Federal Earmarks Are Back: What Nonprofits Need to Know for the 2026–27 Cycle
In this month's blog, guest contributor Delta Development Senior Consultant Christian Muniz helps prepare your nonprofit for federal earmarks with a guide to timelines, eligibility, project readiness, political engagement, and strategic next steps.
Organizations that pursue public funding may have heard over the past few years that “earmarks are back” and wondered what they are and if their organization or project may benefit from them. In fact, the colloquial term “earmark” refers to two parallel appropriation processes: Community Project Funding in the U.S. House of Representatives and Congressionally Directed Spending in the U.S. Senate.
What Are Federal Earmarks?
These grants had gone out of favor by Congress for about a decade but returned a few years ago. In plain English, Members of Congress can champion a limited number of locally driven, high-impact projects. Earmarks have regularly funded community-focused nonprofits such as YWCAs as well as political subdivisions. Eligible projects may change from year to year, but recent cycles have included ADA improvements, public safety upgrades, water and sewer projects, trails, streetscapes, and other bricks-and-mortar or equipment needs that serve the broader public.
How Much Funding Is Available Through Earmarks?
Average earmark awards range between $500,000 and $2 million, though smaller and larger amounts are possible. As with most public funding at all levels of government, multi-phase projects are common and even preferable as they have the flexibility to scale up or down depending on the size of an award. Having flexibility is key and offers a competitive posture.
What Makes a Project Competitive?
What does it take to successfully win an earmark? From a consultant’s perspective, the first step is to recognize that competition is real, available resources are finite, and calendars move fast. Even though applications submitted in early 2026 will not receive funding until spring 2027 at the earliest, beginning the process now is essential. Because these funding requests often rely on political support, a successful applicant begins the work in December, well before application portals open. Early engagement with district and D.C.-based congressional staff allows for the beginning of an important dialogue, both to outline a project’s community impact and need for public funding support and to receive meaningful feedback that can give an application a competitive edge.
Should Your Nonprofit Pursue an Earmark? How to Decide
Do you think your project may be a good candidate to consider pursuing a federal earmark? Here are three key things to consider over the Thanksgiving break:
Clarify your top one to three “transformative” projects to begin in the spring of 2027.
Before December 1st, plan to confer with your leadership team to develop a list of the one to three capital projects that would truly move the needle for your community or organization over the next few years. Importantly, awarded funds generally cannot be spent until approximately the spring of 2027. For each potential priority project, make note of how it advances current federal priorities, such as public safety, innovation/technology, economic development, community impact/quality of life, fast and resilient construction, and broader national goals.Consider your federal partners and political relationships.
Ask who could realistically champion your project and make a simple chart of your House Member, U.S. Senators, and any relevant committees they serve on (Appropriations, Transportation, Energy/Water, Environment) along with any current or potential relationships. Note where you already have connections and where you don’t, and where an introduction from a board member, employer, or local official might help. While political support is never a formal requirement, building these relationships early, just as one would with state or local funding, strengthens your credibility and can make your project more competitive.Take inventory of your project “packet” readiness.
For each potential project, consider the following: Do you have at least a draft fact sheet, basic cost estimate, a sense of timing/readiness, and a short list of community supporters who could sign letters (employers, schools, faith groups, chambers, local officials)? If not, list what’s missing so you can build or update those pieces in December and January, before either Community Project Funding or Congressionally Directed Spending portals open. This information also allows you to prepare a December “priorities letter” to your federal congressional delegation, which we recommend as a professional courtesy and a show of readiness.
Although every congressional office sets its own deadlines, the annual pace is usually the same. December and January are the most important months because this is when competitive applicants refine their project scope, confirm costs, and begin conversations with district and D.C. staff. This early engagement also helps to match a project to the correct federal account and gives staff time to understand the need.
The 2026–27 Federal Earmark Timeline
From February through March, House and Senate offices open their project request portals. These application windows can be very brief. In some recent cycles, portals were open for as little as ten days. Though not required, by mid-March through early April, we often recommend that organizations organize a D.C. legislative day to participate in meetings in person, which helps reinforce a project’s credibility. By late spring, members of Congress submit their selected projects to their respective appropriations committees, and applicants must prepare to respond quickly to questions to remain in play. At this stage, project success is defined as being amended into a budget appropriations bill. Thereafter, “all” that remains is for Congress to complete its budget, optimally by the fall, though this can run late (as evidenced by this year’s budget stalemate). If the budget passes, your project will receive the earmark. Unfortunately, if a budget bill is not passed, the process begins anew.
“Start early. December is the most important month for winning federal earmarks.”
There is no shortage of federal “how-to” guides online, but none of them replace beginning early and having a realistic sense of a project’s readiness. The organizations that succeed with earmarks are the ones that start in December, build relationships with their delegation, and enter the application period with strong materials in hand.
When to Get Help from a Consultant
If you believe you may have a competitive project, or if you are simply unsure, a short 15 to 20-minute conversation with an experienced consultant can help you determine whether your concept aligns with federal priorities and whether the timing for your project is right for the upcoming 2026-27 federal earmark cycle.
I’d be happy to have this conversation with you.
Starting early is the single most effective advantage you can give your organization. It may also be the first step toward securing a meaningful federal investment in your community.
About The Author
Christian Muniz brings more than two decades of combined public- and private-sector experience in government affairs, planning, and strategic funding. He’s worked on everything from legislative research and community planning commissions to consulting across economic development and funding strategies, making him uniquely equipped to guide nonprofits through the earmark preparation process. At Delta Development Group, headquartered in Camp Hill, PA, Christian works alongside a multidisciplinary team focused on funding strategies, government relations, and community growth.