The Service United Fund provides philanthropic capital to help states and territories strengthen service as a strategy. We launched this effort at the National Governors Association Summer Summit in 2026. The application process starts by submitting an Expression of Interest.
GRANT CATEGORIES
Three Levels of Funding
The purpose of the Service United Fund is to provide philanthropic support for states to plan, build, or expand service strategies that drive impact across three levels: (1) support young people in entering education and the workforce, (2) bring people across lines of difference to strengthen communities, and (3) deliver on key issues such as education, housing, energy, conservation, and mental health. By service strategies, we mean integrating paid service programs for young people in your state or territory in order to improve outcomes across the three measures outlined above. In order to achieve this, we offer three categories of grants.
PLAN
Up to $100,000
Up to 12 months
Plan a service strategy or plan significant modifications to existing service programs.
BUILD
Up to $500,000
12 to 24 months
Support the launch of a new service program or the modification of one or more existing programs. States that complete a Plan grant are eligible for consideration.
IMPACT
Up to $1,500,000
24 to 36 months
Grow or improve existing service programs for states with strong service strategies. Includes an expectation of a 20 percent match from state sources over the course of the grant.
HOW TO APPLY
Application Instructions
States and territories interested in receiving funding should complete the steps below.
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Review the Brief Questionnaire About Your Service Strategy
Download the document below to preview the questions you will be asked when you submit your Expression of Interest. Please note, only the Governor’s office can submit an Expression of Interest for your state or territory. If you have questions, please email: applications@serviceunitedfund.org.
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Submit an Expression of Interest
Complete the Expression of Interest form. This starts the application process. The Expression of Interest must be submitted by the Governor’s office. We will only consider one Expression of Interest per state or territory.
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Virtual meeting with Service United Fund team
We’ll set up an introductory call with you and representatives from the Service United Fund team. The purpose of this call is to talk about your vision for this grant. As funders, we want to ensure we have a clear sense for the best ways we can support service as a strategy in your state and territory, and we may also be able to help connect you with experts to support your concept note development (next step).
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Concept note development
On October XX, the concept note submission window will open. States and territories that have completed the virtual meeting step will receive a new link inviting them to submit a concept note for a Plan, Build, or Impact grant. The deadline to submit the concept note is midnight ET on October 30. Concept notes must be submitted online through the application portal.
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Concept note review
The Service United Fund is a competitive process. In this step we will review concept notes and make funding decisions.
Round 2 for this grant program will open in early 2027.
APPLICATION PREVIEW
Brief Questionnaire About Your Service Strategy
Download this document to preview the questions you will be asked when you submit your Expression of Interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
All 55 members of the National Governors Association are eligible, including states and territories with authority to administer a service program. The Expression of Interest must be submitted by the Governor’s Office. Later in the process, the Governor can identify a lead agency or partner for this grant, but only the Governor’s office can initiate the application.
There are three categories of grants available through the Service United Fund.
Plan Grants: Grants of up to $100,000 for up to 12 months to plan a service strategy or to plan significant modifications to existing service programs.
Build Grants: Grants of up to $500,000 for 12 to 24 months, to support the launch of a new service program or the modification of one or more existing programs; for example, states that successfully complete a Plan grant would be eligible for consideration for this level of grant.
Impact Grants: Grants of up to $1,500,000 for 24 to 36 months, for states with strong service strategies to grow or improve existing service programs (e.g., New York and the Empire State Service Corps); with these grants, we include an expectation for a 20 percent match from state
Expressions of Interest are reviewed on a rolling basis. States and territories will be contacted to schedule a virtual meeting within a few weeks of submitting their Expression of Interest. Round 1 grant decisions will be announced by the end of 2026.
Yes, states and territories can submit an Expression of Interest and start the process regardless of whether there is a gubernatorial election. States and territories can also submit an Expression of Interest after an election, for consideration as part of Round 2 of the Service United Fund. If a state or territory submits an Expression of Interest for Round 1 and the governor is not going to be in office in 2027, then during the virtual call, the Service United Fund team will ask some additional questions about how the state or territory will ensure the grant will receive governor support under the next administration.
No, states and territories can only apply for one grant; there may be future opportunities for Plan grant recipients to apply for a Build or Impact grant.
Yes. States and territories that are not selected in Round 1 may apply again when Round 2 opens in early 2027. Program staff are available to provide feedback.
With Impact Grants, there is an expectation for a 20 percent match from state sources (public or private) over the course of the grant. There is no matching requirement for Plan or Build grants.
