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

cdc-rfa-ce-26-0061_v8.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity
Application due
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
(NCIPC)
Drug-Free Communities Support
Program – NEW (Year 1)
Opportunity number: CDC-RFA-CE-26-0061

---

Contents
Before you begin 3
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 4
Basic information 5
Funding details 6
Eligibility 7
Agency priorities 12
Program description 20
Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 43
Get registered 44
Find the application package 44
Help applying 45
Join the informational call 45
Step 3: Build Your Application 46
Application checklist 47
Application contents and format 49
Step 4: Understand Review, Selection, and Award 58
Initial review 59
Merit review 59
Risk review 59
Selection process 60
Award notices 60
Step 5: Submit Your Application 61
Application 62
Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award 64
Post-award requirements and administration 65
Reporting 66
CDC award monitoring 68
Required Training 69
Contacts and Support 70
Contents 2

---

Before you begin
If you believe you are a good candidate for this funding opportunity, secure
your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations now. If you are already registered,
make sure your registrations are active and up-to-date.
SAM.gov registration (this can take several weeks)
You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique
Entity Identifier (UEI).
See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply
Grants.gov registration (this can take several days)
You must have an active Grants.gov registration. Doing so requires a
Login.gov registration as well.
See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply
Apply by the application due date
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
To help you find what you need, this NOFO uses internal links. In Adobe
Reader, you can go back to where you were by pressing Alt + Left Arrow
(Windows) or Command + Left Arrow (Mac) on your keyboard.
Before you begin 3

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Step 1:
Review the Opportunity
In this step
Basic information 5
Funding details 6
Eligibility 7
Agency priorities 12
Program description 20

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Basic information
Have questions?
Go to Contacts and
Support.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)
Key facts
Strengthening community collaborations to reduce and Opportunity name:
Drug-Free Communities
prevent youth substance use.
Support Program – NEW
(Year 1)
Opportunity number:
Summary
CDC-RFA-CE-26-0061
The purpose of this NOFO is to support community coalitions that work to
Announcement type:
prevent and reduce substance use among youth. This NOFO aligns with the New
Drug-Free Communities (DFC)’s Support Program’s two goals:
Assistance listing:
• Establish and strengthen collaboration among community stakeholders 93.276
and organizations to address youth substance use.
• Reduce substance use among youth and, over time, reduce substance
use among adults by: Key dates
◦ Addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of
Application deadline:
substance use. Tuesday, April 14, 2026
◦ Promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance use.
Informational call:
March 18, 2026
The DFC program will fund coalitions that haven’t received DFC funding.
Expected award date:
Please note: The DFC Program is funded and administered by the White
August 28, 2026
House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). CDC manages the DFC
Expected start date:
Program on behalf of ONDCP.
September 30, 2026
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 5

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Funding details
Funding Type: Grant
Expected awards: 50
Period of performance: 5 years in 12-month budget periods.
Expected total program funding over the performance period: $31,250,000
Expected funding per applicant per 12-month budget period:
Up to $125,000
We plan to award projects for five 12-month budget periods for a five-year
period of performance.
The number of awards is subject to available funds and program priorities.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 6

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Eligibility
This NOFO is intended to fund community-based coalitions that address
youth substance use and have not previously received a DFC grant. Applicants
must reside within the United States or the U.S. territories.
Statutory authority
Drug-Free Communities Act, 21 USC 1531 et seq., P.L. 105-20.
Statutory eligibility requirements
To be eligible for this opportunity, the community coalition must meet all the
DFC statutory eligibility requirements. The coalition must:
• Include representatives from each of the 12 required sectors.
• Comprise representatives who’ve worked together on substance use for
at least six months.
• Have a principal mission statement of preventing youth substance use.
• Address at least two substances.
• Not overlap with another DFC coalition without a letter of mutual
collaboration.
• Be able to receive federal funding individually or through a legal entity
that’s eligible to receive federal funds (e.g. fiscal agent).
• Have not received more than 10 years of DFC funding.
• Participate in the DFC national cross-site evaluation.
• Not request more than $125,000 per year.
• Secure a 100 percent match from non-federal sources.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 7

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Required statutory eligibility proof
To meet the statutory eligibility requirements, include the following:
• Sector table that includes the 12 required sectors.
• Meeting minutes.
• General applicant information.
• Letter of mutual cooperation, if there is overlap with another coalition.
• Statement of legal eligibility that says the coalition is either a 501(c)(3)
organization or partnering with a fiscal agent.
• Memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the coalition and the
fiscal agent, if applicable.
• Ten-year funding limit: attests that the coalition has not received more
than 10 years of DFC funding.
• A description of how you’ll collect and report the DFC program’s required
core measures. See the Required performance measures and Evaluation
and performance measurement plan sections.
• A budget and budget narrative that requests no more than $125,000 in
federal funds and outlines 100 percent in non-federal match.
For more detailed information, refer to the attachments section.
Ten-year funding limit
If you’ve already received 10 years of DFC funding, you are not eligible for
this award. Please refer to the glossary for the definition of a new coalition. If
you are a fiscal agent applying on behalf of a coalition, the 10-year funding
limit does not apply to you.
Eligible applicants
The community coalition must be a 501(c)(3) organization. Or the coalition can
partner with an outside organization that is eligible to receive federal funds to
serve as the fiscal agent on behalf of the coalition. Fiscal agents can include
the following types of organizations:
• State governments or their bona fide agents (includes the District
of Columbia).
• Territorial governments or their bona fide agents in the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Federated States
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 8

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of
Palau.
• County governments or their bona fide agents.
• City or township governments or their bona fide agents.
• Special district governments or their bona fide agents.
• Independent school districts.
• Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
• Native American tribal governments (federally-recognized)
• American Indian, or Alaska native tribally-designated organizations.
• Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities.
• Native American tribal organizations, other than federally-recognized
tribal governments.
• Nonprofits with a 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher
education.
• Private institutions of higher education.
• State-controlled institutions of higher education.
• For-profit organizations other than small businesses.
• Small businesses.
Responsiveness criteria
These are the basic requirements you must meet to move forward in the
competition. We won’t consider an application that:
• Is from an organization that doesn’t meet eligibility criteria. See
requirements outlined in the eligibility section.
• Is submitted after the deadline.
• Proposes research activities. See the definition of research.
• Is from an organization that has another DFC grant.
Application limits
In addition to the responsiveness criteria above, you must follow these limits
related to the number of applications your organization can submit.
Under this NOFO, you may submit only one application under your
organization’s Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 9

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Cost sharing and matching funds
This program requires you to contribute 100 percent of the federal share. For
the 5-year period of performance, you must contribute the same amount we
award you in federal funds from non-federal sources.
Types of cost sharing
You can meet your match requirement through any combination of:
• Cash contributed by your organization.
• Cash contributed by partners or other third parties.
• In-kind (non-cash) contributions from third parties.
Acceptable in-kind match
Some examples include:
• The value of goods and services donated to the operation of the DFC
coalition, including:
◦ Office space.
◦ Volunteer secretarial services.
◦ Pro bono accounting services.
◦ Other volunteer services to support the coalition’s work.
◦ Other volunteer services, including youth hours worked on events.
• Training programs sponsored by other coalitions or partners from
the community.
• In-kind services provided by key personnel, including the program
director and authorized organization representative.
• Coalitions that are serving a tribal community and include a
representative with expertise in the field of substance use from the
Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service, or a tribal government
agency can use additional federal funding as match.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 10

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Use of opioid settlement funds
You may use opioid settlement funds to satisfy the match requirement under
the DFC program. This is allowed because it meets the criteria of “not paid by
the Federal Government under another Federal award” under applicable
grant regulations, 2 CFR 200.306(h).
Using funds in this way is subject to applicable law, including state, local, or
other provisions that apply to these opioid settlement funds.
Unacceptable in-kind match
Some examples include:
• Federal funds, including those passed through a state or local
government, such as the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act
(CARA) Community-Based Coalition Enhancement of Grants to Address
Local Drug Crises and Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage
Drinking Act grants.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 11

