Federal and State Developments, & Grants
News at NYEC
Registration is Open: NYEC’s DC Summit in Washington, DC – September 21–23! Formerly known as Youth Days, this is our convening that brings together practitioners, youth leaders, and partners to demonstrate the importance of investing in young people and the programs that support them. Early Bird registration ends July 15!
Legislative Branch
- Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Support Transformative Financing Tools for Students: Senators Todd Young (R-IN), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the Outcomes-Based Financing (OBF) for Students Act, which expands access to innovative financing options for students pursuing postsecondary education and workforce training while establishing strong consumer protections to safeguard participants. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Representatives Erin Houchin (R-IN-9) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15).
- Appropriations Subcommittee holds Oversight Hearing Discussing Concerns with Management of Federal Funds and Agencies: On June 30th, the subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government met to discuss their issues with withholding or delaying congressionally‑approved funds, shuttering or defunding federal agencies, operational gaps, slow and inconsistent apportionment of funds, a 10% cut to non‑defense discretionary programs, and a new proposed rule allowing political litmus tests for grants.
- Senators Introduce Bill to Uplift Direct Care Workforce: Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tina Smith (D-MN), Kristen E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), and Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced S.4889, a bill to award grants for the creation, recruitment, training and education, retention, and advancement of the direct care workforce and to award grants to support family caregivers.
Executive Branch
- President Trump Nominates Permanent Labor Secretary: President Trump announced the nomination of Keith Sonderling to serve as the permanent U.S. Secretary of Labor. Sonderling has been serving as acting secretary since April and previously held leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
From the States
- Maryland: Governor Wes Moore announced a new partnership between Maryland and RAISE US to help prepare workers for an AI-driven economy. The initiative will expand workforce training, support career transitions, develop employer-driven retraining programs, create new pathways into sectors like healthcare and education, and help displaced workers pursue entrepreneurship. The partnership builds Maryland’s broader workforce investments aimed at ensuring workers have the skills needed for emerging industries and artificial intelligence.
- Washington: Allen Family Philanthropies announced a $5 million investment to expand Creative Youth Development (CYD) programs across Washington. The funding will support 10 organizations serving youth ages 13–26 in 11 counties, making it the state’s largest single investment in community-led, out-of-school creative youth programming. The initiative aims to strengthen youth leadership, civic engagement, self-expression, and workforce-ready skills through arts-based learning while fostering collaboration among participating organizations over the next three years.
Resources
- Annie E. Casey Blog – Youth Apprenticeship in Baltimore, Maryland: Annie E. Casey Foundation senior associate Adenike Akintilo discusses the Baltimore Civic Site’s youth apprenticeship strategy and the value of apprenticeship programs for Baltimore’s young workers.
- BlackRock Future Builders RFP: The BlackRock Foundation is offering $500,000–$1,000,000 grants (about 10–15 awards) to support high‑impact innovations that help close the skilled trades labor gap as part of its $100M Future Builders initiative. The grants run for two years and are open to organizations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Applications are due July 10, 2026, 11:59 PM
- OpenAI Foundation: 2026 People-First AI Fund: The OpenAI Foundation is accepting applications for its 2026 People-First AI Fund, which has committed $50 million in unrestricted grants to support community-based nonprofits exploring how AI can strengthen their missions and communities. The fund prioritizes organizations working in three areas: community support services, community arts and cultural organizations, and community journalism and media. Eligible organizations must be US-based 501(c)(3)s with annual operating budgets between $500,000 and $10 million and must demonstrate deep community trust and genuine interest in learning about or experimenting with AI. Applications are due July 15
- AI Workforce Technology Grant from Draper Richards Kaplan Foundatin and NextLadder Ventures: Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation in partnership with NextLadder Ventures launched its Navigation Technology Initiative, providing catalytic capital and hands-on support to early-stage organizations using technology and AI to help low-income Americans navigate economic opportunities and challenges. The initiative is focused on housing access, benefits access, health access, workforce mobility, and financial stability. Awardees receive $300,000 in capital (equity investment or grant), up to $500,000 in in-kind support, and access to NLV’s network of co-investors and policy partners. Most awardees will be post-revenue with between $600K and $3M in annualized revenue or committed funding. Founder proximity to the population being served is a strong priority. They will invest in both for-profits, and 501(c)(3) s. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Federal Funding Opportunities
- ED Grant: Expanding Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness of Special Education Teachers and Early Intervention Personnel Through Registered Apprenticeships: The purpose of the Expanding Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness of Special Education Teachers and Early Intervention Personnel Through Registered Apprenticeships competition is to fund cooperative agreements that support registered apprenticeship programs that attract, prepare, and retain special education teachers or early intervention personnel. Applications are due July 13, 2026.
- HHS Grant: Foster Parents Network Analytics Hub (HUB): To support the Administration for Children and Families’ initiative, A Home for Every Child, the Children’s Bureau will award one grant to establish the Foster Parents Network Analytics Hub (HUB) to achieve a foster home-to-child ratio of more than 1:1 in every state by 2029. The HUB will advance the goal by providing states with advanced analytics tools and intensive technical assistance to optimize their foster parent networks. Applications are due July 14, 2026.
- HHS Grant: Community Economic Development Projects: The Office of Community Services (OCS) will award approximately $18.57 million in Community Economic Development (CED) discretionary funds to Community Development Corporations (CDC) to enhance job creation and business development for individuals with low income. Applications are due July 17, 2026.
- Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Round 7: A Grant Initiative for the Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Border Regions: Provides $2 million to qualifying organizations including school boards, nonprofits, etc. Within the WORC region of the United States. Funds are coming from the Employment and Training Administration. Applications are due July 23, 2026.
- HUD Grant: Youth Homelessness Grant for FY2024 and FY2025: This grant opportunity will provide two separate sources of funding under two different programs; YHSI grants (CFDA number 14.277) and YHDP (CFDA number 14.276). Both sets of funds were appropriated by Congress “to demonstrate how a comprehensive approach to serving homeless youth, age 24 and under … can dramatically reduce youth homelessness.” Applications are due July 29, 2026.
- FY 2026 Susan Harwood Training Grant Program: The grant program offers eligible organizations the opportunity to compete annually for funding, so they may develop and conduct training and educational programs for small business employers and workers. The Susan Harwood Training Grant Program supports eligible organizations’ efforts to provide occupational safety and health training. Applications are due July 31, 2026
- HHS Grant: FY2026 Runaway Homeless Youth Training, Technical Assistance, and Capacity Building Center (RHYTTAC): The Runaway and Homeless Youth Training, Technical Assistance, and Capacity Building Center (RHYTTAC) provides direct training and technical assistance to existing RHY award recipients and subrecipients to enhance their efforts to successfully implement FYSB-funded projects. Applications are due August 3, 2026.