The Father First Initiative needs great community partners to help promote fatherhood and mentoring throughout the state of Florida. If you’re interested, explore the grant opportunities below to see if you qualify.
The Florida Legislature passed House Bill 7065 in their regular session in 2022 and Governor Ron DeSantis signed it shortly after in April of 2022. The legislation did numerous things to impact fatherhood and fatherlessness in the state of Florida, including over $27 million to fund the Responsible Fatherhood Initiative.
The three grant opportunities were created to promote fatherhood and mentoring in the state by funding community-based nonprofits that work to address the comprehensive needs of fathers, provide evidence-based education programs to fathers, and provide mentorship programs for at-risk male students. The first round of Requests for Application (RFAs) were released in March of 2023. The award postings for those grant awards were on July 28, 2023. The next Comprehensive Needs of Fathers Grant RFA was posted on December 13, 2024 and the award postings for those grant awards were on August 29, 2024.
The Florida Department of Children and Families has issued the 2026 RFA to procure direct services under Florida’s Responsible Fatherhood Initiative.
This RFA establishes a coordinated statewide framework for the delivery of Responsible Fatherhood Initiative services through the following program components: Comprehensive Needs of Fathers (CNF); Responsible Fatherhood Education Program (RFEP); and Mentorship Programs for At-Risk Male Students (MPARMS). The current 2026 RFA has been posted and can be found here.
Family First, a national nonprofit organization based in Tampa, known for its two primary programs, All Pro Dad and iMOM, has been contracted by the Florida Department of Children and Families to provide technical assistance and training for grant applicants.
These virtual trainings will teach participants how to successfully write/complete each section of the grant proposal, provide participants with an understanding of the grant writing process and best practices, practical tips and tools to use when writing and submitting grant proposals, and teach participants how to tailor their proposals to meet their specific needs.
To receive more information on Pre-Award Grant Writing Training, please fill out the form.