Invitation Letter

Through the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance and Continuing Appropriations Act of 2009 (Public Law 110-329), Congress created the Fiscal Year 2009 Citizenship Grant Program.  This competitive grant program provides approximately $1.2 million of federal funding—in the form of 12 $100,000 individual awards—to support citizenship preparation programs for legal permanent residents (LPRs).

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), through this competitive grant program, will provide funding to community-based organizations (CBOs) that serve one or more priority immigrant groups in areas of the United States that contain a large representation of the country’s immigrant population.  The funding will be used to expand the number of people served by citizenship preparation programs that incorporate activities to assist legal permanent residents improve English language skills, gain knowledge of U.S. history and government (civics), and prepare for the naturalization application and interview process. 

The funds may only be used to provide direct services to immigrants with legal status in the United States.  Specific services to be provided may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• English as a Second Language (ESL) or English Language (EL)/Civics instruction;
• Citizenship education;
• Educational resources (textbooks, language software, computers, etc);
• Naturalization preparation assistance (including case management); and
• Citizenship-focused community outreach and staff/volunteer training.

Funding Opportunity:  DHS-09-CIS-010-001

Applicable Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number:  97.010

Application Deadline:  May 15, 2009 (No extensions)

Anticipated Award Date:  September 2009

Performance Period:  One year from date of award

Eligibility Requirements

CBOs having demonstrated experience in providing citizenship and/or immigration-related services to legal immigrants are eligible for funding under this program.  CBOs are defined as a public or private non-profit organization which is representative of a community or significant segments of a community and which provide educational or related services to individuals in the community.  Such entities include, but are not limited to, educational, community, and faith-based organizations; adult education organizations; libraries; volunteer and literacy organizations; etc. 

Priority Immigrant Groups

Eligible CBOs may submit proposals that address how their program will serve one or more of the following priority immigrant groups:

• LPRs 65 years or older who are eligible, or soon to be eligible, to apply for naturalization;
• Refugees or asylees who have adjusted to LPR status and are eligible, or soon to be eligible, to apply for naturalization;
• Those persons who have adjusted to LPR status under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), U or T-Visa, or Special Immigrant Juvenile Visa status and are eligible, or soon to be eligible, to apply for naturalization; and
• Other disadvantaged groups as defined and justified by the proposing organization.

Application Information

To apply for this funding opportunity, use the Grants.gov Web site.  Go to http://www.grants.gov and click “Apply for Grants,” then “Download a Grant Application Package and Instructions.”  Enter the CFDA number or the funding opportunity number and then click the “Download Application Package” button.  Next, click the “Download” link for this opportunity and then follow the prompts to download the application package and the instructions package.

All applicants applying for federal funding must have a Dun and Bradstreet Universal Data Numbering System (DUNS) number.  The DUNS number must be included in the data entry field labeled “Organizational Duns” on the form SF-424.  Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number can be found at http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted.

In addition to having a DUNS number, applicants applying electronically through Grants.gov must register with the Federal Central Contractor Registry and with a Credential Provider.  The Grants.gov Web site at http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted provides step-by-step instructions for registering with the Central Contractor Registry and for registering with a credential provider.  All applicants filing electronically must register with the Central Contractor Registry and receive credentials from the Grants.gov credential provider in order to apply online.

Letter of Intent

If your organization intends to apply for funding under this program, please send an e-mail 30 days prior to the application submission deadline (April 15, 2009) to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Although submission of the notice of intent to apply is not mandatory, your email will help USCIS plan more efficiently for the review of applications.  In your e-mail, please include the name of your organization, address, contact person and phone number.

Contact Information

For additional information on the grant program, please contact the USCIS Office of Citizenship at
(202) 272-1310 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  To learn more about applying for federal funding opportunities, please visit http://www.grants.gov/ or contact the Grants.gov support line at 1 (800) 518-4726.