The Federal Government has Reopened. Now What?
If it felt like the entire nonprofit sector collectively held its breath for the last several weeks… you’re not wrong. The federal government has officially reopened.
For some organizations, this will feel like a return to normal. If you were unable to make drawdowns, you will be able to again. For these organizations, the reopening might feel like they can finally return to the work they were in the middle of before Washington hit pause.
And for many other organizations that are waiting to apply for grants, it may still feel like a matter of hurry up and wait. You might rush to grants.gov to check if the grant you’ve been waiting for has finally opened. But, remember that we still don’t have a 2026 budget (fiscal year from October 2025 to September 2026).
If you are excited to apply and think things are returning to “normal” quickly, I’ll gently invite you to take a big sip of water and temper those expectations.
Let’s break down what to expect.
1. You will experience delays in communication
On LinkedIn, Rachel Werner describes what it is like to return to a federal office the day after a shutdown: 4,000 unread emails and a coffee that’s already cold. That visual alone explains everything you need to know about timelines. Federal staff are walking into:
Abandoned workflows
Automated systems requiring their approval over and over
Dozens (hundreds?) of requests that all suddenly feel “urgent”
So yes, your program officer is back in the office, but imagine coming back from unplanned out-of-office time and how long it would take to dig yourself out of the email backlog. Did you just experience heartburn? Yeah, that’s exactly it.
2. Reopens take time
It is tempting to imagine a big light switch flipping on across the federal landscape. It does not work like that.
Essential operations come back first. However, the things grant seekers care about — program office Q&A, procurement, awards, and performance monitoring — take time to get back up and running.
If your grant is in review, that timeline will likely be extended.
If you are waiting on a modification, keep documentation, and provide a gentle, kind nudge in a week or two.
If your question to your program officer feels time-sensitive, send it, but expect a cushion. And really evaluate whether it must be answered now or whether you can get through the week of Thanksgiving without an answer.
And please, for goodness’ sake, do not “circle back” in 2 days.
3. Keep your communication clear and kind
Federal staff are overwhelmed. They are human. They didn’t choose the shutdown, and they don’t control its aftermath. So:
Keep emails short.
Thank them or acknowledge how hectic their days must be.
Ask one question at a time.
Use subject lines that mean something (e.g., “Clarification Needed: Budget Revision for FY25 Submission”).
Make your message the easiest thing in their inbox. Everyone wants to feel like they can check items off a list. Is your email difficult to understand, requires multiple follow-ups, or is rude? What I know about human nature is that your request will likely fall to the bottom of the list.
4. Recheck every deadline, every system, every submission
If you manage active federal awards, this part is crucial. You should:
Reconfirm any deadlines you missed or that passed during the shutdown that you were unable to execute on
Review your period of performance and document any delays due to funding stalls
Restart drawdowns if your systems stalled
Reconnect with your program officer and grants specialist (but in December, and be patient)
Make sure your subrecipients did not sprint off in the wrong direction
If you are waiting for an opportunity to open, this is for you.
I expect a wave of posted opportunities in the next few weeks. We had started to see opportunities being posted more regularly in the two weeks leading up to the shutdown. Those announcements that were close to release will likely come out in relatively quick succession.
Here is the complicated news: We are still facing another uncertain period in January, as funding has only been extended through January 30, 2026, for much of the federal budget.
That means the next few months may still feel like a “hurry up and wait.”
This delay is likely to result in an unfortunate return to compressed timelines when/if, we finally get to an approved 2026 federal budget.
If you are new to federal grants, or even if you have done a few, it will likely feel overwhelming. And this is exactly where skill-building, structure, and community matter.
So What Do You Do Now?
This is the moment to get your house in order:
Re-evaluate your federal readiness plan; prioritize the most impactful actions you can take in the next 6 months
Tighten your project design and know where you would expand/build if given an opportunity
Clarify/refresh your data needs
Strengthen your internal compliance systems
Prepare for the announcement surge rather than being overwhelmed by it
And if you’re early in your federal journey and thinking, “Fielding… I am not ready for this wild ride,” then here’s the good news: I’m here for you!
If you want:
A step-by-step path for navigating federal grants (even if you’ve only written foundation grants before)
A community to learn with
Templates, checklists, assessments, and everything you need to actually move
Guidance that helps you build confidence, not overwhelm
Optional AI tools to speed up the process to meet 4-week turnarounds with confidence
…then I would love to invite you into the Federal Grants Accelerator.
The government is back open. The opportunities are coming. And this is the perfect moment to get the support, clarity, and momentum you need before the next wave hits.
We have a flash sale this week! It’s the only time we plan to offer a financial discount in the next 12 months.