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Agency priorities
Required alignment with CDC priorities
As the world’s premier public health institute, the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) is at the front lines of public health threats to
Americans, even when those threats emerge overseas. CDC must aim to
protect the lives of all Americans, advancing health through science,
technology, and innovation. CDC must lead with integrity to prevent and
protect from diseases, detect emerging threats, both domestically and
internationally, and drive state-of-the-art solutions—empowering
communities and strengthening public health systems for a safer,
healthier nation.
CDC serves the American public—individuals, families, and
communities—who rely on accurate data, health guidance, and preventive
measures. CDC also serves healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers,
businesses, state and local health agencies, and global health partners that
rely on CDC for data and guidance to scale improved health outcomes for all
Americans at home and abroad. To strengthen public confidence and lead a
modern public health system, CDC must be anchored in a set of core values
that reflect the evolving needs and expectations of Americans.
Public trust in CDC must be restored through transparency and reliance on
evidence-based scientific data and analysis. Americans benefit from practical,
science-driven steps to protect their health and further expect proactive, fast
responses to health risks. America additionally needs a public health system
that embraces innovation and a modernized infrastructure.
Understanding the fundamental role CDC plays in the public health sphere,
the following Priorities Statement illustrates the overall direction of CDC, in
furtherance of the goals of the President and the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) Secretary. The following is not an exhaustive list of
CDC priorities but is, instead, a roadmap highlighting goals and priorities, all
through the lens of providing Gold-Standard Science, as envisioned in the
Make America Healthy Again Commission Report and the Make Our Children
Healthy Again Strategy.
President Trump and HHS Secretary Kennedy are committed to restoring
trust, transparency, and credibility to CDC. CDC is committed to those goals
and is likewise committed to ensuring that its leadership and all decisions are
public facing and more accountable. CDC is committed to strengthening our
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 12

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
public health system and restoring it to its core mission of protecting
Americans from infectious and communicable diseases and investing in
innovation to prevent, detect, and respond to such public health threats. CDC
is further committed to ensuring that any outbreaks—including any response
to those outbreaks—is addressed transparently and with
evidenced-based data.
CDC is specifically prioritizing a commitment to: gold-standard science;1
global leadership; rebuilding trust, transparency, and credibility; rapid,
evidence-based responses to crises; vaccine safety and efficacy research;
advancing our understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD),
neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), and chronic disease; modernizing
public health infrastructure while enhancing our approach to health data; and
otherwise ensuring compliance with the goals and priorities of the Trump
Administration and HHS.
A commitment to gold-standard science and
ensuring trust, transparency, and credibility
Public trust in CDC and public health has declined in recent years due to
inconsistent messaging, lack of transparency, and challenges in responding
appropriately to emerging health threats. Dwindling public trust has
undermined CDC’s ability to lead effectively during crises and has weakened
public adherence to health recommendations. Strengthening and sustaining
this trust is essential to CDC’s mission, as it enables rapid decision-making,
stronger partnerships, and coordinated national responses in times of crisis.
More broadly, sustained trust ensures communities engage with prevention
efforts, support science-based guidance, and contribute to a healthier, more
resilient nation. Credibility is not just about better communication, it is
foundational to CDC’s long-term impact, effectiveness, and legitimacy.
CDC will achieve this trust and credibility by making its leadership more
public-facing and accountable to Americans; improving data transparency
and ensuring all recommendations are backed by clear, publicly accessible
evidence; and establishing processes to ensure integrity in scientific
decision-making.
As illustrated by the Trump Administration’s Executive Order on “Restoring
Gold Standard Science,” CDC will conduct all science in a manner that is
reproducible; transparent; communicative of error and uncertainty;
collaborative and interdisciplinary; skeptical of its findings and assumptions;
structured for falsifiability of hypotheses; subject to unbiased peer review;
accepting of negative results as positive outcomes; and without conflicts of
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 13

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
interest. CDC is committed to restoring a gold standard for science to ensure
that federally funded research is transparent, rigorous, and impactful, and
that all decisions are informed by the most credible, reliable, and impartial
scientific evidence available.
CDC is committed to restoring Americans’ faith in the scientific enterprise and
institutions that create and apply scientific knowledge in service of the public
good. Employing gold-standard science methodologies will spur innovation,
translate discovery to success, and ensure continued American strength and
global leadership in technology.
A commitment to global leadership
CDC’s Global Health Center addresses global challenges such as HIV,
tuberculosis, vaccine-preventable diseases, and emergency and refugee
health. When a viral hemorrhagic fever is identified, such as Ebola, CDC is first
to confirm the diagnosis and provide guidance on how to contain the virus
within a country and to prevent it from entering the United States.
Strategically located in 63 countries around the globe, CDC also serves
another 20 countries from these hubs. As a major partner in implementing
the PEPFAR program, CDC receives 40% of the resources and implements 60
percent of the program. Across the globe and often with external
organizations, CDC is a trusted partner identifying risks early, sending out
teams to combat highly infectious disease, training local clinical and public
health staff, providing Personal Protective Equipment, vaccine and medicines,
and offering advice to Americans abroad as well as supporting international
Governments and Ministries of Health leadership and response. As part of an
evolving system of response, the Biothreat Radar Detection program seeks
out samples from wastewater and international travelers to know real-time
when a new infection poses a risk to America. In addition, CDC receives
infectious samples from around the globe offering rapid testing and
surveillance to prepare for flu at home and guide rapid response for highly
infectious diseases where they start and can travel around the globe. Through
lessons learned from COVID-19, CDC has advanced its capacities to lead the
world in keeping us safe here and abroad.
A commitment to ensuring rapid, evidence-based
responses to crises
Public health emergencies need fast, coordinated, transparent, and evidence-
based responses. Delays in data collection, fragmented decision-making,
inconsistent guidance, and gaps in risk communication undermine the
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 14

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
nation’s ability to contain threats and protect lives. Ensuring rapid, science-
driven responses is critical to minimizing harm, maintaining public trust, and
restoring stability. To meet this goal, CDC must continue to strengthen its
emergency response systems by streamlining internal processes, improving
risk communication strategies, and ensuring that laboratory capacity is fully
equipped and tested—capable of rapidly developing and deploying scalable
diagnostics during crises. Embedding structures for real-time learning,
independent after-action reviews, and the application of lessons learned will
ensure that each crisis response is smarter, faster, and more effective than
the last.
To meet the challenges of today and anticipate the challenges of tomorrow,
CDC must evolve into a high-performing, mission-driven organization that
embraces innovation and streamlines operations. Modernizing internal
operations will ensure CDC is not only effective in crisis but consistently
excellent in execution, delivering faster decisions, smarter resource use, and
a greater impact for Americans.
A commitment to vaccine safety and
efficacy research
Gold-Standard Science will be applied to all intramural and extramural CDC
vaccine safety and efficacy research. CDC will ensure that CDC vaccine efficacy
and safety databases and datasets as well as future contracts, grants,
cooperative agreements, and the like, for such datasets and databases are
available through the least burdensome public use data agreements to
restore trust and improve efficacy and safety through transparency and
accountability. CDC will also preserve all internal datasets, protocols,
programs and adjustments to databases and datasets for public access and
reproducibility.
A commitment to advancing our understanding
of the causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD),
neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), and
chronic disease
CDC is committed to conducting its own research while also partnering with
other federal agencies and outside researchers and institutions to
understand the etiology of the ASD and NDD epidemics. CDC will utilize
existing and new data resources both within and outside of CDC to better
understand factors associated with the increases in ASD, NDD, and chronic
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 15

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
diseases that are plaguing our children and adults. CDC data indicates that
ASD diagnoses have increased over the past 25 years from 1 in 150 to nearly
1 in 31.
A commitment to modernizing public health
infrastructure and enhancing our approach to
health data
Modernizing public health infrastructure is essential to building a faster,
smarter, and more cost-effective health system—one that can detect and
respond to outbreaks in real time, leverage advanced technologies, and
deliver community-driven solutions. By investing in modern tools, integrated
data, and state-of-the-art capabilities, CDC can lead a transformation that not
only strengthens day-to-day operations but also ensures the nation is
prepared for future health emergencies. CDC’s traditional data silos are being
replaced with robust, integrated data that fosters interdisciplinary research to
get faster, more robust results for Americans.
Enhancing CDC’s (and HHS’s) approach to health data must recognize that the
states serve as key partners and must be encouraged to maintain robust and
up-do-date health data systems. There must be a shared responsibility across
federal and state governments, while emphasizing the subsidiarity principle
that public health functions should be performed at the lowest effective level
of governance (the concept of subsidiarity), with federal structures offering
support where scale or specialized expertise is required and as required by
statute. Network governance highlights the importance of collaborative,
interdependent nodes (state-based service units, federal expertise, and
Health Data Utilities (HDUs)) working through shared standards rather than
hierarchical command. Systems resilience frames the need for redundancy,
adaptability, and transformability, ensuring that CDC can withstand shocks,
respond to emerging public health crises, and evolve as public health
challenges change. Collectively, these principles guide a strategy that
positions public health as local in action, national in standards, and global in
preparedness, while leveraging existing assets such as the Consumer Food
Data System (CFDS) and Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers and
modernizing infrastructure through HDUs.
Conflicts of interest
The public must know that unbiased science—evaluated through a
transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest—guides the
recommendations of our health agencies, and CDC-funded programs and
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 16

