Healthcare Grants: HRSA, SAMHSA, CDC Funding Guide (2026)

If you're a healthcare organization, community health nonprofit, or public health agency looking for grant funding, this guide covers the major federal programs, how foundation funders work, and how to approach both.

Healthcare is one of the most heavily federally funded sectors in the United States, but most of that money isn't distributed through open grant competitions. It flows through formula block grants to states, which then contract with providers. Understanding this structure is prerequisite to knowing where direct grant opportunities actually exist.

According to HRSA's current funding listings (opens in a new tab), Health Center Program Service Area Competition notices remain active in 2026. According to HRSA's Health Center Program (opens in a new tab), health centers provide care for patients regardless of ability to pay and must meet governance and service requirements. According to SAMHSA's grants dashboard (opens in a new tab), FY2026 behavioral health NOFOs include direct competitions and block-grant routes. According to CDC's Public Health Infrastructure Grant page (opens in a new tab), CDC had awarded over $5 billion through PHIG by December 2025. According to Grants.gov, healthcare applicants should verify current notices because eligibility can differ sharply by program and agency.

According to HRSA, completing a grant application can take 40 hours or more. According to CDC, PHIG includes over $4.6 billion for health departments and over $382 million for 3 national public health partners. According to CMS, Section 1332 State Innovation Waivers are state policy routes, not provider operating grants.

A common mistake: organizations applying for HRSA Section 330 New Access Point grants without first contacting their state's Primary Care Office to check whether the area they plan to serve has already been designated as a Medically Underserved Area or if a competing application is already in process. HRSA reviews funding priorities partially based on state PCO input, so organizations that never established that relationship before submitting can score lower on collaborative capacity criteria.

For example, an applicant planning a New Access Point could spend its first planning months with the state Primary Care Office and Primary Care Association on service-area documentation, needs-assessment data, and board governance before it writes a word of the application.

June 2026 Source Check: Healthcare Grants

The June 2 source check confirms that healthcare grant search should start with operating model, not the generic phrase "healthcare grants." HRSA's funding page showed an open Maternal and Child Health Services opportunity with a July 13, 2026 deadline as of the June 2026 check; that deadline has since passed. Check HRSA's current funding opportunities page for the active cycle. HRSA's Health Center Program page (opens in a new tab) says health centers served more than 32.7 million people in 2025 and that HRSA funds about 1,400 health centers running more than 16,600 service sites. We compared that page in October 2026 with the figures it showed in June (more than 32 million people in 2024 and 16,200 sites), so use the 2025 numbers. SAMHSA's grants page points users to FY2026 grant announcements and forecasts. CDC's PHIG page says CDC awarded over $5 billion through PHIG as of December 2025. CMS's 1332 waiver page remains a state policy route, not a provider operating grant.

June 2026 source update: Official pages say where funding sits, but they do not decide which healthcare applicant belongs in which lane. Grantsights adds that screen: FQHC expansion, behavioral health delivery, rural network, public health department work, clinical research, and state waiver planning each need a different source path.

Healthcare Grants Quick Answers

Best Fit and Bad Fit Checklist for Healthcare Grants

Our analysis is that healthcare grant fit depends less on the word "healthcare" and more on the operating model. For example, one rural clinic may need HRSA FORHP network funding, one FQHC expansion may need Section 330 readiness, and one hospital research team may be a better match for NIH than for a service-delivery grant.

Where official sources stop: HRSA, SAMHSA, CDC, CMS, and NIH each publish funding routes, but their pages do not tell a provider which operating model the route assumes. Our decision screen starts with the applicant's model: FQHC, behavioral health provider, rural network, public health agency, hospital research team, or state policy shop. That changes the next action because an FQHC expansion, a rural access project, and a clinical research study need different funders, evidence, and partners.

