Make a Difference

Application Process

Applications for the Make a Difference (MAD) Program have been accepted for FY 2025. Awards for CDBG Programs are anticipated to be announced on April 1, 2025. Information about the upcoming FY 2026 - 2027 program will be published in mid-January.

Eligible Applicants

Each eligible applicant may only submit one application. Eligible applicants to the MAD program are non-entitlement units of general local government, consisting of municipalities and parishes (42 U.S.C. 5306(d) and 42 U.S.C. 5302(a)(7)), and excludes the following entitlement areas: Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Bossier City, Hammond, Jefferson Parish (including Grand Isle, Gretna, Harahan, Jean Lafitte, and Westwego), Kenner, Lafayette Parish Consolidated Government, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans, St. Tammany Parish, Shreveport, Slidell, Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government, and Thibodaux.

In general, the applicant will be determined by the location of the potential sites of that project.

Eligible Activities

Proposed activities must be eligible under Section 105(a) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended. Each proposed activity must address a national objective. Applications can and should contain multiple activities that address the needs of the community to be served.

Types of Grants

Applicants may submit an application including any eligible CDBG activity that meets a CDBG national objective in an effort to have a measurable impact on their community.

Funding Process

After all rating points have been assigned for full applications meeting the past performance threshold criteria described under XI.O., a ranking list will be produced for applications that are being considered for the FY 2024 program year ranked from highest to lowest according to the total number of points received by each application. The OCD will award funding based on this final ranking list.

Size of Grants

For all grants, a minimum of $500,000 including administrative costs is required. If, during the rating process, an application’s cost are reduced below the $500,000 minimum, that application will not be considered. The State has established a funding ceiling of $2,000,000 for the MAD program.

• The State will allow applicants to request funds for administrative costs that do not exceed the ceiling amount with the following limitations. Each local government will be allowed up to a maximum of $100,000 in LCDBG funds for administrative costs. The Office of Community Development reserves the right to make adjustments when deemed necessary.
• If, after a project has been funded, the scope of the project changes significantly, the State will make a determination as to the ceiling amount which will be allowed for administrative costs; this determination will be made on a case-by-case basis.
• In all instances, the local government may (but is not required to) retain up to five percent of the funds allowed for program administration to cover its costs of administering the LCDBG Program; such costs on the local governmental level include but are not limited to audit fees, advertising and publication fees, staff time, workshop expenses, etc.
• Pre-agreement costs are not eligible under the FY 2024 MAD program.

Individual Grant Amounts

Grants will be funded with a minimum amount of $500,000 up to a maximum of $2,000,000. In determining appropriate grant amounts for each application, the State shall consider the applicant's need, proposed activities, viability of proposed solutions, and ability to carry out the proposed program.

More information about this program, including restrictions on applying and scoring criteria, can be found in the Proposed FY 2024/2025 Method of Distribution.