California grants for State governments

This grant aims to address the issue of illegal solid waste dumping in California, which negatively affects property values, public health, and community pride, by providing funds for the cleanup and restoration of abandoned or underutilized properties.

This grant provides funding for Orange County public school teachers to enhance their students' educational experiences through projects, materials, and field trips.

This fellowship provides financial support and professional development for leaders in California who are dedicated to advancing Environmental Justice in their communities.

This program provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in Mendocino County facing urgent challenges that hinder their ability to serve the community effectively.

This funding opportunity supports educational and stewardship projects that connect diverse California communities to the coast and ocean, particularly those historically underserved in marine education.

The 2024-25 State and Local Cybersecurity Grant from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services offers $100,000 to $500,000 to California state agencies for projects aimed at improving cybersecurity governance, assessment, mitigation, and workforce development over a 3-year period.

This program provides funding to local governments, regional park districts, and eligible Tribal Entities in California to promote the use of recycled rubberized pavement in public roadways and pathways, helping to reduce tire waste and support sustainable practices.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (CDFW‐OSPR) is seeking grant applications to help fund projects that enhance, restore, or acquire habitat for wildlife, with available funding totaling $5,000,000. These grant funds come from CDFW-OSPR’s Environmental Enhancement Fund (EEF), which acquires funds from spill violations in accordance with California’s Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act. The EEF selection committee includes representatives from the California Coastal Conservancy, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and CDFW‐OSPR. The selection committee is seeking projects with a minimum requested grant award of $500,000. Projects must be completed by April 1, 2031. Multiple projects may be submitted for funding. Disbursement of money from the grant is contingent on the availability of funds in the EEF. To qualify, an environmental enhancement project must 1. Be located within or immediately adjacent to waters of the state, 2. Have measurable outcomes within a pre-determined timeframe 3. Be designed to acquire, restore, or improve habitat or restore ecosystem function, or both, to benefit fish and wildlife. Eligible Applicants include nonprofit organizations, cities, counties, cities and counties, districts, state agencies, and departments; and, to the extent permitted by federal law, to federal agencies. All eligible groups and projects are encouraged to apply. For more information, please go to www.wildlife.ca.gov/OSPR/Science/Environmental-Enhancement-Fund/About

The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) provides the Rubberized Pavement (Pavement) Grant Program, formerly called the Rubberized Asphalt Concrete (RAC) Grant Program, to promote markets for recycled-content surfacing products made from waste tires generated in California. Donor Name: California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) State: California County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) Details: The goal is to decrease the adverse environmental impacts created by unlawful disposal and stockpiling of waste tires. RAC is a proven road paving material used in California since the 1970s. RAC is made by: Blending ground tire rubber with asphalt binder Then, mixing the blended materials with conventional materials. Roads made with RAC last 50% longer than roads made only with conventional materials. Funding Information Maximum grant awards are: $250,000 for individual applications. $350,000 for regional applications. The Lead or a Non-Lead Participant is limited to no more than $250,000 of the grant award. $500,000 for qualifying Indian Tribes. Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants include: Local Governments – cities, counties, and cities and counties Other local governmental agencies, including regional park districts, special districts, and Joint Powers Authorities where all JPA members are also otherwise eligible applicants. Qualifying Indian Tribes. A “Qualifying Indian Tribe” is defined as an Indian tribe, band, nation or other organized group or community, residing within the borders of California, which: is recognized for special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of the status of its members as Indians; or can establish that: It is a government entity and Meets the criteria of the grant program State agencies, including offices, departments, bureaus, and boards. State agencies are only eligible for projects for Class 1 bikeways, greenways, and disability access at parks – see Projects for specific limitations. For more information, visit CalRecycle.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (CDFW‐OSPR) is seeking grant applications to help fund projects that enhance, restore, or acquire habitat for wildlife, with available funding totaling $5,000,000. Donor Name: California Department of Fish and Wildlife State: California County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/11/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: These grant funds come from CDFW-OSPR’s Environmental Enhancement Fund (EEF), which acquires funds from spill violations in accordance with California’s Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act. The EEF selection committee includes representatives from the California Coastal Conservancy, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and CDFW‐OSPR. To qualify, an environmental enhancement project must meet all of the following requirements: Is located within or immediately adjacent to waters of the state, as defined in California Government Code (of Section 8670.3); Has measurable outcomes within a predetermined timeframe. Is designed to acquire, restore, or improve habitat or restore ecosystem function, or both, to benefit fish and wildlife. Funding Information The selection committee is seeking projects with a minimum requested grant award of $500,000. Projects must be completed by April 1, 2031. Eligibility Criteria  Nonprofit organizations, cities, counties, cities and counties, districts, state agencies, and departments; and, to the extent permitted by federal law, to federal agencies. All eligible groups and projects are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit CDFW.

