Alabama opens applications for $2.5 million in veterans' well-being grants to nonprofits and public colleges
The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs plans five awards of up to $500,000 each for projects of up to 24 months, paid as reimbursement. Applications are due Dec. 14, and an independent audit is no longer a condition of applying.
Montgomery. Nonprofits and Alabama's public colleges and universities can apply until Dec. 14 for $2.5 million in grants to expand services for veterans and their families, the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Oct. 29.
The department's 2027 Veterans Well-Being Grant Program, run in coordination with the State Board of Veterans Affairs, expects to make five awards of up to $500,000 each. Projects may run for up to 24 months, and each grantee may be considered for up to $500,000 more. Applications are submitted online.
Who can apply and what the money pays for
Under the notice of funding opportunity, an applicant must be a nonprofit exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code, or an Alabama public two-year or four-year institution, registered and in good standing with the Alabama Secretary of State. It must serve veterans and families who live in Alabama.
Priority goes to programs that help service members move to civilian life, widen access to coordinated, veteran-centered care and strengthen peer support networks. The notice names veterans at high risk for suicide, rural and women veterans, minority veterans and recently transitioning service members among the populations it emphasizes.
Grants may pay for personnel, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual services and direct program costs. Administrative costs are not reimbursed, travel is capped at 10% of the award unless programmatically necessary, and the money may not replace existing funding, repay debt, pay for lobbying or fund construction. No match is required.
Paid after the spending
The department pays only after eligible expenses are incurred, documented and approved, at most once a month, so applicants must show the cash flow to carry the work until they are reimbursed. Grantees file monthly reimbursement requests and performance reports.
The department has revised the program's terms, according to its grants page. An organization that has never had an independent financial audit may instead submit a written statement saying so, its latest financial statements and a description of its internal financial controls; the department said in its published answers to applicants' questions that the lack of an audit will not by itself disqualify an applicant. The initial award is committed once a risk assessment is done and an agreement is signed. The additional $500,000 is not guaranteed and depends on performance, an assessment after the first 12 months and available appropriations.
Written questions are due Nov. 10. The department expects to announce its intent to award on Jan. 15 and to start agreements on Feb. 1.
“By helping these organizations expand their reach and strengthen their impact, we can connect more veterans with the resources and support they need to thrive.”
About this story
501c3.help wrote this story from the sources listed with it, not from material an organization sent. Our editors approved it on Nov. 2, 2026. Stories in The Nonprofit Herald are free, and nothing is asked in return. Editorial rules.
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