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
activities carried out by Federal partners. CDC will deprioritize funding for
programs that present conflicts of interest or otherwise compromise their
objectivity or integrity in carrying out CDC-funded programs.
Immigration
Consistent with applicable federal law, Federal funds should not be used to
encourage or support illegal immigration.
Protecting life and the family
CDC programs will not use taxpayer funds to fund or promote elective
abortions, consistent with the Hyde Amendment. CDC will promote the
dignity of human life at all stages of development, improve maternal health
care, and strengthen the family.
Ending disorder on America’s streets
CDC grants will prioritize evidence-based programs and deprioritize programs
that fail to achieve adequate outcomes, including so-called “harm reduction”
or “safe consumption” efforts that only facilitate illegal drug use and its
attendant harm, consistent with SAMHSA guidance issued on July 29, 2025.
CDC will deprioritize support for “housing first” policies that fail to ensure
accountability and fail to promote treatment, recovery, and self-sufficiency.
CDC will increase competition among grantees through broadening the
applicant pool and hold grantees to higher standards of effectiveness in
reducing homelessness and increasing public safety. CDC will ensure that its
funds reduce rather than promote homelessness by supporting, to the
maximum extent permitted by applicable federal law, comprehensive
services for individuals with serious mental illness and substance use
disorder, including crisis intervention services.
CDC does not support drug injection sites for illegal drugs, or so-called “safe
consumption sites,” or the use or distribution of illegal drugs and associated
paraphernalia.
To the extent allowable by applicable federal law, CDC intends to give priority
to grantees in States and municipalities that actively meet the below criteria:
(i) enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use; (ii) enforce prohibitions on
urban camping and loitering; (iii) enforce prohibitions on urban squatting; (iv)
enforce, and where necessary, adopt, standards that address individuals who
are a danger to themselves or others and suffer from serious mental illness
or substance use disorder, or who are living on the streets and cannot care
for themselves, through assisted outpatient treatment or by moving them
into treatment centers or other appropriate facilities via civil commitment or
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 17

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
other available means, to the maximum extent permitted by law; or (v)
substantially implement and comply with, to the extent required, the
registration and notification obligations of the Sex Offender Registry and
Notification Act, particularly in the case of registered sex offenders with no
fixed address, including by adequately mapping and checking the location of
homeless sex offenders.
Gender ideology and protecting children
CDC believes the health and safety of children must be the highest priority.
HHS released a comprehensive review of the evidence and best practices for
promoting the health of children and adolescents with gender dysphoria. This
review, informed by an evidence-based medicine approach, found medical
interventions, such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries,
that attempt to transition minors away from their sex are unsupported by the
evidence and have an unfavorable risk/benefit profile. Based on that
evidence, it is a CDC priority to protect children from these practices, and, to
the extent allowable by applicable federal law and any relevant court orders,
CDC programs will deprioritize programs that engage in these practices
where permissible. CDC funds will also not support the costs of such practices
where not required by the law or court order.
HHS released guidance promulgating sex-based definitions rooted in
biological truth. It is a CDC priority to recognize that a person’s sex as either
male or female is unchangeable and determined by objective biology, and to
ensure CDC programs accurately reflect science, including the biological
reality of sex.
DEI
To the extent permitted by law, CDC will deprioritize diversity, equity, and
inclusion (DEI) initiatives that prioritize group identity over individual merit.
CDC believes opportunities should be based on character, effort, and ability,
not race or other group identity. CDC is committed to restoring merit-based
opportunities and removing unlawful discriminatory practices (including
unlawful proxies for racial discrimination).
CDC has previously invested substantially in ideologically-laden concepts like
health equity—mainly on identifying and documenting worse health
outcomes for minority populations. This has not translated into measurable
improved health for minority populations, and in many cases has
undermined core American values.
CDC will prioritize efforts that go beyond the use of ideologically laden
concepts to focusing on solution-oriented approaches. This includes actively
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 18

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
testing, advancing, scaling, and implementing innovative evidence-based
interventions and treatments that address poor health outcomes, including
the root causes of Americans’ chronic disease epidemic.
Parental rights
CDC believes parents are the primary decision-makers in their children’s
education and should have full authority over what their children are taught.
School policies should include transparency and choice, and curricula should
emphasize knowledge, critical thinking, and civic responsibility, without
imposing ideas that may conflict with parents’ political, religious, or social
beliefs. CDC will prioritize funding Federal partners that protect parental
rights and provide maximum transparency to parents and the public.
CDC will implement these priorities consistent with applicable laws,
regulations, court orders, and any required procedures.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 19

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Program description
Background
Overview
There are still too many young people using substances like alcohol, tobacco,
marijuana, opioids, and prescription drugs. Although substance use among
youth has declined over the last decade, drug overdose deaths among youth
have significantly increased over the last few years.
Effects of substance use
When young people use substances, it can:
• Negatively impact their brain development.
• Lead to risky behaviors.
• Make them more likely to experiment with harmful substances.
• Make them more likely to develop a substance use disorder later in life.
Young people’s mental health, along with where they live, learn, work, and
play, can impact whether they start to use substances. These factors can
contribute to a higher risk of substance use among different groups.
Regardless, every young person deserves access to better health.
What we can do
One of the best ways to prevent young people from using substances is to
establish comprehensive strategies. These strategies address individual,
family, and community-level risks and protective factors that influence youth
substance use.
Organizations located in communities can build strong relationships and
better understand the needs of their communities. By working together as a
coalition, these organizations can create a tailored approach to youth
substance use based on a community’s unique circumstances
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 20

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
National public health priorities and strategies
Proposed work should align with CDC’s core priorities, as applicable, by
demonstrating a commitment to gold-standard science, transparency, and
evidence-based practices.
Projects should support CDC’s mission to:
• Protect Americans from infectious and chronic diseases.
• Strengthen public health systems.
• Advance innovation in health data and infrastructure.
Additionally, you should show how your work:
• Contributes to rapid, science-driven responses to health threats.
• Promotes global health leadership.
• Adheres to principles of integrity, accountability, and compliance with
applicable laws and federal priorities.
For more information about CDC’s priorities, see CDC priorities statement.
Purpose
The purpose of this NOFO is to support community coalitions that work to
prevent and reduce substance use among youth.
Approach
Overview
This NOFO supports a comprehensive approach to:
• Address youth substance use in communities.
• Develop cohesive, multi-sectoral coalitions that can carry out evidence-
based prevention strategies in their communities. (Evidence-based
strategies have been proven to prevent or reduce youth substance use.)
These strategies should support DFC’s goals and:
• Address factors in a community that increase the risk of substance use.
• Promote factors that minimize the risk of substance use.
Please note that the use of funds under this award must be related to the
reduction of substance use and misuse among youth.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 21

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Program logic model
The logic model includes the allowed strategies and activities, and program’s
expected outcomes. Outcomes are the results that you intend to achieve and
usually show the intended direction of change, such as increase or decrease.
The asterisked ( * ) outcomes are those we expect you to achieve during the
five-year period of performance. You are required to report on these
outcomes.
Not all outcomes apply to all strategies. The table shows how they apply. You
will use these outcomes as a guide for developing performance measures.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 22

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Table: Strategies and outcomes
Short-term Intermediate Long-term
Strategies and activities outcomes outcomes outcomes
1-2 years 3-4 years 5 years
Strategy 1. Provide information to • Improve • Reduce • Establish and
the general public and key knowledge of factors in strengthen
stakeholders about youth youth substance the collaboration
substance use. use patterns. community among
that community
• Improve
Strategy 2. Enhance skills among
increase the members
knowledge of
relevant stakeholders so youth and
risk of and
coalition efforts to
adults can engage in positive social
substance organizations
address youth
relationships and decision-making
use. to address
substance use in
capabilities.
youth
the community. • Promote
Strategy 3. Provide support to substance
factors that
• Increase outreach
increase opportunities that use.*
minimize
to relevant sectors
increase involvement in drug-free
the risk of • Reduce
of the community
or healthy alternative activities.
substance substance
to address youth
use. use among
Strategy 4. Increase access, substance use.
youth and
reduce barriers, and improve • Increase the
• Increase the
over time
connections between systems and ease, ability,
capacity of local
reduce
services that help prevent youth and
agencies and
substance
substance use. opportunity
organizations to
use among
for youth to
address youth
Strategy 5. Change consequences
adults.*
access
substance use.
to incentivize positive practices and
settings,
disincentivize negative practices. • Increase
such as
intergovernmental
Strategy 6. Change physical design programs
cooperation,
of the community to enhance emphasizing
coordination, and
protection against or to reduce the self- efficacy
collaboration to
risk for youth substance use. and learning
change the
skills that
Strategy 7. Educate and inform conditions that
prevent
about modifying or changing impact youth
substance
policies that reduce access and substance use.
use.
availability to substances among
• Decrease
youth.
the ease,
ability, and
opportunity
for youth to
access
substances.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 23

