Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program NEW (Year 1)

The Drug-Free Communities Support Program is a federal grant initiative administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in collaboration with the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Established under the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, the program is designed to support community-level efforts aimed at preventing and reducing substance use among youth. The program reflects a long-standing federal priority to mobilize local coalitions and strengthen cross-sector collaboration to address substance abuse through evidence-based prevention strategies and coordinated community action. The primary purpose of the program is to establish and strengthen collaboration among community stakeholders, including public and private nonprofit organizations, as well as federal, state, local, and tribal governments. These collaborations are intended to support community coalitions that focus on reducing substance use among individuals under the age of eighteen. The program emphasizes a dual goal structure: first, to build sustainable coalitions that effectively address substance use risk factors, and second, to reduce youth substance use and ultimately contribute to reductions in adult substance use over time. This is achieved by targeting environmental factors within communities that increase risk and promoting protective factors that discourage substance abuse. Funding under this opportunity is structured as discretionary grants, with an anticipated total program funding of over thirty million dollars and approximately fifty awards expected. Individual awards are capped at one hundred twenty five thousand dollars. While the program includes a matching requirement, specific details of the match are not outlined in the available summary and are expected to be clarified in the full funding announcement. Funds are intended to support coalition-building activities, prevention programming, and strategic initiatives that align with the statutory goals of reducing substance use through community engagement and coordination. Eligibility for the program is broad but centered on community-based coalitions that have not previously received funding through the Drug-Free Communities Support Program. Applicants must be nonprofit organizations as defined by the Internal Revenue Service or entities deemed appropriate by the administering authority. Eligible applicants may include state and local governments, federally recognized and state-recognized tribal entities, institutions of higher education, community and faith-based organizations, and other nonprofit or coalition-based entities. A key requirement is that the applicant organization must be located within the United States or its territories and must represent or apply on behalf of a community coalition committed to substance use prevention among youth. The application process is expected to be conducted electronically through Grants.gov, with submissions required by the stated deadline. While detailed application components are not provided in the summary, applicants can expect to submit a comprehensive proposal outlining coalition structure, community needs, prevention strategies, and anticipated outcomes. Evaluation criteria are likely to focus on the strength of the coalition, the clarity of the prevention strategy, alignment with program goals, and the ability to demonstrate measurable impact. Contact information is provided through a program email address and a named contact, allowing applicants to seek clarification during the application period. The timeline for this opportunity indicates that it is currently in a forecast stage, with an estimated posting date in late January 2027 and an application deadline at the end of March 2027. Awards are expected to be announced by late August 2027, with project activities beginning at the end of September 2027. This structured timeline provides applicants with advance notice to prepare their submissions and coordinate with coalition partners. While the program is part of an ongoing federal initiative and is likely to recur annually, applicants should monitor official announcements for confirmation of future cycles and updated requirements.