HRSA: The Primary Federal Health Grant Agency

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is the federal agency with the largest open grant portfolio for healthcare organizations. Check USAspending.gov (opens in a new tab) for HRSA's current award totals. HRSA's primary focus areas:

Health Centers (FQHC) Program

The Health Center Program (Section 330) is HRSA's largest single grant program, funding Federally Qualified Health Centers serving medically underserved areas and populations. FQHCs receive:

• Section 330 grants for full-scope primary care services
• Expanded service funding for existing health centers
• New Access Point grants when HRSA opens competition for new FQHCs (competed periodically, not annually)
• Capital Development grants for facility construction and renovation (periodically available)

According to HRSA, about 1,400 HRSA-funded health centers run more than 16,600 service sites and served more than 32.7 million people in 2025. FQHCs also receive enhanced Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates, making the grant itself a foundation for a sustainable business model. See our guide to federal grants for community health centers for a full breakdown of FQHC funding programs.

To apply: New FQHC funding opportunities are posted on Grants.gov under HRSA funding opportunities (CFDA 93.224). Contact your HRSA Regional Office to discuss readiness before applying.

Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program

Ryan White provides grants to cities, states, and organizations for HIV primary medical care, support services, and oral health services for people living with HIV. The program is organized into Parts:

• Part A: Grants to metropolitan areas with high HIV case counts (formula-based allocations to large cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Houston)
• Part B: Grants to states for statewide HIV services
• Part C: Early Intervention Services (clinic-based HIV services, competitive grants to organizations)
• Part D: Women, Infants, Children, Youth with HIV (competitive grants)
• Part F: Special Programs (Special Projects of National Significance, AIDS Education and Training Centers, dental programs, and the Minority AIDS Initiative)

Part C and Part D are directly competitive and open to healthcare organizations, FQHCs, and nonprofits.

If you're weighing the state-administered branch rather than the clinic-based competitions, compare this section with the Ryan White program guide and then screen current listings in the Grantsights grant database.

Health Workforce Programs

HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) funds training and placement programs for health professionals in shortage areas:

• National Health Service Corps (NHSC): Loan repayment and scholarships for clinicians serving in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs)
• Nurse Corps: Loan repayment for nurses at eligible sites
• Health Workforce Training grants (graduate medical education, nursing, primary care training)
• Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET): Funds training programs for mental health and substance use disorder professionals

Organizations can apply to become NHSC-approved sites, which helps recruit clinicians seeking loan repayment. The training grants go to academic institutions and health systems with training programs.

If your organization is trying to become a HRSA-supported health center or add a new site, start with the Health Center Program guide, the HRSA health center grants guide, and current HRSA listings before you choose a site, map, budget, and EHB submission path.

For the full program decision path, compare that live listing with the Health Center Program guide and the HRSA health center grants 2026 guide.

Maternal and Child Health

HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) funds programs serving pregnant women, children, and adolescents:

• Maternal and Child Health Block Grant (MCHBG): Formula funds to states, distributed by state MCH programs
• Healthy Start: Competitive grants to community organizations in areas with high infant mortality rates (check the current NOFO for award ceilings)
• Early Childhood Systems programs
• Home Visiting programs (Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting, or MIECHV)

Academic medical centers and children's hospitals that also run research portfolios should compare these service-delivery paths with the NIH grants complete guide and current listings in the Grantsights grant database. Those are research competitions, not operating grants, but they matter for institutions that sit on both the care and research sides.

Rural Health

HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) runs competitive grants specifically for rural health organizations:

• Rural Health Network Development: for rural health networks
• Rural Health Network Development Planning: for planning new networks
• Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement: for small rural providers
• Rural Communities Opioid Response: for rural substance use programs

Award ceilings change by cycle, so check each current FORHP NOFO before you budget.

• Telehealth programs (see below)

SAMHSA: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Grants

SAMHSA received about $7.4 billion in FY2026 full-year appropriations, enacted February 3, 2026, according to a Congressional Research Service report (opens in a new tab), for mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) programs. Most SAMHSA money flows through two block grants:

Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services (SUPTRS) Block Grant: Formula-based grants to states for SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services. States distribute this funding to local providers. Direct application is to your state's behavioral health or substance use authority.

Mental Health Block Grant (MHBG): Formula-based grants to states for mental health services for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance. Again, distribute through state mental health agencies.

