The 2025-2026 Financial Education Grants Program, offered by the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), provides funding to support financial education initiatives. This grant cycle has been streamlined to simplify the application process, ensuring it is more accessible to applicants. The program prioritizes projects that meet established guidelines and are submitted within the outlined deadlines.

Eligible applicants must refer to the 2025-2026 Grants Manual before applying. This manual provides essential information, including details on eligible and ineligible expenses, required documentation, and other application guidelines. Applications can be completed using either a fillable PDF form or Survey Monkey, but applicants must use only one format to avoid duplication.

The grant application process consists of three key steps. First, applicants must complete the application, which becomes available on January 2, 2025, and submit it by the deadline of February 28, 2025, at 5:00 PM PST. Second, completed applications should be emailed to FEGrants@dfi.wa.gov. Third, a Grant Review Committee will evaluate applications in March 2025, based on adherence to the guidelines and other program criteria. Due to a statewide budget freeze and spending reductions, the funding pool for this period is limited, and not all applicants will receive funding.

Key dates for the program include the application launch on January 2, 2025, and the submission deadline on February 28, 2025. Applicants will be notified of their status via email in April 2025. Successful applicants will finalize grant agreements between May and June 2025, with program work beginning after July 1, 2025, when agreements are signed. The grant period concludes on June 30, 2026, by which time all work must be completed, and final reports and invoices submitted.

Applicants should be aware that work cannot begin until the grant agreement is signed and filed by DFI. Funding is competitive, and submission of an application does not guarantee funding. Questions about the program can be directed to FEGrants@dfi.wa.gov.

For updates and notifications regarding this grant, interested parties can subscribe to DFI’s notification service by providing their email address on the program’s website.