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Strategies and activities
This section elaborates on the strategies and activities described in the logic
model. It provides details on how we expect you to implement your program.
We expect you to work with the 12 required sectors to carry out evidence-
based and practice-based prevention strategies to reduce the use of at least
two named substances. You can select your strategies and substances based
on a community needs assessment or other local data.
Your strategies should seek to:
• Limit access to substances.
• Change the culture and context around how decisions about substance
use are made.
• Shift the consequences associated with substance use to promote
healthy options.
• Address barriers to achieving optimal health and well-being.
Make sure that your strategies are comprehensive, and that you can carry
them out during the five-year period of performance.
Seven strategies for community-level change
These seven strategies are reflected in the logic model. They include efforts
that affect individuals as well as the entire community.
Provide information about youth substance use. This can include
educational presentations, workshops or seminars, and data or media
presentations, like public service announcements (PSAs), brochures, town
halls, forums, web communication, or social media. Information and
materials must focus on reducing substance use and misuse, and be
consistent with federal laws, regulations, Executive Orders, public policies,
and applicable court orders.
Build skills so youth, adults, and community members can build positive
social skills and decision-making abilities. You can do this through a
combination of activities such as workshops, seminars, or other activities
designed to increase the skills of participants, members, and staff. Examples
include training and technical assistance, parenting classes, strategic planning
retreats, and model programs in schools.
Provide support to increase opportunities that reduce risk factors or enhance
protective factors for youth and young adults. Create opportunities to
participate in activities that reduce risk or enhance protection. This might
include mentoring, referrals for services, support groups, and youth clubs.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 24

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Increase access, reduce barriers, and improve connections between
systems and services that help prevent youth substance use. Improve
systems and processes to increase the ease, ability, and opportunity to use
them. These might include opportunities to access transportation, housing,
education, safety, recreational facilities, and culturally sensitive prevention
initiatives.
Change consequences to incentivize positive practices and disincentivize
negative practices. Increase or decrease the probability of a behavior by
altering the consequences for performing that behavior. This might include
recognition programs for merchants who pass compliance checks.
Change the physical design of the community to reduce the risk of and
enhance protection against youth substance use. This might include
educating relevant stakeholders on re-routing foot and car traffic, adjusting
park hours, and reducing the number and location of places where people
can access alcohol or tobacco. DFC federal funds or your cost sharing
contributions cannot support landscape, lighting, or construction projects.
Educate and inform about policies that reduce access and availability of
substances among youth. This may include written procedures, by-laws,
proclamations, rules, or laws, to the extent that applicable law and policies
allow. This might also include workplace initiatives, law enforcement
procedures, and practices, public policy actions, and systems change.
To help inform your strategies and activities, you can:
• Use the SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework for assessment,
planning, and decision-making.
• Use the National Coalition Institute’s (NCI) coalition logic model to identify
root causes and local conditions to address youth substance use. You can
use the results of that analysis to determine the strategies and activities
you’ll use to support the outcomes in the logic model.
• Refer to the seven strategies for community-level change and CDC’s
ENGAGE tool to identify evidence-based strategies.
You are not required to submit your own logic model in your application.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 25

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Outcomes
This section includes information about the outcomes we expect you to
report progress on and achieve within the performance period.
We expect you to achieve a series of short-term, intermediate, and long-term
outcomes because of your efforts. Tailor the short-term, intermediate, and
long-term outcomes in the logic model in your evaluation and performance
measurement plan.
Communities served
We expect you to define the communities you propose to serve using various
geographic boundaries, including:
• Neighborhoods.
• Census tracts.
• ZIP codes.
• School districts.
• Townships.
• Counties.
• Parish lines.
• Other defining properties.
Carefully consider the size and population of the area so you will have the
ability to affect change. For example, choosing a community that is too large
may be problematic, because multiple neighborhoods may have distinct
problems or conditions that need to be addressed to affect change.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 26

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Work plan
You must provide a detailed work plan (called the 12-month action plan in
this NOFO) for the current performance period of 2026 to 2027. The action
plan should demonstrate a comprehensive approach to reduce the use of at
least two substances and create sustainable community-level change.
Develop your 12-month action plan by using the following example. Make
sure your plan:
• Outlines specific objectives, strategies, and activities that align with the
two DFC goals, including who is responsible and the anticipated
timeframe.
• Addresses at least two named substances that you select, based on a
community needs assessment or other local data. You should include a
rationale based on data such as school suspension rates, juvenile court
data, emergency room data, or other applicable data. Strategies and
activities should be specific to the selected substances. Note: Vaping is
not a substance, it is a substance delivery method.
• Includes activities that address risk and protective factors, including root
causes that may be driving substance use in the community.
• Uses existing frameworks, such as the SAMHSA Strategic Prevention
Framework (SPF) and seven strategies for community-level change.
• Includes objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic,
and time-bound (SMART).
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 27

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Example work plan (12-month action plan)
DFC Goal 1: Establish and strengthen collaboration among community
stakeholders and organizations to address youth substance use.
Table: Work plan example for objective 1
Objective 1: [SMART objective]
Strategy 1: [Specific strategy]
Activity Who is Responsible? By when?
Strategy 2: [Specific strategy]
Activity Who is Responsible? By when?
DFC Goal 2: Reduce substance use among youth and, over time, reduce
substance use among adults by addressing the factors in a community that
increase the risk of substance use and promoting the factors that minimize
the risk of substance use, in alignment with the DFC statute.
Table: Work plan example for objective 2
Objective 2: [SMART objective]
Strategy 1: [Specific strategy]
Activity Who is Responsible? By when?
Strategy 2: [Specific strategy]
Activity Who is Responsible? By when?
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 28

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
You must also provide a summary (up to one paragraph) of what you aim to
achieve at the end of the five years. Include how the objectives and strategies
outlined in the 12-month action plan will contribute to the long-term
outcomes to foster sustainable, community-level change.
You will be able to modify and finalize the work plan post-award, after you
complete the National Coalition Institute Training Program.
Table: Using SMART Objectives
Regular objective SMART Objective
Reduce substance use rates for By August 30, 2027, reduce the
adolescents. percent of 9th graders in Specific
County who have used Specific
Substance from 8 percent baseline to
7 percent as indicated in our annual
youth survey.
Meet with 12 high schools to inform Public health staff will meet with key
them about drug drop-box programs. stakeholders at all high schools in our
jurisdiction, resulting in 3 out of 4 high
schools committing to work on
educating about and implementing
drug drop-box programs by August
2027, as indicated in our annual
school partner survey.
Data, monitoring, and evaluation
CDC strategy
CDC will work with you throughout the life of an award to ensure that all
activities and expected outcomes align with your strategies and goals, and
those of the U.S. government. This include providing evaluation and
performance measurement tools used to:
• Highlight program accomplishments.
• Monitor the implementation.
• Demonstrate the effectiveness of NOFO strategies and activities.
• Build an evidence base for program strategies.
• Clarify how applicable the evidence base is to different communities,
settings, and contexts.
• Drive continuous program improvement.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 29

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Required performance measures
DFC National Cross-Site Evaluation
The DFC National Cross-Site Evaluation is intended to measure how effective
the DFC Support Program is in achieving its goals of increasing collaboration
and preventing or reducing youth substance use. Collecting key data is a
critical component of this NOFO.
You must participate in the DFC National Cross-Site Evaluation. This includes
providing data every 2 years on core measures for alcohol, tobacco,
marijuana, and prescription drug use in at least three grades between 6th
and 12th grade, regardless of the substances included in the work plan for
your program. We recommend that you include at least one grade at the
middle school level and one grade at the high school level.
You will collect data for the following measures:
• Past 30-day use: The percentage of survey respondents who reported
using alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or misusing prescription drugs at least
once within the past 30 days.
• Perception of risk: The percentage of survey respondents who perceived
that their use of a given substance has moderate or great risk.
• Perception of parental disapproval: The percentage of survey
respondents who perceived their parents would feel that regular use of
alcohol (one or two drinks nearly every day), or engaging in any use of
tobacco, marijuana, or misuse of prescription drugs is wrong or very
wrong.
• Perception of peer disapproval: The percentage of survey respondents
who perceived their friends would feel it would be wrong or very wrong for
them to drink alcohol regularly (one or two drinks nearly every day), or
engage in any use of tobacco, marijuana, or misuse of prescription drugs.
You’re responsible for adhering to the DFC National Cross-Site Evaluation
reporting schedule (every 2 years for the substances named in the three
grade levels you choose). If you do not submit the core measures, you will fail
to comply with the award terms and conditions. For more details, refer to the
Changes in HHS regulations section.
Annual progress reports
You’re also required to submit annual progress reports that outline the
community profile, sector and youth engagement, coalition capacity, risk, and
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 30

