Preparing Now for the Earmark Window Ahead
Many organizations wrote off earmarks in 2025. That was a mistake.
Three minibus funding bills moved through the House and Senate with very little public attention. Buried inside them were earmarks.
Almost no one is talking about this.
We find ourselves back in the window when organizations should be preparing and submitting for the next round of congressionally directed spending requests.
Many people assumed earmarks were effectively dead in 2025. Some wrote them off because of partisan narratives. Others assumed Republicans would not participate. Many nonprofits simply stopped paying attention.
Meanwhile, organizations that stayed engaged with their legislators secured millions.
First, a quick history
Earmarks never truly vanished. After Congress’s self-imposed ban in 2011, they returned in FY2022 under tighter rules and new names:
Congressionally Directed Spending for Senators
Community Project Funding for House members
These requests come with restrictions, transparency requirements, and public disclosure. But they are still earmarks in function. They allow members of Congress to request funding for specific projects in their districts or states through the appropriations process.
The appropriations process is not optional. Failure means a shutdown (as we have been reminded many, many times in the last decade).
When earmarks are attached to appropriations bills that move, they move with them.
If you need a more basic description of earmarks or a link to a longer history, read more here.
How the process actually works, in practice
This is not a typical federal grant. There is no NOFO you wait for. The process starts and ends with your congressional delegates.
Here is the simplified version:
A member of Congress decides whether they will accept project requests.
Each office sets its own process. Some publish applications and host webinars. Others require direct outreach.
If the member supports your project, they submit it as a request tied to a specific appropriations bill.
If that bill passes with the request intact, the funding is directed to a federal agency.
You then complete a federal grant application with that agency to ensure accountability.
That last step surprises organizations new to the process. Agencies still need documentation of budgets, outcomes, compliance, and capacity.
The earmark does not replace federal grant requirements, but you did skip two important pieces of more traditional federal funding:
You get to design your project without adhering to the requirements of a specific RFP
You don’t have to compete against any other organization to receive the funding
How to engage your representatives, starting now
Step 1: Map your delegation
Identify:
Your House Representative
Both U.S. Senators
Hint: if your work crosses boundaries, don’t forget to include all representatives.
Then identify:
What committees they sit on
Whether they are on Appropriations committees
Whether they are senior members or chairs of those committees
The closer to the bottom of the list you can get, the more leverage the elected official has over which projects will survive the appropriations process.
Step 2: Understand what they care about
Look at:
Their committee assignments
Their public statements
The types of projects they have supported before
Do not pitch a project that belongs in another committee’s jurisdiction. Your job is to identify the project that clearly fits within the committees they influence.
Step 3: Engage without asking for money
Effective engagement includes:
Inviting the member or staff to site visits or ribbon cuttings
Highlighting constituent impact in their district
Hosting events that put your work in the spotlight
Recognizing their leadership publicly, when appropriate
When the request window opens, you want to be a known entity.
Step 4: Be ready with a tight project concept
Most offices want:
A one to two-page project overview
Clear public benefit
A defined use of funds
Alignment with federal purpose
Letters of support so they know others are on board with your idea
A critical reality check: this is not for everyone.
If you love finding a perfect-fit grant opportunity for nonprofits and don’t mind telling a team this isn’t the right fit, right now, you’ll enjoy the process of trying to figure out the right approach for your elected officials.
Do not pursue it unless:
You align with the member’s committee jurisdiction
You have or can build a relationship, or have strong name recognition
You can manage a federal grant if awarded
The project is specific but flexible on timing
Why this matters right now
The earmarks listed in recent appropriations bills show that the process is active, even when it is not discussed much publicly.
Organizations that assumed FY2026 was a dead year are missing out. Organizations that stayed engaged are already positioned for FY2027 requests, which will be requested soon, if your member doesn’t already have a public due date listed.
But since there’s nothing that brings out urgency like a deadline, ‘tis the season to:
Rebuild relationships
Clarify projects
Track committee dynamics
Prepare for end-of-February/March requests
And if you’re overwhelmed by the prospect of taking this on now, put a quarterly reminder on your calendar to “take one action this quarter to move us toward an earmark request from [insert name].”