On February 25, the House Appropriations Committee opened its portal for members of Congress to submit Community Project Funding requests for Fiscal Year 2027.
Commonly known as “earmarks” Community Project Funding bypasses the traditional competitive grant process to provide an opportunity for public and private nonprofit institutions of higher education to fund specific, local projects targeting infrastructure, community development, education, health services, and public safety initiatives. Institutions across the country have used earmarks to fund critical IT infrastructure improvements for the institution and the surrounding community, telehealth advancement for rural patients of the university hospital system, natural science research labs, and more.
A federal appropriation is a law that authorizes a federal agency to spend funds from the U.S. Treasury. Within appropriations legislation, an earmark designates a specific amount of federal funding for a particular project, program, or organization. These requests are typically submitted by individual members of Congress to support needs within their districts, states, or local communities.
Public and non-profit organizations—including public and nonprofit colleges, universities, and hospital systems—may apply.
Examples of Community Project Funding recipients in FY 2026:
- $3.1 million to fund a lab developing innovative neurological treatments.
- $2.1 million to create a facility for fortifying the semiconductor supply chain.
- $1 million for a university to develop a natural resources prediction model.
- $1 million for a university to modernize critical IT infrastructure impacting public safety.
- $1 million for an institution to construct a joint emergency operations facility.
- $850,000 for an artificial turf field to be utilized for K-12 sports teams.
- $1 million to rehabilitate and make capital improvements to a university building.
If your organization is considering submitting a Community Project Funding request, Husch Blackwell’s Public Policy, Regulatory, and Government Affairs group is ready to assist with identifying promising funding opportunities for FY 2027 and coordinating the communications necessary to advance the opportunity through Congress. By examining historical earmark data for your state and industry and working with our connections across Capitol Hill, we can help prepare a strong Community Project Funding request for submission to the appropriate members of Congress and advocate effectively to increase the likelihood that your project is included in the final funding bill.
There is a limit of 20 projects per member in FY 2027, and while deadlines vary by committee, all request submissions are due in March, so we encourage those interested to move quickly to ensure a seat at the table.
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