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
protective factors, and implementation of youth substance use prevention
strategies. You will also report on the establishment and development of a
youth coalition where youth will hold key leadership roles and work together
to plan and implement prevention activities. Using the program logic model,
you should identify and monitor measures of short-term, intermediate, and
long-term outcomes, which can serve as benchmarks for measuring
programmatic progress and impact.
Evaluation and performance measurement plan
You must provide an evaluation and performance measurement plan. Use
the measures required under the CDC strategy section.
Include the following elements.
Methods
Describe how you will:
• Collect the performance measures.
• Use evaluation findings for continuous program quality improvement.
• Respond to the evaluation questions.
• Incorporate evaluation and performance measurement into planning,
implementing, and reporting of project activities.
Additionally, explain:
• How key program partners will participate in the evaluation and
performance measurement process.
• How feasible it will be to collect appropriate evaluation and
performance data.
• How you will share evaluation findings with communities and
stakeholders.
• Other relevant information, such as performance measures you propose.
Evaluation and performance measurement requirements
post-award
You’re not required, at the time of application, to comply with the DFC
National Cross-Site Evaluation’s Requirements. However, you are required to
comply with the evaluation requirements once awarded. This includes:
• Submitting any surveys used to collect core measure data for review and
approval through the DFC and CARA & Me system.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 31

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
• Submitting the core measure data in specified increments (every 2 years)
for the substances named in the respective grade levels.
• Submitting a data management plan (DMP) that includes:
◦ The data you will collect or generate.
◦ Who can access data and how you will protect it.
◦ Data standards that explain what documentation the released data
will have. That documentation should describe collection methods,
what the data represent, and data limitations.
◦ Archival and long-term data preservation plans.
◦ Any reasons you cannot share data collected or generated under this
award with CDC. These could include legal, regulatory, policy, or
technical concerns.
◦ How you will update the DMP as new information is available over
the life of the project. You will provide updates to the DMP in
annual reports.
For a definition of “public health data” and other key information, see Data
Management and Access on our website.
Paperwork Reduction Act
Any activities involving information collection from 10 or more individuals or
organizations may require the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) approval. The
PRA requires review and approval of the information collection by the White
House Office of Management and Budget. For further information to
determine if a proposed activity requires PRA approval, contact your project
officer. Collections include items like surveys and questionnaires. If you have
collections requiring PRA approval, CDC is responsible for working with OMB
to gain the approval.
For more information about CDC’s requirements under PRA see CDC
Paperwork Reduction Act Compliance.
Organizational capacity
You must demonstrate your organizational capacity to manage and
implement the grant. This capacity includes your organizational structure, key
personnel, and community coalition described as follows.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 32

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Organizational structure
You must describe the organizational structure and how it will support your
implementation of the grant.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 33

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
You must have the capacity to:
• Oversee operations of activities and programs.
• Provide fiscal oversight.
• Complete and submit required reports on time.
• Provide adequate communication.
• Formulate coalition goals and objectives.
• Develop and carry out the 12-month action plan.
• Maintain engagement with the required 12 sectors each budget year.
• Retain and recruit members.
• Demonstrate substantial involvement from volunteers.
If you are serving as a fiscal agent on behalf of a coalition, indicate that in the
organizational capacity section of your project narrative.
The fiscal agent must:
• Only receive one DFC grant at a time as the fiscal agent acting on behalf
of one coalition that represents a community. A fiscal agent cannot apply
on behalf of multiple coalitions.
• Be in the same geographic state as the coalition to ensure that one of the
purposes of the statute is for the coalition to represent a community.
Fiscal agents must include a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that
describes:
• The working relationship between the fiscal agent and the community
coalition.
• The management role of the coalition’s leadership in financial decisions
related to the DFC grant.
A sample MOU is provided in the Other Supporting Documents folder on
grants.gov.
Key personnel
At a minimum, we require the following key personnel:
Authorized organization representative (AOR)
• The AOR is the representative of your organization who has authority to
act on your organization’s behalf in matters related to the award and
administration of grants.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 34

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
• In signing a grant application, the AOR agrees that your organization will
assume the obligations of the award. These responsibilities include
overseeing the financial aspects of the grant and the performance of the
grant-supported project or activities as specified in the approved
application.
• The AOR must be an employee of your organization and must be
identified in the Personnel budget category as either federal or non-
federal.
• The AOR must not be the same person as the PD/PI and the project
coordinator.
Program director or principal investigator (PD/PI)
• The PD/PI is the person who provides programmatic oversight of the
grant and is accountable to officials of your organization.
• The PD/PI cannot be the same person as the AOR.
Project coordinator
• The project coordinator manages the work of the coalition and program
activities, including training, coalition communication, data collection,
and information dissemination.
• The PD/PI and the project coordinator can be the same person.
Required skills
Staff selected to fulfill key personnel positions should have skills in non-
research program administration, including:
• Program planning and implementation.
• Program evaluation.
• Performance monitoring.
• Financial management and reporting.
• Budget management and administration.
• Personnel management.
• Project management.
To demonstrate proficiency in these topic areas, you will submit resumes for
filled positions or position descriptions for unfilled positions.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 35

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Community coalition
Describe the role of the community coalition in this section of your
application.
For the purposes of this program, a community coalition is a community-
based formal arrangement among 12 required sectors to cooperate and
collaborate. Each group retains its identity, but all agree to work together
toward a common goal.
Please note: Coalition members cannot represent more than one sector. Paid
staff (like your program director/principal investigator and project
coordinator) cannot serve as sector representatives.
Please refer to the following page for a detailed description of the required
sectors.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 36

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
The required sectors are:
Youth: Someone 18 years of age or younger in a public, private, home schooled, or alternative
school (you must list their age).
Parent: A person who is legally responsible for a child, grandchild, or foster child.
Business: A representative of a business-related organization that provides services that are not
in conflict with the goals and objectives of the DFC program.
Media: A representative of a communication outlet that provides information to the community.
Through an appropriate media platform, this representative should be capable of
communicating and sharing information (such as in print, digitally, or through social media) that
furthers the coalition’s mission.
School: A representative of the school system with influence in school policies and procedures.
Youth-serving organization: A representative of an organization that provides services to
support youth.
Religious or fraternal organization: A representative of a faith-based organization or
representative from a fraternal organization that’s based on a common tie or pursuit of a
common goal. The organization must have a substantial program of fraternal activities.
Law enforcement: A representative of a law enforcement agency. The representative must be
an active sworn law enforcement officer, not retired.
Civic or volunteer groups: A representative of an organization that provides civic or volunteer
activities that serves the community (not a coalition member). Examples include Lions clubs,
Rotary clubs, and so on.
Healthcare professional: An individual or representative of an organization licensed to provide
physical, mental, or behavioral healthcare services, like a pediatrician, pharmacist and so on.
State, local, or tribal governmental agency with expertise in the field of substance use: A
representative of a government-funded agency with a focus on substance use prevention,
treatment, or recovery support services.
Other organizations involved in reducing substance use.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 37

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
For tribal applicants, appropriate sector representatives
may hold different titles and positions than non-tribal
applicants. For example:
• A traditional healer or spiritual leader can serve as the religious and
fraternal organization sector representative.
• A tribal Elder that enforces tribal law can serve as a law enforcement sector
representative.
• A storyteller can serve as the media sector representative.
If there are positions or titles for other sectors that you believe meet DFC
requirements, please provide the rationale in the sector table.
Collaborations
With other grant-funded projects and organizations
We encourage you, where applicable and appropriate, to collaborate with
local, state, federal, Tribal, and territories’ grant-funded programs that are
implementing evidence-based and practice-based prevention strategies that
align within the strategies and activities section. Note this in your application.
Memoranda of understanding (MOUs) or memoranda of agreement (MOAs)
with these collaborators are not required.
Examples of relevant CDC partners and programs include:
• Overdose Data to Action – State Overdose Data to Action
• Overdose Data to Action – Local Overdose Data to Action
• Overdose Response Strategy (ORS), High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas
(HIDTA) Program
• Suicide Prevention, National Center for Injury and Prevention
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 38

