Community Project Funding Requests for Fiscal Year 2026
Every year, the United States Congress writes and passes 12 appropriations bills, which provide the federal government with the funding it needs to operate. These bills fund a wide range of activities and programs, including government operations, education, medical research, national defense, foreign assistance, infrastructure, and more.
For the past four years, as a part of the annual process, local governments and 501c3 non-profit organizations have also been invited to submit Community Project Funding (CPF) requests to their Members of Congress for consideration. CPFs – sometimes referred to as “earmarks” – are the rare opportunity for Members of Congress to request and designate funding for projects that specifically benefit their own communities and districts (as long as the projects adhere to federal regulations and House and Committee eligibility requirements).
Although the submission process was open for FY 2025, the House Republican Majority removed all approved CPF requests from the final government funding package. As a result, FY 2025 was the first fiscal year since CPFs were brought back in FY 2022 that no congressionally directed spending was appropriated.
To date, Congresswoman Jacobs has secured more than $32 million in federal funding for 32 unique projects in San Diego County – including the expansion of the La Maestra Community Health Center in El Cajon, the expansion of the Lemon Grove School District early childhood education center, the purchase of a new twin-engine firefighting helicopter for San Diego County, the creation of an outdoor children’s area at the City of San Diego’s Linda Vista Branch Library, and more. A complete list of Congresswoman Jacobs’ successful submissions can be found here.
Each Member of Congress can submit up to 15 total CPF requests for FY 2026. As it has been each year since FY 2022, there is no guarantee that any requested projects will be funded. The FY 2026 CPF process has a limited scope with combined Community Projects capped at 0.5% of all discretionary spending.
The submission deadline for the Office of Congresswoman Jacobs is Tuesday, April 22 at 6pm PT, though the Office will begin reviewing and vetting requests on a rolling basis.
In keeping with Congresswoman Jacobs’ legislative priorities, preference will be given to submissions that prioritize child care and children’s issues and solutions for housing and homelessness in San Diego County and the 51st Congressional District.
Click here for our FY 2026 CPF initial request form. Staff will reach out for more project information if your submission is selected to advance.
Please note – especially if you have submitted CPF requests in the past – that the House Appropriations Committee has changed the eligibility requirements from previous fiscal years, and has determined that no CPF requests will be accepted for the following subcommittees:
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Defense
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Financial Services and General Government
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Legislative Branch
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Labor, Health and Human Services, Education
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State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Additionally, similar to FY 2025, non-profits are no longer eligible for Community Project Funding in the Economic Development Initiative (EDI) account through the Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development subcommittee.
Please also note:
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All projects must meet the relevant statutory and administrative criteria for funding through the grant program under which it is submitted.
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A request submitted to Congresswoman Jacobs does not guarantee the project will be selected.
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The selection of a project does not guarantee it will be funded by the Appropriations Committee.
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The Committee will not provide cost-share waivers, and grantees are legally responsible for meeting the non-federal cost share requirements and all other applicable grant criteria.
More information on the process can be found on the House Appropriations Committee’s website.
Only state and local government entities, certain public institutions, and non-profit entities are eligible to submit and receive funding through CPFs. Funding cannot be directed to for-profit entities, memorials, museums, or commemoratives (i.e., projects named for an individual or entity), and will not include waivers for state or local match requirements. While matching funds do not have to be in-hand prior to the request, requesting entities must have a plan to meet such requirements for the project to be viable. Additionally, each submission must be for FY2026 only and cannot include multi-year funding requests.
The Committee will only consider projects with demonstrated community support in the form of letters from local elected officials; press articles highlighting need; support from newspaper editorial boards; mentions on State intended use plans, community development plans, or other publicly available planning documents; resolutions passed by city councils or boards; etc.
As noted above, Congresswoman Jacobs' staff may follow up for additional information to support the CPF request, such as budget justification, documentation of community support and need, or proof of ability to meet match requirements (where applicable) once an initial request is submitted. Please reply to staff follow-up as quickly as possible.
For additional information on eligible accounts, please read through the House Appropriations Committee’s guidance for each subcommittee. There may have been changes to eligible accounts each year, so please review the information carefully.
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Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration
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Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
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Transportation, House and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
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Department of Transportation: Transit Infrastructure Projects
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Department of Transportation: Highway Infrastructure Projects
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Department of Transportation: Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Projects
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Department of Transportation: Port Infrastructure Development Program Projects
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Department of Transportation: Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) Projects
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Department of Housing and Urban Development: Community Development Fund - Economic Development Initiative (EDI) Projects
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