Through a statewide network of seventeen Community Action Agencies in Maryland, the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program supports a range of direct services designed to assist low-income individuals and families with achieving self-sufficiency.
Donor Name: Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
State: Maryland
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/17/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Under the CSBG Act, the state may utilize five percent of the federal allocation as discretionary funding to support activities and programs conducted by Community Action Agencies or other non-profit organizations to eliminate poverty, promote self-sufficiency, and stimulate community revitalization. Additionally, the funds may be used to provide training and technical assistance and to support coordination and communication among Community Action Agencies.
Eligible Funding Categories
The funding categories listed below are those outlined in the Department’s CSBG State Plan as approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Eligible activities are not limited to the examples provided.
Proposed projects must include measurable outcomes that help individuals move toward selfsufficiency. Funding requests typically exceed available resources. The Department will not accept multiple applications from the same organization. Final awards depend on the amount of funds appropriated by the US Congress and made available by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Competitive Funding Categories
- Innovative Programs to Address Poverty – Programs and projects that alleviate poverty, workforce development initiatives, outreach programs, homelessness solutions, and other projects that serve a targeted population. Awards in this category are capped at $50,000.00.
- Asset Building Programs – Programs and activities aimed at establishing and increasing savings of low-income households. Examples of activities that may be funded through this category include Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), budget counseling, reducing unbanked or underbanked populations, and increasing access to benefits. Awards in this category are capped at $25,000.00 for local programs and $100,000.00 for statewide programs.
- Addressing Service Gaps – Activities that specifically address documented gaps in services for lowincome households. Awards in this category are capped at $25,000.00.
Set-Aside Category (Not Available for Competition)
- Statewide Coordination and Communication among Eligible Entities. The Department has set aside $75,000.00 to support training, technical assistance, and capacity building activities provided by the Maryland Community Action Partnership.
Funding Information
- Approximately $450,000.00 in CSBG Discretionary funds is available.
- The grant term for the FY25 CSBG Discretionary Round is July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025.
Eligibility Criteria
Maryland’s seventeen designated Community Action Agencies are eligible to apply for the 90 percent of CSBG funds allocated annually by the federal government. Community Action Agencies must have a board of directors in which one-third are elected public officials currently holding office, or their designees; at least one-third are chosen by a democratic selection method designed to assure that they will represent low-income persons in the community, and the remainder are officials or members of business, industry, labor, religious, welfare, education, or other major groups and interests in the community. Community Action Agencies provide services in all twenty-three Maryland counties and the City of Baltimore.
For more information, visit DHCD.