Local Non-Profits Need Community Service Block Grants to Deliver Critical Assistance 

October 24, 2025 — Press Release

Locally led non-profits that help families and communities may have to close their doors without federal funding

WASHINGTON – Local community non-profits that deliver heating assistance and weatherization to families with limited incomes are at risk of closing their doors. The non-profits, including those that administer Head Start, conduct job training, and provide food assistance programs, are struggling due to the stoppage in federal Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) funds. Community Action Agencies (CAAs) rely on CSBG funds to administer a number of programs that help families facing economic hardship. CSBGs provide core operational support for local CAAs that administer critical programs to help families get back on their feet and strengthen communities and local economies.

“Working families who need assistance to pay their energy and utility bills rely on local non-profits that know their communities,” said Olivia Wein, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. “Community action agencies rely on CSBG to administer programs that help families struggling with unaffordable energy by helping families enroll in energy assistance and making homes more weather-tight and efficient.”

 “The Community Services Block Grant has long received bipartisan support. It’s an effective and locally driven program that year after year shows the kind of results that transcend politics. Yet as the shutdown continues, Community Action Agencies are at increasing risk of having to close the programs that both communities and policymakers support,” said David Bradley, CEO of the National Community Action Foundation (NCAF). “It’s crucial not only that Congress reach an agreement to continue funding but that federal infrastructure remain in place so that these dollars actually reach the agency’s doors and aren’t stuck in Washington, DC.”

For more information on Community Action Agencies, see ncaf.org