Have you ever heard me talk about GrantsWorld? That's my friendly, affectionate name for the dynamic, ever-changing, ever-evolving ecosystem that we inhabit as grantseekers.
"Ecosystem" is an apt description: In GrantsWorld, there are a jillion moving parts – grantseekers, grantmakers, communities – all operating within our entire socio/geo/political/fiscal environment. And as is true in any ecosystem, everything that happens upstream inevitably impacts everything downstream.
This week, I woke up to a headline I'd been waiting and watching for since January 20. I knew it was inevitable. Still, it hit me in the gut in a way I wasn't prepared for. My first thought: This is it. This is my bright line.
From The Washington Post (article publicly available on The Independent):
DOGE takes over federal grants website, wresting control of billions
A DOGE engineer removed users' access to grants.gov, threatening to further slow the process of awarding thousands of federal grants per year.
This story's not likely to register much in regular media – but for those of us in GrantsWorld it's seismic. Why?
A Bit of History
My own GrantsWorld journey goes all the way back to 1985 when I wrote my very first Federal grant proposal. Since then, I've worked with nearly $80 million in Federal funding, as both a grantwriter and a grantmaking program officer. I was there for the launch of Grants.gov in 2002. And across all those years, the Federal grants website has served as the reliable, comprehensive, nonpartisan one-stop clearinghouse for finding, accessing, and applying for Federal grants.
- Each year some 5,000 grant opportunities comprising $500 billion are posted at Grants.gov, across all 26 Federal agencies.
- Annually the site draws an estimated 10 million visitors looking for information about Federal grants.
- All these listed grant opportunities have already been Congressionally approved and the funds budgeted.
- All the listed grant opportunities are posted to Grants.gov by seasoned program staff and administered according to legislative statute.
- And collectively, the awarded dollars managed through Grants.gov fill in vital service gaps for many millions of Americans and advance the greater good for thousands of communities across the American landscape.
But now the levers of control of this one-stop clearinghouse to $500 billion in Federal dollars across all agencies is in the hands of the White House's quote-unquote "DOGE" team - whose predicate is "rooting out waste, fraud and inefficiency."
The Reality? Anything But.
Back to The Washington Post:
The changes to the [Grants.gov posting process] – which will allow DOGE to review and approve proposed grant opportunities across the federal government – threaten to further delay or even halt billions of dollars that agencies usually make in federal awards, the people said. The moves come amid the Trump administration’s broader push to cut federal spending and crack down on grants that DOGE and other officials say conflict with White House priorities. [Emphasis added]
So, What Now?
I have no idea when we'll see the downstream impact of this takeover of Grants.gov but you can be sure we will. I'll do my best to keep tracking this story for you.
Meanwhile, continue your advocacy with your state nonprofit association and with your elected representatives – around this issue and any of the other issues impacting you and your important work in the world.
And if you have questions about this developing story – or related experiences of your own to share – or if you catch some movement before I do – please email me with the details so I can follow up and report back accordingly.
Onward, my friends, onward.
GrantsMagic U is a long-time partner of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, supporting and educating fundraisers and grantseekers through the on-demand course, The Ultimate Grant Proposal Blueprint: Your Step-By-Step Roadmap and Build-It-Yourself Toolkit for Crafting an A+ Proposal, and free webinars including the upcoming The Grantsmanship Game 2025: Playing to Win on April 24, 2025.
Over her 35+ year career in the nonprofit world, Maryn Boess has been an on-staff program developer and grantwriter; an independent grants consultant; a grants project manager; a grants trainer; a grants reviewer, author, speaker, mentor and coach; and - yes – starting in 2006, even a grantmaker. GrantsMagic U, launched in fall 2015, is the "virtual academy" she created to make her portfolio of practical and inspiring trainings on successful grantsmanship available (and affordable!) for anyone, anytime, anywhere.