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Funding policies and limitations
Changes in HHS regulations
As of October 1, 2025, HHS adopted 2 CFR 200, with some exceptions
included in 2 CFR 300. These regulations replace those in 45 CFR 75. You can
find details in HHS Summary of Regulatory Changes, which is posted in the
Grants.gov Related Documents tab for this opportunity.
Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.340, the recipient agrees that, by accepting this award,
continued funding for the award is contingent upon the availability of
appropriated funds, recipient satisfactory performance, compliance with the
terms and conditions of the award, and a determination by the agency that
the award continues to effectuate program goals or agency priorities.
General guidance
Your budget is arranged in eight categories: salaries and wages, fringe
benefits, supplies, travel, other categories (includes consultant costs),
contractual costs, and total direct and indirect costs.
• You may use funds only for reasonable program purposes consistent
with the award, its terms and conditions, and federal laws and
regulations that apply to the award. If you have questions about this
determination, ask the grants management specialist.
• You may not use funds to purchase furniture or equipment.
• Support beyond the first budget year will depend on:
◦ Appropriation of funds.
◦ Satisfactory progress in meeting your project’s objectives.
◦ A decision that continued funding is in the government’s best
interest
Unallowable costs
You may not use funds for:
• Research.
• Clinical care, except as allowed by law.
• Pre-award costs, unless we give you prior written approval.
• Harm reduction services, including but not limited to syringe service
programs, vaping detection devices, drug testing strips, drug testing kits,
or to purchase Naloxone.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 39

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
• Other than for normal and recognized executive-legislative relationships:
◦ Publicity or propaganda purposes, including preparing, distributing,
or using any material designed to support or defeat the enactment
of legislation before any legislative body.
◦ The salary or expenses of any grant or contract recipient, or agent
acting for such recipient, related to any activity designed to influence
the enactment of legislation, appropriations, regulation,
administrative action, or executive order proposed or pending
before any legislative body.
◦ See Anti-Lobbying Restrictions for CDC Grantees.
Supplanting existing funding
• You cannot replace your current program’s funds with federal grant
funds.
Pass-through funding to community organizations
• Grant funds cannot be passed on to other community organizations via
mini-grants or other methods, including one coalition funding another
coalition. The recipient coalition must directly manage the programmatic
work of the DFC Program.
Data collection and evaluation limit
• No more than 10% of the total federal grant award can be used for data
collection and evaluation purposes. Coalitions are not required to hire
evaluators.
• This limit does not apply to non-federal match funding.
Furniture and equipment purchases
• You cannot use funds to purchase furniture or equipment.
• You cannot use funds for landscaping or neighborhood revitalization
projects, including lighting or community gardening efforts.
Law enforcement costs
• You cannot use funds for law enforcement equipment, drug courts, drug
search detection canines, or related training.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 40

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Educational and sports programs
• You cannot use funds for youth sports programs.
• You cannot use funds for stipends or tuition expenses.
• You cannot use funds for curricula or packaged strategies that do not
have evidence of effectiveness or have evidence of harm in the peer
reviewed literature.
Special considerations
• Food is only allowed as a small incentive (up to $3 per person) for
participating in a community-wide event of the DFC Support Program.
• Promotional items/incentives are only allowed for program outreach,
and specific purposes necessary to meet the requirements, goals, and
objectives of the federal grant award (up to $30 per person per activity).
• Travel: Follow the guidance provided by your organization. If you don’t
have official travel guidance, refer to Plan a Trip for detailed instructions
on local GSA rates.
• Lodging and subsistence: Other travel expenses like lodging, meals, and
incidentals, must be reasonable and not exceed the costs outlined in
local GSA rates or the limits set by your organization’s travel policy. For
more information on travel costs, please see 2 CFR 200.475.
• You can use funds for program staff background checks and drug tests.
For guidance on some types of costs that we restrict or do not allow, see 2
CFR Part 200 Subpart E.
Indirect costs
Indirect costs have a common or joint purpose across more than one project
and cannot be easily separated by project. Learn more at CDC Budget
Preparation Guidelines.
To charge indirect costs you can select one of two methods:
Method 1 — Approved rate. You currently have an indirect cost rate
approved by your cognizant federal agency.
Provide a summary of the rate. Enclose a copy of the current approved rate
agreement in your attachments.
Method 2 — De minimis rate. Per 2 CFR 200.414(f), if you have never
received a negotiated indirect cost rate, you may elect to charge a de minimis
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 41

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
rate. If you choose this method, costs included in the indirect cost pool must
not be charged as direct costs.
This rate is 15% of modified total direct costs (MTDC). See 2 CFR 200.1 for the
definition of MTDC. You can use this rate indefinitely.
Other indirect cost policies
• As described in 2 CFR 200.403(d), you must consistently charge items as
either indirect or direct costs and may not double charge.
• Indirect costs may include the cost of collecting, managing, sharing, and
preserving data.
Salary rate limitation
The salary rate limitation in the current appropriations act applies to this
program. As of January 2026, the salary rate limitation is $228,000. We will
update this limitation in future years.
Program income
Program income is money earned as a result of your award-supported project
activities. You must use program income for the purposes and under the
conditions of the award. Find more about program income at 2 CFR 200.307.
Step 1: Review the Opportunity 42

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Step 2:
Get Ready to Apply
In this step
Get registered 44
Find the application package 44
Help applying 45
Join the informational call 45

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Get registered
SAM.gov
You must have an active account with SAM.gov to apply. SAM.gov registration
can take several weeks. Begin that process today.
To register:
• Go to SAM.gov Entity Registration and select Get Started. From the same
page, you can also select the Entity Registration Checklist for the
information you will need to register.
• You must agree to the financial assistance general certifications and
representations specifically. Those for contracts are different.
When you register, you will also receive your required Unique Entity Identifier
(UEI).
Once you register:
• You will have to maintain your registration throughout the life of any
award.
• If your organization has multiple UEIs, use the one associated with your
physical location.
Grants.gov
You must also have an active account with Grants.gov. You can see step-by-
step instructions at the Grants.gov Quick Start Guide for Applicants.
Find the application
package
The application package has all the forms you need to apply. You can find it
online. Go to Grants.gov and search for opportunity number CDC-RFA-
CE-26-0061.
We recommend that you select the Subscribe button from the View Grant
Opportunity page for this NOFO to get updates.
If you can’t use Grants.gov to download application materials or have other
technical difficulties, including issues with application submission, contact
Grants.gov support for assistance.
Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 44

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Need help? See Contacts and Support.
Help applying
For help related to the application process and tips for preparing your
application, see How to Apply on our website. For other questions, see
Contacts and Support.
Join the informational call
For more information about this opportunity, join our informational call: NEW
(Year 1) Applicant Informational Webinar.
Date: March 18, 2026
Time: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET
We will record the webinar. If you can’t join live, you can replay the webinar.
The goals of this session are to review the requirements of the DFC Program,
outline how to apply, and describe how the applications will be evaluated and
scored.
Joining and participating is voluntary and does not affect eligibility, application
scoring, or award selection. You can attend anonymously.
Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 45

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Step 3:
Build Your Application
In this step
Application checklist 47
Application contents and format 49

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Application checklist
This checklist includes every component you will need to submit a complete
application:
Narratives
Item Grants.gov form Page limit
Project abstract Project Abstract Summary form 1 page
Project narrative Project Narrative Attachment form 20 pages
Budget narrative justification Budget Narrative Attachment form None
Attachments
Put all of your attachments into a single Other Attachments form.
Attachments (13 total) Page limit
Table of contents None
Sector table None
Meeting minutes None
General applicant information None
Letter of mutual cooperation (if applicable) None
Statement of legal eligibility None
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (if applicable) None
Ten-year funding limit None
Disclosure of prior DFC funding None
Congressional notification None
Indirect cost rate agreement None
Resumes and job descriptions None
Report on overlap (if applicable)
Step 3: Build Your Application 47

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Other required forms
Other forms Grants.gov form Page limit
Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) Form SF-424 None
Budget Information for Non-Construction Form SF-424A None
Programs (SF-424A)
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) Form SF-LLL None
Your organization’s authorized official must certify your application.
See responsiveness criteria to understand how they affect your application.
Required format for project abstract, project narrative,
and budget narrative
Font: Calibri
File format: PDF
Size: 12-point font
Tables, footnotes, and text in graphics may be 10-point.
Ink color: Black
Spacing: Single-spaced
Margins: 1-inch
Include page numbers.
Step 3: Build Your Application 48

