Fiscal Year 2025 Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program

The Fiscal Year 2025 Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program (EFSP) is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Specifically, it is managed by FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery (ORR), Recovery Directorate, and the Individual Assistance Division. This federal grant program is designed to provide supplemental funding to local social service organizations in the United States and its territories to support individuals and families facing emergency needs related to food and shelter. The program is statutorily governed by a National Board, chaired by FEMA, and composed of representatives nominated by six national nonprofit organizations: the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, The Jewish Federations of North America, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, The Salvation Army, and United Way Worldwide. EFSP was initially created in 1983 through the Job Stimulus Bill (Pub. L. No. 98-8) and later formally authorized under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The program’s main objective is to support the emergency needs of homeless and hungry individuals through local organizations by supplementing and expanding existing efforts. Permitted activities include providing food and shelter, transitioning individuals from temporary to permanent housing, addressing the needs of those with disabilities and illnesses, supporting innovative local programs, and funding minimal rehabilitation of mass shelter or feeding facilities to meet safety and building code standards. The total funding available under the Fiscal Year 2025 NOFO is $117,000,000. A single award will be made to the National Board, which will allocate funds to approximately 2,500 local jurisdictions through Local Boards. These Local Boards, along with State Set-Aside Committees, will in turn designate which Local Recipient Organizations (LROs) are awarded funding. The National Board and subrecipients may use up to 3.5% of the total award for administrative costs, and indirect costs are explicitly disallowed. Funds cannot be used for lobbying, cost sharing for other federal grants, or prosecuting claims against government entities. Eligibility to apply for this funding opportunity is exclusive to the National Board; no other entities are allowed to apply. However, subrecipients of EFSP funds include Local Boards, SSAs, and primarily LROs, which may include public and nonprofit organizations at the local level. There is no matching requirement associated with this grant. The application must be submitted through FEMA’s Grant Outcomes (FEMA GO) system, and all required forms, including SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, and a detailed budget narrative, must be included. The application window opens on August 1, 2025, at 12:00 a.m. ET and closes on August 15, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Awards are expected to be made by September 15, 2025, with the period of performance extending from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. For questions or technical assistance, several contacts are provided. The main program contact is FEMA’s Individual Assistance Division at EFSP@fema.dhs.gov or (202) 646-2500. Additional support is available through the FEMA Grants News Team (fema-grants-news@fema.dhs.gov, 800-368-6498), the Award Administration Division (ASK-GMD@fema.dhs.gov), and the FEMA GO Helpdesk (FEMAGO@fema.dhs.gov, 877-585-3242). Specific contacts also exist for civil rights, environmental planning, and payment information. All applicants must be registered in SAM.gov and possess a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) prior to submission.

Ensure active SAM and UEI; only submit via FEMA GO.