Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program
DFC funds community coalitions that bring 12 sectors, from youth and parents to law enforcement and schools, together to prevent youth substance use. ONDCP funds and directs the program and CDC manages the awards. Scoring centers on a 12-month action plan built on the seven strategies for community change and on how the coalition will collect the four DFC core measures.
Program facts
- Agency
- Managed on behalf of ONDCP by the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
- Assistance Listing
- 93.276
- Statutory authority
- Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, 21 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. (P.L. 105-20)
- Award ceiling
- Up to $125,000 per year
- Awards
- FY2026 notices included a Year 6 cohort competition for about 50 awards ($31.25 million over five years) alongside separate Year 1 new-coalition and continuation postings
- Period of performance
- 5 years in 12-month budget periods; a coalition can receive at most 10 years of DFC funding
- Cost share
- Dollar-for-dollar (100%) non-federal match in Years 1 to 6, rising to 125% in Years 7 and 8 and 150% in Years 9 and 10. Cash and third-party in-kind count; opioid settlement funds may be used.
- Cycle
- DFC NOFOs typically post in late fall or winter with deadlines in February or March and July or August starts. The FY2026 Year 6 cohort NOFO (CDC-RFA-CE-26-0208) was due February 12, 2026 with a July 1, 2026 expected start.
Program goals
- Establish and strengthen collaboration among community stakeholders to address youth substance use
- Reduce substance use among youth and, over time, among adults
- Address community risk factors and strengthen protective factors
- Participate in the DFC National Cross-Site Evaluation and report core measures
Scoring rubric
Background5
Local data on the nature and scope of youth substance use, the risk factors and local conditions driving it, and harms tied to the chosen substances.
Approach20
A coalition mission tied to youth prevention (5 points) and goals, strategies and activities aligned with the DFC logic model and achievable within the period (15 points).
Communities served5
A clear description of the community and geographic area served.
Work plan20
A detailed 12-month action plan using the seven strategies for community change, at least two substances, SMART objectives, responsible parties and risk and protective factors.
Evaluation and performance measurement plan25
Participation in the cross-site evaluation and collection of the four core measures (10), monitoring of work plan objectives (10) and a plan to share findings with the community (5).
Organizational structure15
Capacity to manage programmatic and fiscal requirements, defined key personnel roles and a plan to recruit and retain coalition members, especially youth.
Community coalition10
Defined roles for the coalition and any fiscal agent, involvement of all 12 sector representatives, and collaboration with other organizations.
Point values from the FY2026 DFC Year 6 cohort NOFO (CDC-RFA-CE-26-0208). Year 1 new-coalition NOFOs use their own posting; confirm against the NOFO for your cohort.
Eligibility
- Community coalitions focused on preventing youth substance use that have worked together for at least six months
- Coalitions must include representatives of all 12 statutory sectors and address at least two substances
- The coalition must be a 501(c)(3) or partner with an eligible fiscal agent such as a government, school district, university or nonprofit
- No more than 10 years of prior DFC funding, and no overlap with another DFC coalition without a letter of mutual cooperation
- Separate NOFOs cover new (Year 1) coalitions and returning coalitions seeking a second five-year cycle
Required attachments
- Sector table covering all 12 required sectors
- Coalition meeting minutes showing at least six months of joint work
- General applicant information form
- Statement of legal eligibility and, if applicable, an MOU with the fiscal agent
- Ten-year funding limit attestation and disclosure of prior DFC funding
- Letter of mutual cooperation and report on overlap, if another DFC coalition serves the area
- Congressional notification, resumes and job descriptions, and indirect cost rate agreement
Formatting rules
- Project narrative limited to 20 pages; abstract limited to 1 page
- Calibri 12-point font; tables, footnotes and graphics text may be 10-point
- Single-spaced, black ink, 1-inch margins, page numbers on every page, PDF format
- Narrative must use the exact headings, subheadings and order given in the NOFO
- All 13 attachments go into a single Other Attachments form
Why applications lose points
- A sector table missing one of the 12 required sectors, or one person listed for multiple sectors
- Meeting minutes that do not show six months of collaboration
- Budget that does not document the full non-federal match for the funding year
- Work plan that lists activities without tying them to the seven strategies and SMART objectives
- Narrative headings that do not match the required order
- Proposing research activities, which makes the application nonresponsive
How ELIXIR CONSUMERS helps with DFC
- 1.Builds the sector table from your coalition roster and flags vacant or double-counted sectors
- 2.Calculates the required match for your funding year and checks that budgeted cash and in-kind sources cover it
- 3.Drafts the 12-month action plan from your logic model, with each activity mapped to one of the seven strategies
- 4.Pulls youth survey results from your vault for the core measures and cites the survey year and source for each figure
More healthcare breakdowns
- CCBHC-IA Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Improvement and Advancement Grant (CCBHC-IA)ALN 93.696
- HRSA NAP Health Center Program New Access Points (NAP)ALN 93.224
- HRSA SAC Health Center Program Service Area Competition (SAC)ALN 93.224
- RCORP-Planning Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Planning (RCORP-Planning)ALN 93.912
Questions, answered
Is DFC run by CDC or ONDCP?
ONDCP funds and administers the program; CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control manages the awards on ONDCP's behalf.
Can volunteer time count toward the match?
Yes. Donated services, including volunteer and youth hours, office space and pro bono professional services, are acceptable in-kind match. Federal funds generally are not.
Can a city government apply?
A city can serve as the fiscal agent for a coalition that meets the statutory requirements, with an MOU describing roles.
$ elixir trial --days 14
Stop letting high-value grant deadlines pass you by.
Upload a past 990 and a target NOFO. Watch ELIXIR CONSUMERS draft a cited Section 1 narrative in 90 seconds.