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Evaluator for Drug-Free Communities coalitions
In the Drug-Free Communities application, the evaluation and performance measurement plan is worth 25 of 100 points. No other single item is worth more. Most coalitions are run by volunteers and a coordinator. Few have anyone whose job is data. The program is administered by the CDC, one of the agencies we have worked with.
We have worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Movember, among many others.
What the FY2026 announcement required (CDC-RFA-CE-26-0061)
- An evaluation and performance measurement plan worth 25 points: 10 for how the coalition will take part in the national cross-site evaluation and collect the four core measures, 10 for how it will monitor and evaluate its twelve-month action plan, and 5 for how it will share findings with the community (grants.gov record).
- The four core measures (past-30-day use, perception of risk, perception of parental disapproval, perception of peer disapproval) for alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and prescription drugs, reported every two years for three grade levels from youth survey data.
- Participation in the national cross-site evaluation, which is a statutory requirement of the program, and a data management plan.
- Awards of up to $125,000 a year for five years, with a 100 percent non-federal match. Contractual costs are an allowable budget category.
Facts on this page were checked against the official sources on September 20, 2026. Rules change; rely on the official announcement or regulation linked here, not on this summary.
Where we fit
A coalition does not need a full-time evaluator. It needs the right help at the right moments.
- The evaluation and performance measurement plan for your application
- Youth survey design or selection, administration with your schools, and analysis of the core measures
- Focus groups and interviews with young people, parents and sector representatives
- Data management, so the two-year reporting cycle is routine and not a scramble
- Expert data visualization of your community’s numbers for the people who need to see them
- Final reporting in multiple formats: full report, executive summary, slide deck, one-page brief or dashboard
Mixed methods is our default design: qualitative and quantitative data, collected together and reported as one story.
Timing
The FY2026 round closed on April 14, 2026. grants.gov lists FY2027 forecasts for new coalitions (CDC-RFA-CE-27-0058, about 50 awards) and for coalitions competing for years six to ten, with no announcement text or deadline yet. CDC says announcements are usually released in January or February (CDC questions and answers).
The program has been shrinking: the FY2021 announcement expected 100 new awards, the FY2026 announcement 50. A stronger application matters more than it used to.
Is your coalition applying or re-competing?
Tell us where you are in the five-year cycle and how you collect your youth survey data today. You will hear back within one business day.
Every inquiry is confidential. We never sell or share your information. Privacy policy.