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Application contents
and format
Applications include narratives, attachments, and other required forms. This
section includes guidance on each.
Project summary (0 points)
Page limit: 1
File name: Project abstract summary
Provide a self-contained summary of your proposed project, including the
purpose and outcomes. Do not include any proprietary or confidential
information. We use this information when we receive public information
requests about funded projects.
Project narrative (100 points)
Page limit: 20
File name: Project narrative
Total Number of points
Section Evaluation Criterion
(out of 100)
1. Background and approach Background 5 points
Approach 20 points
Communities served 5 points
Work plan 20 points
2. Evaluation and Evaluation and performance 25 points
performance measurement measurement plan
3. Organizational capacity Organizational structure 15 points
Community coalition 10 points
Your project narrative must use the exact headings, subheadings, and order
as follows.
Step 3: Build Your Application 49

---

1.Review 2.Get Ready 3.Build 4.Understand 5.Submit 6.Award Contacts
Background (5 maximum points: See table)
Describe the problem you plan to address. Be specific to your population and
geographic area.
Reviewers will evaluate the extent to which the applicant provides: Points
A clear description of the nature and scope of the problem, including the risk factors 5 points
and local conditions that are driving youth substance use and data to show how the
chosen substances have contributed to problems among youth in the community.
Approach (20 maximum points: See table)
Strategies and activities
Describe how you will carry out the proposed strategies and activities to
achieve performance outcomes. Explain whether they are:
• Existing evidence-based strategies.
• Other strategies. Note where you describe how you will evaluate them in
your evaluation and performance measurement plan.
If needed, refer to the strategies and activities section of the program
description.
Outcomes
Use the program logic model in the approach section of the program
description, identify outcomes you expect to achieve or make progress on by
the end of the performance period.
Reviewers will evaluate the extent to which the applicant provides: Points
How the application addresses youth substance use in the community, including the 5 points
mission of the coalition as it relates to preventing youth substance use.
Goals aligned with the DFC logic model and consistent with the period of performance 15 points
outcomes in the program’s logic model.
Strategies and activities achievable and appropriate to meet the project outcomes.
Step 3: Build Your Application 50

---

[Document continues — 21 more pages]

---

2026 Supporting Materials.docx

# Supporting Materials

Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Statutory Eligibility Requirements (SER) Checklist

This checklist can be used to ensure you have the required evidence to meet the DFC SERs.

NOFO-Specific Glossary and Acronyms

Achievable: Attainable within a given timeframe and with available project resources.

Activities: The actual events or actions that take place as a part of the program.

Allowable cost: A cost incurred by a recipient that is:

• Reasonable for the performance of the award

• Allocable

• In conformance with, or incorporated by reference, any limitations or exclusions set forth in the federal cost principles applicable to the organization incurring the cost or the Notice of Award (NOA) as to type or amount

• Consistent with regulations, policies and procedures of the recipient that apply uniformly to both federally supported and other activities of the organization

• Determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; and not included as a cost in any other federally supported award (unless specifically authorized by statute).

Authorized Organization Representative: The AOR is the representative of the applicant/recipient organization with authority to act on the organization’s behalf in matters related to the award and administration of grants. In signing a grant application, this individual agrees that the organization will assume the obligations imposed by applicable Federal statutes and regulations and other terms and conditions of the award, including any assurances, if a grant is awarded. These responsibilities include overseeing the financial aspects of the grant and the performance of the grant-supported project or activities as specified in the approved application. This person must be an employee of the applicant/recipient organization.

Community-level Change: Change that occurs within the overall population of the community.

DFC & CARA Me: DFC’s Management and Evaluation system used for grant communications and progress reporting in concert with CDC’s grants management system GrantSolutions. DFC & CARA Me is also used as a learning center for award recipients.

Fiscal Agent: Fiscal Agents are those entities or organizations with high-quality financial and management expertise that agree to serve as the legal applicant for DFC funding when community-based coalitions are unable to apply on their own behalf. The fiscal agent serves to administer and protect the grant funds to further the nonprofit agency's mission. The fiscal agent assumes all responsibility for the grant and the grant requirements by providing timely reporting to allow CDC to monitor performance while the work is carried out and performed by the community-based coalition. The relationship with the coalition is established prior to application for funding though a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Key Personnel: Individuals, in addition to the principal investigator/program director (PI/PD), identified by the operational division in the Notice of Award (NOA) that are considered critical to the project (i.e., their removal or absence from the project would have a significant impact on the project). The PI/PD is always considered both a “key person” and a “principal.” Other key personnel generally are not considered “principals” for purposes of suspension and debarment.

Measurable: Amount of expected change that is possible or a way to quantify an activity or its results. It also means that the source of and mechanism for collecting measurement data can be identified and that collection of the data is feasible for the project. A baseline measurement is required to document change (e.g., to measure the percentage of increase or decrease). If an applicant plans to use a specific measurement instrument, it is recommended that the instrument is incorporated into the outcome.

New Coalition: A new coalition must fit the following criteria.

The proposed new, unique, and distinct coalition:

• must be made up of different leadership and sector representatives from the community

• must have a new name and mission statement

• must have a 12-Month Action Plan based on a newly conducted community needs assessment

• must serve a new population

Objectives: What is to be accomplished during a specific period of time to move toward achievement of a goal. Measurable objectives must include the following elements:

• The type of change

• How much change will occur, including the specific amount of increase or decrease

• The specific population to be addressed (if population is youth, the ages of youth or grade level are identified)

• A specific date (month/year) by when change will be accomplished; and indicates how change will be measured

Pass-through Program: A program where the recipient’s role is to select subrecipients that are expected to provide the services that are the purpose of the grant, coordinating and overseeing their activities, and providing the administrative support needed to meet OPDIV requirements. Recipients under the DFC Support Program are not permitted to run their program as a pass-through program.

Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI): The individual(s) designated by the recipient to direct the project or program being supported by the grant. The PD/PI is responsible and accountable to officials of the recipient organization for the proper conduct of the project, program, or activity. The PD/PI cannot be the same person as the AOR.

Project Coordinator: An individual who coordinates the work of the coalition and program activities, including training, coalition communication, data collection, and information dissemination. The Project Coordinator will be listed on the DFC website if the grant is awarded.

Realistic: Within the scope of the project and propose reasonable programmatic steps that can be implemented within a specific time frame. Recipient: Conduct the day-to-day operations of the grant program.

Rural: According to the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, rural is defined as a county with a population that does not exceed 30,000 individuals.

Specific: Includes the “who” and “what” of program activities. Use only one action verb to avoid issues with measuring success.

Strategy: An overarching strategic plan, action, initiative, or policy approach designed to achieve a key or primary aim or objective the coalition intends to achieve intended results.

Supplement, not supplant: A form of maintenance of effort requirement that specifies that federal funds received may not be used to replace existing state, local, or agency funds with federal funds. Federal funds may be used to supplement existing activities. Existing state, local, or agency funds for a project may not be replaced by federal funds and reallocated for other organizational expenses. The baseline for a supplement-not-supplant requirement may be the recipient’s previous fiscal year or another baseline year or period.

Time-bound: Provide a timeframe indicating when the outcome will be measured or a time by when the outcome will be met.

Statistics

According to the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey:

• 22 percent of high school students reported consuming alcohol

• 17 percent reported current marijuana use

• 4 percent reported current prescription opioid misuse

• Female high students were more likely than their peers to have used or misused substances

• Nearly 1 in 4 female students currently drank alcohol and nearly 1 in 5 currently used marijuana

• The percentage of Black students who currently drank alcohol increased from 2021 – 2023

• The percentage of Black, Hispanic, and White students who currently misused prescription opioids decreased from 2021-2023

• 4 in 10 students experienced persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness and 2 in 10 seriously considered attempting suicide

According to the CDC:

• Drug overdose deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds doubled from 2019 to 2022.

• From 2022 to 2023, the number of drug overdose deaths involving any opioid decreased 3.0% from 81,806 to 79,358.

• In 2023, approximately 105,000 drug overdose deaths occurred.

• In 2023, drug overdose deaths involving any opioids (79,358) accounted for 75.6% of drug overdose deaths overall.

• In 2023, drug overdose death counts and rates were highest for males (74,189 – rate=44.3) and persons 35-44 (27,005 - rate=60.8).