SAMHSA Competitive Grant Programs:

These are direct, open competitions (posted on Grants.gov):

• Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) Expansion Grants: Multi-year grants for behavioral health clinics meeting CCBHC criteria, which require a full suite of services including crisis intervention, peer support, and case management. The FY2026 CCBHC Planning, Development, and Implementation (SM-26-014) and Improvement and Advancement (SM-26-015) grants had ceilings of $1,000,000 per year and closed August 17, 2026.
• State Opioid Response (SOR) Grants: To states, then sub-awarded to local organizations
• Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH): Outreach and services for people with mental illness who are homeless or at risk
• Healthy Transitions: Services for youth and young adults with mental health conditions
• Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention: To colleges and universities
• Tribal Behavioral Health Grants: Exclusively for tribes and tribal organizations

SAMHSA's NOFO page at samhsa.gov/grants/grants-dashboard lists current opportunities. For detailed guidance on SAMHSA programs, see our SAMHSA grant programs guide.

CDC Grants: Public Health and Prevention

CDC distributes most of its funding through cooperative agreements to state and local health departments. Direct grants to community organizations are a smaller slice of CDC's portfolio.

How CDC money reaches community organizations:

Most CDC funding flows: CDC to state health department (cooperative agreement) to local health department to community organization (sub-award). If you're a community organization, your primary relationship is with the state or local health department, not directly with CDC. A case in point: according to CDC, over $4.6 billion of its Public Health Infrastructure Grant went to health departments, compared with just over $382 million for three national partners.

Direct CDC grant programs for organizations:

• Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH): Competitive grants to community organizations addressing health disparities in priority populations. Check the current NOFO for award sizes.
• Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country
• National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) recognition and funding
• Office of Smoking and Health grants
• Violence prevention programs (through NCIPC)

If the real need is surge-response or emergency public health capacity rather than an ongoing prevention program, check whether the route belongs with a health department before assuming a community organization can apply directly. If the work is state, local, territorial, or affiliate health-department capacity for infectious-disease surveillance and labs, review CDC's ELC program (opens in a new tab) and then compare the CDC National Partners Cooperative Agreement guide, because that path is not designed for local-only service projects.

For global HIV and TB delivery work, use the CDC Ethiopia HIV and TB faith-based guide or CDC India HIV and TB grant guide before comparing the project with domestic HRSA, Ryan White, or health-center routes. Country delivery role, partner history, and CDC cooperative-agreement capacity decide fit.

If the healthcare organization is planning rural substance-use response rather than HIV or primary-care delivery, use the HRSA RCORP-Planning guide before choosing direct-service funding. RCORP-Planning should prove rural service-area fit, partner roles, and a planning budget.

If your proposed study focuses on labor conditions, employment patterns, or occupational pathways as drivers of inequity, use the NIH grants complete guide to separate research-project fit from service-delivery fit.

Prevention Research Centers: CDC funds academic-based prevention research centers (PRCs) at schools of public health. If you're a community organization, partnering with a local PRC can connect you to CDC resources.

Telehealth Grants

Several federal programs fund telehealth infrastructure, training, and services:

HRSA Telehealth Programs (Federal Office of Rural Health Policy):

• Telehealth Resource Centers (TRCs): Fund regional centers providing technical assistance on telehealth to rural providers
• Telehealth Network Grant Program (TNGP): Funds telehealth networks in rural and medically underserved areas
• Connected Health Expansion (now Evidence-Based Telehealth Network Program)

Federal Communications Commission (FCC):

• Healthcare Connect Fund: Subsidizes broadband connectivity for rural healthcare facilities
• Connected Care Pilot Program: Funded telehealth pilot projects targeting low-income patients ($100M committed)

USDA ReConnect: Broadband infrastructure grants that enable telehealth (see USDA section)

For larger broadband buildout tied to healthcare access, compare ReConnect with the grants for rural internet guide and the broadband grants guide. BEAD is not a provider telehealth grant. It is a state and territory broadband program, and healthcare organizations usually participate through local planning, anchor institution service needs, or state-selected subgrantee partnerships. Rural clinics that need a building, renovation, equipment, or community facility financing should also check the Community Facilities grants guide, which covers capital paths rather than telehealth operating grants.

The picture for telehealth-specific grants has stabilized after the surge in COVID-era funding. Current programs focus on rural and underserved community implementation rather than exploratory pilots.

