Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance
🏛 Administration for Children and Families - ANA
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations and tribal entities seeking to support the preservation, documentation, and revitalization of Native American languages. Eligible applicants include federally recognized Indian tribes, tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and Alaska Native organizations, as well as 501(c)(3) nonprofits and educational institutions working in partnership with Native communities. The program supports activities across the United States and U.S. territories. Funded activities include language immersion programs, development of instructional materials, training for language teachers and cultural practitioners, documentation of endangered languages, and community-based initiatives that promote intergenerational language transmission. Projects may serve both children and adults in school and community settings.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
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Key dates
- Jul 1, 2026 Award announced
- Jul 1, 2026 Project start
- Jul 8, 2026 Applications open
- Aug 7, 2026 Application deadline in 21 days
Program description
The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) will be soliciting applications for the Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance program. This program funds for projects to support assessments of the status of native languages in established communities. In addition, it funds planning, designing, restoration, and implementing of native language curriculum and education projects to support a community’s language preservation goals. Native American communities include American Indian tribes (federally-recognized and non-federally recognized), Native Hawaiians, Alaskan Natives, and Native American Pacific Islanders.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (federal application form)
- Project narrative/statement of work describing language preservation activities, goals, and methods
- Detailed budget with budget narrative explaining all costs
- Evidence of community support (letters from tribal leaders, Native organizations, language speakers, families)
- Organizational capacity documentation (staff qualifications, prior experience with similar projects)
- Evaluation plan showing how project success will be measured
- Timeline for project activities
- Documentation of tribal consultation or partnership agreements (if applicable)
- Tax-exempt status documentation (501(c)(3) letter) or tribal authorization
- Management plan showing roles and responsibilities
Program contact
- 👤 Carmelia Strickland
- 📧 Carmelia.Strickland@acf.hhs.gov
- 📞 (202) 401-6741
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.587 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$935,452
-
$900,000
-
$900,000
-
$900,000
-
$900,000
-
$900,000
-
$900,000
-
$900,000
-
$899,997
-
$899,995
Top States by Funding
- AK 13 awards $8.8M
- OK 12 awards $7.7M
- HI 6 awards $4.7M
- NY 4 awards $3.4M
- MN 4 awards $3.3M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.587). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $17,317 | |
| 2025 | $12,818,434 | |
| 2026 est. | $18,797,374 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Federally recognized Indian tribes, tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, Alaska Native organizations, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits or educational institutions working with Native communities can apply. Partnerships between tribal entities and other organizations are encouraged.
What types of activities does this grant support?
The grant funds language preservation and maintenance activities including immersion programs, development of curriculum and instructional materials, training for language teachers, linguistic documentation, and community-based efforts to strengthen intergenerational language transmission.
Is there a required match or cost-share?
Many ANA grants require or strongly encourage cost-sharing or matching funds from applicants. Check the specific Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for match requirements for your competition year.
How competitive is this funding?
Language preservation grants are moderately to highly competitive. Applications must demonstrate strong community engagement, clear language preservation goals, and realistic capacity to execute the project. Partnerships and demonstrated prior success increase competitiveness.
What is the typical funding range?
Grant amounts vary by competition cycle and activity type, typically ranging from $50,000 to $300,000 annually, though this varies. Review the specific NOFO for your funding cycle to confirm available award amounts.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Start with strong community engagement: Document clear letters of support from tribal leadership, language speakers, parents, and community members who will benefit from the project. ANA prioritizes applications rooted in authentic community need and buy-in.
- Emphasize language sustainability and intergenerational transmission: Show how your project will create lasting systems for teaching and using the language beyond the grant period. Address how younger and older generations will engage with the language.
- Build partnerships strategically: If you're a 501(c)(3) applying, partner with the relevant tribal nation or Native organization to strengthen your application. Tribal applicants should consider partnerships with universities, education institutions, or cultural organizations for technical capacity.
- Detail your evaluation and documentation plan: Clearly explain how you will measure success—document the numbers of learners, hours of instruction, materials created, or speakers trained. Include plans to share linguistic data or materials that might benefit other communities.
- Address sustainability in your narrative: Explain how the program will continue after grant funding ends. Discuss how you will secure future funding, develop trainers who can replicate the program, or institutionalize the initiative within schools or tribal structures.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Many applications fail because they lack clear, documented community support and tribal involvement. Applicants often underestimate the importance of demonstrating that the language preservation project responds to actual community priorities, not external assumptions about what communities need. Additionally, applications frequently lack realistic evaluation plans—grantmakers need to see concrete metrics for success, not vague statements about "promoting language use." Finally, many proposals fail to address sustainability, leaving reviewers uncertain whether the project will have any lasting impact after federal funding ends.
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