---

Congressional Notification.docx

Congressional Notification

Applicants must follow the exact format below and include the completed Congressional Notification with the application. The Project Description for the Congressional Notification must not exceed 35 lines nor exceed more than one page. If the application is funded this information will be shared with members of Congress and the media and may be posted to the DFC website.

Template

Grant Award Number (if applicable)

Coalition Name:

Legal Applicant Organization:

Coalition Community:

Legal Applicant Contact Name:

Legal Applicant Contact Mailing Address:

Legal Applicant Contact E-Mail Address:

Legal Applicant Contact Phone:

Coalition Contact Name:

Coalition Contact Mailing Address:

Coalition Contact E-Mail Address:

Coalition Contact Phone:

[Name of State]

Serving Federal Congressional District(s): [    ]

Coalition Located in Federal Congressional District: [    ]

Project Description

The [Coalition Name] was awarded a FY2026 Drug-Free Communities Support Program grant in the amount of $ [fill in amount requested] by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Coalition serves [Community/Town], [State], a community of [total population].  The goals of the coalition are to establish and strengthen community collaboration in support of local efforts to prevent youth substance use. The coalition will achieve its goals by implementing these strategies [Provide a one-sentence description on your strategies. Coalitions may also provide a description of special efforts, initiatives, and/or approaches (i.e., drugged driving, opioid prevention, etc.)].

Applicants must follow the exact format of the template and not exceed 35 lines nor exceed more than one page.

---

Disclosure of Prior DFC Funding.docx

Disclosure of Prior DFC Funding

Applicants must indicate whether their coalition has ever received prior DFC funding by completing the checklist and the table below. Please include the state and prior fiscal agents. Sign and date the bottom of the form.

Coalition:

☐   Coalition that has had no prior DFC funding

☐   Coalition applicant formerly funded through DFC

Applicant:

☐  Applicant/fiscal agent for a coalition that has had no prior DFC funding

☐  Applicant/fiscal agent for a coalition that received DFC funding for [ # ] years

Please use the prompts in the table below. List all prior DFC funding received. You may add as many rows as needed to include all required information.

Disclosure

Disclosure of All Prior DFC Funding

I attest that the information provided in the above table is true and correct.

_________________________________       _____________________________________

Legal Applicant’s Name                            Legal Applicant’s Signature

_________________________________       _____________________________________

Legal Applicant’s Title                                      Legal Applicant’s Organization/Agency

_________/___/____

Date

---

General Applicant Information.docx

General Applicant Information

You must provide responses to the required information below.

---

Memorandum of Understanding.docx

Memorandum of Understanding

If the applicant is serving as a fiscal agent on behalf of a coalition, the applicant must provide a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) describing the relationship between the fiscal agent and the community coalition. The MOU submitted in the application should reflect the working relationship between Fiscal Agent and the coalition, including the management role of the coalition’s leadership in financial decisions related to the DFC grant applied for on their behalf by a partnering organization.

Here are some considerations for selecting and partnering with a Fiscal Agent to apply for DFC Funding.

• Both the Fiscal Agent and the Coalition Representative must sign and date this MOU.

• The MOU must have a current date as specified in the NOFO.

• The MOU submitted in the application should reflect the working relationship between Fiscal Agent and the coalition. Below are considerations when developing a relationship with an outside partnering agency serving as the Fiscal Agent on behalf of a community coalition:

• While it is allowable for the recipient to retain a portion for administration of the DFC grant, DFC funds are not meant to substantially supplement the budget of a partnering agency. DFC funds are specifically intended to support the work of the community-based coalition.

• A coalition’s volunteer leadership should have a management role in all financial decisions related to a DFC grant applied for on their behalf by a partnering organization.

• The recipient and coalition may want to seek professional guidance such as an attorney and/or accountant when entering into such an agreement. Both the recipient and coalition should be fully aware of and understand the commitment in which they plan to enter.

We have included a sample MOU you can modify to describe the relationship between you and the coalition.

Sample Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between

Coalition and Fiscal Agent

This agreement between [Coalition] and [Fiscal Agent] shall be from [include date] until terminated by mutual agreement:

RESPONSIBILITES OF THE COALITION:

Set policy for and oversee its own programs including goals and objectives in alignment with the DFC Support Program's Terms and Conditions.

Participate, advise, and/or direct staff and volunteers, set goals and objectives for contract employees, and negotiate and make recommendations for contracts in collaboration with the grant recipient/legal applicant.

Create, approve, and partner in the management of the DFC budget in compliance with grant requirements.

Provide copies of all required documents to the grant recipient/legal applicant as requested.

Reimburse grant recipient/legal applicant for any indirect or direct expenses incurred by the coalition with prior approval.

Be solely responsible for liabilities arising out of its program and its interaction with program participants.

[include other...]

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FISCAL AGENT:

Provide the coalition staff with office space.

Compile financial reports on a mutually agreed upon schedule and provide to coalition.

Provide accounting services to prepare and distribute payroll, pay invoices, prepare and submit the appropriate forms for employment, wages and payroll taxes on behalf of the coalition.

Negotiate and/or bid and approve contracts in collaboration with the coalition.

Maintain all records pertaining to costs and expenses when reimbursement is claimed or payment is made and share such information with the coalition.

Obtain Workman's Compensation Insurance and liability coverage for the coalition's employee.

[include other...]

[Coalition] and [Fiscal Agent] mutually agree to abide by all applicable federal and state anti-discrimination statues, regulations, policies, and procedures. This agreement shall be subject to all applicable provisions of state and federal law and regulations related to the delivery and funding of grant activities.

_________________________________       _____________________________________

Official Coalition Representative’s Name                  Authorized Organization Representative’s Name

_________________________________       _____________________________________

Official Coalition Representative’s Signature            Authorized Organization Representative’s Signature

_________/___/____ _________/___/____

Date Date

---

Sector Table 2026.docx

Sector Representatives Table

Fill in all boxes of the Sector Table. Include the name of the individual, their organization, and a strong rationale to explain why that person is qualified to represent that sector. The rationale will be reviewed and must adhere to the sector representative definitions included in the NOFO.

---

Statement of Legal Eligibility.docx

Statement of Legal Eligibility

By statute, the Legal Applicant must demonstrate that the coalition is a nonprofit organization or has made arrangements with a legal entity that is eligible to receive federal grants. To meet this Statutory Eligibility Requirement, applicants must select either Option 1 or Option 2 and submit the signed Statement of Legal Eligibility.

Use the following format to provide your statement of legal eligibility

Statement of Legal Eligibility

OPTION 1. The Coalition is a 501(c)(3) organization.

To apply on their own behalf, coalitions must have obtained 501(c)(3) status on or before the date their

application is submitted.  The Coalition’s name is listed on the SF- 424 in Box #8a with the Coalition’s

Employer/Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN/TIN).

OPTION 2.  The Coalition is not a 501(c)(3) organization.

The Coalition must use a Fiscal Agent as their Legal Applicant to apply on its behalf. The Fiscal Agent’s name is listed on the SF-424 in Box #8a with the Fiscal Agent’s Employer/Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN/TIN). The applicant must provide a Memorandum of Understanding describing the relationship between the Fiscal Agent and Coalition.

I hereby certify that the organization applying for this grant is legally eligible to receive federal funding in accordance with the requirements listed above.

The Legal Applicant must sign and date the Statement of Legal Eligibility to certify that they are legally eligible to receive federal funds.

---

Ten-Year Funding Limit.docx

Ten-Year Funding Limit

Under the DFC Act of 1997, a coalition may not receive more than 10 years of DFC funding. This attachment requires the Legal Applicant to read, sign, and date this document to assure that under all situations, the coalition has not received more than 10 years of DFC funding. Specific restrictions are listed below and must be followed.

• Restrictions on Legal Applicant:

• A Legal Applicant serving as a Fiscal Agent may not receive DFC funds on behalf of a coalition that has had 10 years of DFC funding.

• Restrictions on 501(c)(3) coalitions:

• A coalition applying as its own Legal Applicant may receive no more than 10 years of DFC funding.

• A coalition that has received 10 years of DFC funding (through one or more Legal Applicant) may not receive further DFC funding.

• If additional information is needed to determine your coalition status as a new, unique, and distinct coalition, the Legal Applicant will be notified.

Assurance of DFC 10-Year Funding Limit

I hereby certify compliance with the 10-Year Funding Limit and that the applicant coalition has not received more than 10 years of DFC funding. Further, the restrictions provided on this form have not been violated.

The Legal Applicant must sign and date the assurance certifying that the coalition has not received more than 10 years of DFC funding.