NASHVILLE, TN– The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) has opened applications for the 2026-27 Families First Community Grant Program, an initiative that will make available approximately $4 million in funding to non-profit organizations providing direct services to strengthen Tennessee families in need and promote self-sufficiency. Qualifying non-profit organizations are invited to apply here through 5PM Central Time Monday, July 13, 2026.
“At TDHS, we understand that Tennessee’s strength comes from its people, and our work is centered on ensuring every Tennessean has the opportunity to achieve economic and social well-being,” said TDHS Commissioner, Clarence H. Carter. “Through the Families First Community Grant Program, we are creating pathways that help reduce poverty by focusing on upward mobility, economic opportunity, and increasing access to education, workforce training, and individualized support services for Tennesseans facing barriers to employment. Our goal is to partner with organizations that are deeply rooted in their communities and committed to helping families build stability, independence, and long-term prosperity.”
The Families First Community Grant program was created as an additional method to invest TANF funds in ways to help low-income families overcome barriers and help them move towards sustainable economic stability. The grants will support a wide range of services in the areas of education, health and well-being, economic stability and fostering safe, stable, and nurturing relationships. Grant recipients will be selected through a competitive application process and evaluated based upon their ability to provide effective services and programs that address the specific needs of the community.
TDHS encourages all community-based, non-profit organizations ready to play a central role in the design and implementation of programs that address the unique problems of low-income families in their communities and fosters at least one of the federal TANF goals to submit an application for a Families First Community Grant. The department is focused on partnering with organizations that can provide family-focused solutions that demonstrate measurable impacts designed with the goal of transforming Tennessee’s safety net by growing the capacity of vulnerable families to self-sufficiency and economic prosperity.