Mental Health Grants

Mental health grants come from multiple sources. Key programs:

Federal:

• SAMHSA CCBHC grants (FY2026 ceilings of $1M/year; that cycle closed August 17, 2026)
• SAMHSA Healthy Transitions (young adults with mental health conditions)
• HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training
• DOJ Mental Health Courts (Office of Justice Programs)
• USDA Rural Health (rural mental health access)

State:

• State mental health block grant sub-awards (contact your state mental health authority)
• State-specific mental health initiatives (varies significantly)

Foundation:

• RWJF mental health programs
• The Jed Foundation (collegiate mental health)
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Foundation grants
• Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (Texas-focused)
• Regional community foundation health programs

For detail on HHS grants structure, see our HHS grants overview. For a deeper look at community mental health funding, see our guide to grants for mental health programs.

Federal Healthcare Grant Programs: Quick Reference

CMS also sits behind state health policy waiver work. If a state is evaluating marketplace reinsurance, subsidy changes, or ACA waiver authority, use the official CMS Section 1332 State Innovation Waivers page (opens in a new tab) and the Grantsights Section 1332 waiver guide instead of treating it like a provider grant.

Foundation Healthcare Grant Funders

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)

RWJF is the largest U.S. foundation focused exclusively on health. Current priority areas: health equity, healthy children and families, health systems and policies, and building a culture of health.

RWJF runs both open grant programs (accepting LOIs) and invitation-only initiatives. Its Health Policy Fellows program still runs open cycles (the 2027-28 cohort deadline is November 3, 2026); RWJF has renamed or retired several older portfolios, so check rwjf.org for current calls. Organizations working on community determinants of health (housing, food security, economic mobility) are fundable under RWJF's "culture of health" framing, not just clinical programs.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundations

Many BCBS plans operate independent foundations. Award sizes range from $25,000 to $500,000. Common focus areas: access to care, behavioral health, childhood health, and health equity in the plan's service area. Notable examples: BCBS of Minnesota Foundation, BCBS of Illinois' Healthy Communities grants, Blue Shield of California Foundation. Check your state's BCBS plan for foundation activity.

The Commonwealth Fund

Primarily funds health system reform research and policy analysis. Grants go mainly to academic researchers and policy organizations, not direct service providers.

de Beaumont Foundation

Focused on public health workforce development and local health department capacity. Grants to local health departments, public health schools, and public health organizations.

Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)

Despite the name, KFF is primarily a research and policy organization, not a grantmaking foundation. KFF produces health policy research (widely cited) but does not make significant open grants to outside organizations.

What Healthcare Grants Don't Tell You

A common mistake is applying directly to HRSA or CDC for funding that actually flows through the state health department.

The reverse mistake happens too. SAMHSA's CCBHC expansion grants are direct federal competitions open to clinics, while a state's CCBHC demonstration runs through its Medicaid agency and affects how services are paid for. A clinic that confuses the two can spend months on the wrong application, so confirm which route you need before you write.

This problem is structural, not accidental. Federal health grant funding is intentionally fragmented across HRSA, SAMHSA, CDC, and CMS, with each agency using different definitions of eligible applicants, different pass-through structures, and different subrecipient rules. There's no single point of entry.

Before you apply to any federal health agency, call the grants management office and ask whether the funding comes directly to organizations or flows through states. This one question saves enormous time.

The other thing most guides won't tell you: a Section 330 FQHC application isn't a competitive grant in the traditional sense. It's an application to join a long-term federal funding relationship. HRSA isn't just funding a project; they're designating your organization as a health center for a service area. The application involves demonstrating organizational capacity, board composition, sliding-fee scale policies, and a needs assessment for a specific Medically Underserved Area. Organizations that approach this like a typical program grant are usually not ready for what comes after funding either: the UDS reporting, OSV (operational site visits), and HRSA compliance requirements that come with designation.

If you're building a sustainable health organization, the Section 330 program is worth the significant upfront investment. But don't underestimate what that investment is.

For a broader picture of federal health funding, see our HHS grants overview, SAMHSA grant programs guide, and HRSA health workforce grants guide.

