Volunteer Florida is pleased to announce the availability of funding for the FY 2026–2027 Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) / Citizen Corps (CC) Program. This funding opportunity will support local efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness, response capabilities, and community resilience throughout Florida.
Volunteer Florida will award a total of $100,000 in grant funding to support CERT and CC programs across the state. Eligible applicants may apply for funding for a CERT program, a CC program, or both. Applicants seeking funding for both programs must submit a separate application for each program. Individual grant requests must be a minimum of $5,000 and may not exceed $10,000 per application. Eligible organizations interested in applying for one or both of these programs should respond to the request for proposals by Wednesday, May 6, 2026 by 5:00 pm (EDT).
Volunteer Florida administers Florida’s CERT and CC programs. The CERT Program provides training for citizens in basic disaster response skills, enabling volunteers to support their communities by delivering immediate assistance during emergencies until professional responders arrive.
The CC Program coordinates volunteer activities that help make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to emergencies. CC Councils focus on emergency planning, public education, and volunteer engagement to enhance community resilience before, during, and after disasters.
Eligible applicants include local units of government, counties and cities within the State of Florida, fire tax districts, other tax districts, regional planning councils, state-supported community colleges, colleges and universities, and federally recognized tribes or nations within the State of Florida.
Please note that 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are not directly eligible; however, local jurisdictions may subcontract with 501(c)(3) organizations to perform these functions.
Technical Assistance Webinars
Interested applicants are encouraged to attend one or both Technical Assistance webinars to learn more about the funding opportunity and application requirements. Click here to visit the CERT / CC grant webpage for additional information on participating in the Technical Assistance webinars, including meeting access details.
Technical Assistance Webinar
April 8, 2026 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
Technical Assistance: Finance Webinar
April 20, 2026 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
Application Submission Information
Applications must be submitted to Volunteer Florida by Wednesday, May 6, 2026, by 5:00 PM EDT via Blackbaud.
Click here to access the FY 2026–2027 CERT / CC Blackbaud funding application.
Questions regarding this funding opportunity may be submitted via email to:
Robin@volunteerflorida.org.