other organizations.

Bureau of Reclamation · $50K–$1M

This Bureau of Reclamation program funds drought relief and resiliency projects for a specific list of federally recognized Colorado River Basin tribes. Eligibility is narrow: only the designated tribes named in the announcement may apply, and many activity types (such as standalone studies, water purchases, certain biological and habitat work, and litigation support) are excluded. The maximum award is $1,000,000 per tribe, and no cost share is statutorily required though partnering and cost sharing are encouraged. This is restricted to listed tribal governments only.

Strategic Growth Council · $1M–$10M

This Strategic Growth Council program funds construction, retrofits, and campus amenities for Community Resilience Centers, plus related community programs and services, with awards of $1 million to $10 million. Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments may apply, but each application must include at least two partners, with one being a community-based organization if the lead applicant isn't. The deadline is September 26, 2026.

National Endowment for the Arts · $400K–$2.5M

The National Endowment for the Arts Partnership Agreement grants go to the nation's state and jurisdictional arts agencies and the six regional arts organizations. Eligibility is narrow: only state governments and 501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than higher-education institutions) qualify, and in practice these awards are made to the designated state arts agencies and regional arts organizations. Awards range from about $400,000 to $2.5M. This is not a general-purpose grant for individual nonprofits or arts groups.

DOC NOAA - ERA Production · Amount varies

This NOAA/National Weather Service Broad Agency Announcement invites applications for special projects aligned with the NWS strategic plan and mission. Eligibility is broad and includes higher-education institutions, nonprofits, commercial organizations, international or foreign organizations and governments, individuals, and state, local, and tribal governments, subject to NOAA/NWS statutory authority for each activity. Federal organizations are generally outside the scope. No award amount is stated, and as a BAA it outlines a general framework rather than a single defined award; review the announcement for project-specific details.

Idaho Field Office · $5K–$8M

This Department of Energy program (Idaho Field Office) provides cost-share grants to help offset the cost of licensing advanced nuclear energy reactors. Eligible applicants are broad and include federally recognized tribal governments, small and other businesses, county and city/township governments, nonprofits (including those without 501(c)(3) status, but not higher-ed institutions), and public and private universities. Awards range from about $5,000 up to roughly $8M, and applications are only accepted during a July 1 to September 30 window. Note this is a cost-share program, so applicants are expected to contribute matching funds.

National Park Service · Amount varies

The National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program offers Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants to help acquire interests in eligible Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefield lands. Eligible applicants are state and local governments, tribes, and nonprofit organizations; individuals and foreign entities are not eligible. Each grant requires a dollar-for-dollar non-federal match, which is a significant cost-share requirement. The acquired land must lie majority within a surveyed battlefield boundary and cannot be within a National Park System unit; applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Early Childhood · Amount varies

This Illinois Department of Early Childhood home visiting grant is a continuation-applications-only opportunity, open to nonprofit (501c3), public, and for-profit community-based organizations already using an approved evidence-based home visiting model (Early Head Start Home-Based, Healthy Families America, Nurse-Family Partnership, or Parents as Teachers) in specific Illinois counties. Applicants must be pre-qualified through the state's Grantee Portal, registered in SAM.gov, in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State, and not on any state or federal exclusion lists; the doula enhancement is limited to organizations that already have IDEC-funded doulas. Because this is continuation-only and geographically restricted to specific counties, new applicants and organizations outside the listed service areas are not eligible. Deadline is September 30, 2026.

DOC NOAA - ERA Production · Amount varies

This NOAA Broad Agency Announcement for the Office of Education seeks applications for special projects tied to NOAA's strategic and mission goals, including education and environmental work. Eligibility is broad: higher-education institutions, nonprofits, commercial organizations, international or foreign organizations and governments, individuals, and state, local, and tribal governments may apply, subject to the statutory authority for the specific activity. Federal organizations cannot be funded. No specific award amount is stated; contact program officials and submit to the appropriate line-office BAA.

Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs · $25K–$100K

Government agencies and 501(c)(3) nonprofits that already serve Illinois veterans (or want to expand into veteran services) can apply for this Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs grant, funded by lottery ticket proceeds, with awards from $25,000 to $100,000. Nonprofit applicants must document their 501(c)(3) status, and all applicants must be pre-qualified in the state's GATA Grantee Portal before applying. Funded projects must address behavioral health, homelessness, health insurance costs, long-term care, disability benefits, job placement, or emergency financial assistance specifically for Illinois veterans. The application deadline is September 30, 2026.

DOC NOAA - ERA Production · Amount varies

NOAA's Broad Agency Announcement seeks applications for special projects tied to NOAA's strategic and mission goals across its line offices. Eligibility is broad: higher-education institutions, nonprofits, commercial organizations, international or foreign organizations and governments, individuals, and state, local, and tribal governments may apply, though eligibility also depends on the statutory authority for the specific activity. Federal organizations cannot be funded through this announcement. No specific award amount is stated, and applicants should review the relevant line-office BAA and contact program officials.

Fish and Wildlife Service · $1–$500K

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program provides technical and financial assistance for projects protecting and restoring fish and wildlife habitat in priority coastal ecosystems on public and private lands, through cooperative agreements. Projects must align with regional strategic plans; the program does not fund land acquisition or projects generating compensatory mitigation credits, and will not accept mitigation funds as non-federal cost share. All applicants are required to contact a local program office before applying. The stated maximum is about $500,000.

Department of Housing and Urban Development · Up to $1.5M

HUD's Indian Community Development Block Grant Imminent Threat (ICDBG-IT) program funds Tribes and Tribal organizations addressing imminent threats to health or safety. Only Tribes and Tribal organizations as defined in the ICDBG regulations are eligible; individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorships are not eligible. The stated maximum is about $1.5 million. Applications must be emailed directly to HUD (not submitted through Grants.gov), and Tribal organizations may need to submit eligibility documentation.