Community Resilience Centers Round 2 PLANNING Grant (FY 26-27)

Purpose

The CRC Program funds the planning and construction or retrofits of community serving facilities that provide shelter and resources to mitigate the public health impacts of extreme heat and other emergency situations exacerbated by climate change, as well as year-round community programs and services.

Description

CRC Planning Grants will support planning activities to prepare communities to implement Community Resilience Centers. CRC Planning Grant activities should focus on preparing for a future CRC Implementation Grant or similar funding opportunity, and must demonstrate effective, robust community engagement and planning efforts. Planning activities should engage key parties and ensure that all the necessary project components are in place for the future construction or retrofit of a CRC. They should also engage key parties in broader community resilience to climate emergencies and intersecting social and economic issues, in addition to advancing general program objectives. Proposed planning activities will: Advance the community’s ability to identify, envision, design, construct, resource, and activate sites as CRCs. Increase the accessibility of future community resilience centers to community members, especially during and after emergencies. Build, strengthen, and sustain community resilience, in connection with a proposed CRC. Prepare for future implementation funding opportunities to construct or retrofit the CRC. Each Planning application must include at least one Partner in addition to the Lead Applicant. Lead Applicants and Partner(s) must also submit a Letter of Commitment describing their roles, responsibilities, and commitment to supporting completion of the grant project on time and within budget at application. If an applicant is pursuing a Planning Grant with the intention of pursuing a CRC Implementation Grant in a future round, the applicant should familiarize themselves with the Implementation Grant requirements and propose Planning Grant activities that prepare them for a future Implementation Grant application. Please note that the Planning Grant can prepare applicants to apply for multiple sources of implementation funding, not just the CRC Program. Application Technical Assistance (Application TA) is available during the application period for eligible applicants. CRC will prioritize Tribal applicants for Application TA. Application TA may be available for additional applicants on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in Application TA, complete the Application TA Request Form by July 31, 2026: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/2aSjd31Y7E