Federal Health Research Program Records to Compare

Use these program records when a healthcare funding search turns into an NIH route choice:

• Islet transplantation registry U01 record
• PET and SPECT imaging ligand biomarker record
• Common Fund data sets R03 pilot record
• BRAIN preclinical recording technology record
• ECHO cohort data and biospecimen access record
• MIRA R35 investigator award record
• NCMRR early-career R03 record
• Summer research education R25 record
• NIDCD early-career R21 record
• Neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer dementia R01 record
• National Primate Research Centers P51 record
• Translational bioinformatics drug-repositioning record
• Complex brain disorders R21 program record
• Neurological biomarker clinical validation U01 record
• Dissemination and implementation research R01 record
• Substance use disorder intervention UG3/UH3 record
• Cryo-electron tomography R24 center record
• Kidney, urologic, and hematologic research training U2C record
• HIV and substance use research R01 record
• BRAIN recording and modulation technology record
• Tribal IRB enhancement R24 record
• NIGMS undergraduate research training T34 record
• Patient-oriented K23 career award record
• NICHD R03 clinical trial required record
• Audiologist K01 career award record
• Residential substance abuse treatment formula grant record
• NRSA institutional student fellowship record
• NRSA F31 predoctoral fellowship record
• NRSA individual fellowship program record
• Midcareer K24 patient-oriented research record

Sources

• HRSA grants dashboard: data.hrsa.gov (opens in a new tab)
• SAMHSA grants dashboard: samhsa.gov/grants/grants-dashboard (opens in a new tab)
• HRSA find funding: hrsa.gov/grants/find-funding (opens in a new tab)
• Rural Health Information Hub FQHC funding: ruralhealthinfo.org (opens in a new tab)
• FQHC Associates funding opportunities: fqhc.org (opens in a new tab)

FAQ

Q: What federal agency gives the most healthcare grants? A: HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) is the largest source of federal healthcare grants for community organizations. HRSA funds Federally Qualified Health Centers, Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs, maternal and child health, rural health, and health workforce development. SAMHSA, with about $7.4 billion in FY2026 appropriations, funds mental health and substance use disorder programs. CDC funds mostly flow through states and public health departments, with some direct-to-organization grants. Check USAspending.gov for each agency's current award totals.

Q: Who qualifies for HRSA health center grants? A: The Health Center Program funds HRSA-supported Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). FQHC Look-Alikes meet the same program requirements and get FQHC designation, but they don't receive Health Center Program grant funding or FTCA coverage. To become an FQHC, an organization must serve a Medically Underserved Area or Population (MUA/MUP), provide primary care services regardless of ability to pay, use a sliding-fee scale, and have a governing board with at least 51% patients. New access point grants are announced through Grants.gov when HRSA opens competition. Current health centers apply for service expansion and other supplemental funding through separate HRSA NOFOs. The Uniform Data System (UDS) is HRSA's annual performance reporting system, not a funding cycle.

Q: What does SAMHSA fund? A: SAMHSA funds treatment, recovery, prevention, and crisis services for mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Major grant programs include the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services block grant (formula-based, to states), Mental Health Block Grant (to states), Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Expansion Grants, PATH for homeless individuals with mental illness, and Healthy Transitions for youth. Some SAMHSA grants go directly to organizations; others flow through state mental health and substance use agencies.

Q: Are there healthcare grants for small organizations or solo providers? A: Direct federal grants to individual providers or very small clinics are limited. The most accessible paths for small organizations include: HRSA Rural Health grants for rural providers, state health department grants passed through from CDC and HRSA, SAMHSA programs that fund direct services organizations, and foundation grants from sources like the BCBS Foundation, local community foundations, and RWJF's smaller grants programs. Small rural practices can access HRSA Rural Health Network Development grants through partnerships.

Q: What are CMS innovation grants? A: The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) at CMS tests new payment and service delivery models through cooperative agreements and contracts rather than traditional grants. CMMI initiatives involve participating providers and health systems under cooperative agreements, not open grant competitions. Models are time-limited, so check the CMS Innovation Center site for which ones are still active. Health systems and large provider groups are the primary participants.

Q: What foundation healthcare grants are available to nonprofits? A: Major health-focused foundations include: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), one of the largest health-focused foundations, focused on health equity and building a culture of health; Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation chapters (varies by state, often $25K-$500K grants); The Commonwealth Fund (health system reform research); de Beaumont Foundation (public health workforce). Community foundations in most regions also have health program areas. RWJF is the most accessible large health funder for nonprofits doing community-level health work.