Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention · Department of Justice
OJJDP FY 2026 Multistate Mentoring Programs
In short: Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention expects to make 15 awards of $1 million to $4 million. Open to many kinds of groups. See who can apply.
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Oct 29, 2026 · 20 days left
- Award size
- $1M – $4M
- Total available
- $27.2M · about 15 awards
- Match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- School district, Nonprofit without 501(c)(3), Private college or university, County government, Special district (utility, fire, etc.), State government, Nonprofit with 501(c)(3), Public college or university, Tribal government, City or town government, and others named in the official notice
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
How this fits you
- Available in Tipton County (nationwide program)
- No match required
- Past Tennessee awards on file: 48
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
About this grant
Who can apply, from the official notice
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/cee75372-b3c0-4fa9-9b46-9a175cc84b5a · Printed from grantme.click/grants/9411ecee-ef84-4632-8509-36d806d8393f
View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar
Your schedule, working back from the deadline
- Oct9
Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov - Oct8
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment (already past: do it now)
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters. - Oct22
Finish a complete draft for a final review
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft. - Oct26
Submit
Suggested: submit a few days early. Agency portals can slow down near deadlines. - Oct29
Deadline
From the funder.
Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.
Writing the need statement? Tipton County facts with citations.
What the official notice requires
Pulled from the official notice ojjdp-2026-172745.pdf (20 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.
Registrations you need first (3)
Grants.gov · p. 1
“OMB No. 1121-0329 Approval Expires 02/28/2027 OJJDP FY 2026 Multistate Mentoring Programs Grants.gov Funding Opportunity Number:” Open page 1
JustGrants · p. 1
“Submit full application in JustGrants:” Open page 1
SAM.gov · p. 5
“Mentoring Organizations (11 to 44 states) Expected Total Amount of Funding $27,200,000 Anticipated Number of Awards Category 1: 5 Awards Category 2: 5 Awards Category 3: 5 Awards Award Type(s) Grant Anticipated Award Amount Category 1: $1,000,000 Category 2:…” Open page 5
The deadline is in 20 days. If your registration isn't already active, it may not be ready in time, so check it today. Get-ready checklist
What to submit
Form SF-424 · p. 1
“Complete SF-424 and submit in Grants.gov:” Open page 1
Project abstract or summary · p. 10
“JustGrants Standard Applicant Information *Required* Online Form Proposal Abstract Text Box Data Requested With Application” Open page 10
Timeline or schedule of completion · p. 13
“Provide a timeline listing key activities and milestones, and the months during which they will take place.” Open page 13
Length limits
Proposal Abstract: 2,000 characters max · p. 11
“Proposal Abstract In JustGrants, enter a proposal abstract (limited to 2,000 characters) summarizing the proposed project.” Open page 11
Dates in the notice
January 1, 2027 · p. 5
“Mentoring Organizations (11 to 44 states) Expected Total Amount of Funding $27,200,000 Anticipated Number of Awards Category 1: 5 Awards Category 2: 5 Awards Category 3: 5 Awards Award Type(s) Grant Anticipated Award Amount Category 1: $1,000,000 Category 2:…” Open page 5
Mistakes that get applications rejected (1)
Not an eligible applicant: Applicants that are members/affiliates/subgrantees of larger mentoring organizations will be considered... · p. 7
“Applicants that are members/affiliates/subgrantees of larger mentoring organizations will be considered ineligible if the standalone mentoring model/programming proposed is being implemented through the headquarters of the larger mentoring membership…” Open page 7
See how others wrote it
The agency posted this example. Read them for structure and level of detail. Don't copy their words: funders treat copied text as plagiarism, and requirements change from year to year, so follow the current notice.
- Any OJP grant (sample for a rural police department)
Sample budgets
A sample budget summary and budget narrative. Not a full application · Link checked Oct 7, 2026
Who in Tennessee has won this program
3 awards to Tennessee groups in 1 county since 2023 · 0 in Tipton County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville Leadership Foundation | Knoxville, Knox County | $650K | 2024 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley | Knoxville, Knox County | $650K | 2024 |
| Knoxville Leadership Foundation | Knoxville, Knox County | $97K spent that year | 2025 |
Source: USAspending.gov; Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.
Tennessee groups that got this money through Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging
This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. In Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging passes it on: watch that agency for applications, not the federal agency. 45 pass-through grants on file · 0 in Tipton County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley | Knoxville, Knox County | — | $256K spent that year | 2025 |
| Young Men's Christian Association of East Tennessee, Inc. | Knoxville, Knox County | Young Men's Christian Association of San Francisco | $210K | 2024 |
| Catholic Charities of Tennessee Inc | Nashville, Davidson County | Catholic Charities USA | $201K | 2025 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley | Knoxville, Knox County | U.S. Department of Justice | $159K spent that year | 2023 |
| Chattanooga Big Brother Sister Assc | Chattanooga, Hamilton County | Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Corporation | $158K | 2023 |
| Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, Inc | Chattanooga, Hamilton County | National Urban League, Inc. | $155K | 2023 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of the Ocoee Region | Cleveland, Bradley County | Boys & Girls Clubs of America | $132K spent that year | 2025 |
| Memphis Bears Inc | Memphis, Shelby County | National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues Inc | $126K | 2024 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee | Nashville, Davidson County | Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging | $119K spent that year | 2024 |
| Sheriffs/Police Activities League of Memphis and Shelby County TN | Memphis, Shelby County | National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues Inc | $118K | 2024 |
| Catholic Charities of Tennessee Inc | Nashville, Davidson County | Catholic Charities USA | $113K | 2024 |
| Big Brothers/Big Sisters of East Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Corporation | $111K | 2023 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).
More from Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention
- OJJDP FY 2026 Missing and Exploited Children Training and Technical Assistance · Due Oct 29, 2026 · 20 days left
- OJJDP FY 2026 Strengthening Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Technological Investigative Capacity · Due Oct 29, 2026 · 20 days left
- OJJDP FY 2026 Community and Schools Youth Drug Prevention Program · Due Oct 29, 2026 · 20 days left
- OJJDP FY 2026 Victims of Child Abuse Act Training and Technical Assistance for Child Abuse Professionals · Due Oct 29, 2026 · 20 days left
- OJJDP FY 2026 Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program · Due Oct 29, 2026 · 20 days left
- OJJDP FY 2026 Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program Support · Due Nov 2, 2026 · 24 days left
About the federal program
Juvenile Mentoring Program, also called “Mentoring”
Program number 16.726 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs · Project grant
How applications are judged
In each year's official notice: read this year's.
Match
None required (federal program listing).