Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)
Forecasted
Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) supports Pennsylvania’s community action network, funding locally planned services and economic development to help low-income families achieve stability and economic security.
Funder: Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
Due Dates (Anticipated): January 2027 (Annual work plan and budget)
Funding Amounts: One-year formula awards; planned annual agency allocations of $250,000–$5,218,274 for FFY 2026 and 2027
Summary: CSBG funds Pennsylvania’s designated community action network to address poverty through locally planned services and economic development activities.
Key Information: Funding is restricted to existing designated CSBG eligible entities; individuals cannot apply.
Description
The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) is a federally funded anti-poverty program administered in Pennsylvania by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). It supports eligible nonprofit community-based organizations and governmental entities delivering services in disadvantaged and low-income communities. Supported work includes case management, job training, food and nutrition, transportation, education, housing, drug and alcohol counseling, and economic development.
Agencies choose investments based on local Community Needs Assessments rather than a prescribed set of services. The program seeks to help low-income individuals and families achieve stability and economic security, strengthen healthy communities offering economic opportunity, and engage residents in building those opportunities. CSBG also supports agencies’ central management and core activities, helping the community action network coordinate services and leverage other public and private resources.
