Social Innovation Fund

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) awards grants under the Social Innovation Fund (CFDA 94.019) to grantmaking institutions (intermediaries) that competitively select and fund community-based nonprofits implementing evidence-based programs, with the most recent grant award dated September 1, 2016.

Program activity has declined substantially. The fund awarded 38 grants total between 2010 and 2016, with peak years in 2014–2015 (7–8 awards annually) tapering to 4 awards in 2016. No grant awards have been disbursed since September 2016—a gap of over ten years as of this date. The portfolio shows no recent grant opportunities posted after March 2015. The program remains authorized but inactive in its current funding cycle.

The Social Innovation Fund invests in nonprofit intermediaries that operate three types of initiatives: geographically focused efforts serving specific metropolitan or rural regions; issue-based portfolios addressing one of three national priority areas (youth development, economic opportunity, or healthy futures); or hybrid approaches. Recent awards funded intermediaries working on third-grade reading proficiency, early childhood development, workforce training and asset building, behavioral health integration, youth mentoring in literacy, and economic opportunity through social enterprise models. Intermediaries like United Way affiliates, REDF, LISC, and foundation-backed entities received funding to make subgrants and provide technical assistance to subrecipients addressing concentrated disadvantage in low-income communities.

The fund is structured almost entirely around Project Grants (84% of awards, 32 grants) with a smaller Cooperative Agreement component (16%, 6 awards). Funding is concentrated within CNCS: the Office of Grants Management accounted for 21 awards valued at $156.2 million in federal dollars obligated, while the broader CNCS entity managed 17 awards valued at $140.5 million federal dollars obligated—collectively representing the full $296.7 million federal dollars obligated across the portfolio.

Combined federal and non-federal obligations totaled $895.3 million, indicating a mandatory one-to-one matching requirement from intermediaries and subgrantees. Recent awards ranged from $5.8 million to $43.9 million in federal obligation, with intermediaries typically requesting $1 million to $10 million annually over five-year terms. Three representative awards: LISC received $41.3 million (2015) for the Bridges to Career Opportunity workforce program across 14 geographies; the Silicon Valley Community Foundation received $21.2 million (2014) for the Big Lift initiative targeting third-grade reading in San Mateo County; and Methodist Healthcare Ministries received $44 million (2014) to scale integrated behavioral health models in South Texas.

The most recent posted opportunities dated to 2015 (March 17 deadline for issue-based and geographically-based intermediary applications) and 2012 (March 27 deadline for FY 2012 awards). Both solicitations required 501(c)(3) status or eligible partnerships with state commissions or local government; required applicants to demonstrate prior grantmaking track record; mandated one-to-one cash match; and prioritized evidence-based subgrant selection and rigorous evaluation. No active solicitations are currently posted. The program appears inactive for new funding cycles pending congressional reauthorization or agency re-launch.