The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) is accepting applicants for its Household Hazardous Waste Grants. Donor Name: California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) State: California County: All Counties Grant is Closed Deadline: Size of the Grant: More than $1 million Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: CalRecycle’s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Grant Program helps local governments implement safe HHW programs, which may include: Public education Source reduction Reuse Recycling Load check Collection components Funding Information $1.5 million is allocated annually, subject to the availability of funds. Eligibility Criteria These grants are available to: Local governments for cities, counties, and city and counties with direct responsibility for HHW management. Regional or local sanitation or waste agencies with direct responsibility for HHW management. Joint Powers Authorities (JPA) if the JPA agreement includes solid or hazardous waste management responsibilities. Qualifying Tribal Entities, meaning an Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community residing within the borders of California with direct responsibility for HHW management, which: Is recognized for special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of the status of its members as Indians; or Can show it is a government entity and meets the criteria of the grant program. For more information, visit CalRecycle.

n recent years, California has experienced increased electrical system outages caused by climate-related events such as increased wildfires, heat waves, and storms, or through public safety power shutoffs (PSPS). These events, as well as aging infrastructure, threaten grid reliability, public health and safety, economic prosperity, communities, and ecosystems. They also pose disproportionate consequences for the most vulnerable populations in both rural and urban areas. The intent of this solicitation is to invest in projects that increase the electric reliability and resiliency of communities in California by reducing outage frequency, duration, magnitude, and associated community impacts, while bolstering California’s workforce and promoting equity. The CERRI Program is designed to prioritize projects that will generate the greatest community benefit by reducing the likelihood and consequences of electrical system outages. As such, projects that are close to shovel-ready, have initiated the environmental review process, or leverage otherwise stranded assets or existing infrastructure will be scored favorably based on criteria listed in Section IV.F. The objectives are oriented around four main themes outlined below. These themes are not listed in rank order. Energy reliability and resilience: Reduce the frequency, duration, and magnitude of power outages and strengthen communities’ ability to function during power outages by providing day-to-day and emergency services for its constituents.Community Benefits: Ensure that the benefits of clean, safe, affordable, and reliable energy are shared by all, particularly communities with critical energy reliability and resilience needs.Advancement of Energy and Climate Goals: Support California’s energy modernization and climate goals.Workforce Development and Labor: Create high-quality jobs with strong labor standards and protections that attract and train a skilled workforce for lasting careers in the clean energy industry.

The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) is excited to announce the Youth Community Access Program to expand outdoor access and build a healthier California. Donor Name: California Natural Resources Agency State: California County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 08/14/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: YEPEITA funds appropriated to the California Natural Resources Agency (the State) are to be used for competitive grants to support youth access to natural or cultural resources with a focus on low-income and disadvantaged communities. The grants may include, but are not limited to,  community education and recreational amenities to support youth substance use prevention and early intervention. The Youth Community Access Grant Program is a competitive program to award grants to communities disproportionately affected by past federal and state drug policies, also known as the War on Drugs, as well as other underserved communities. The Youth Community Access Grant Program aims to be a resource to address and repair the multi-generational community impacts of the War on Drugs. Funding Priorities Projects containing one or more of the following elements will be given priority consideration in funding decisions: Projects in which youth participate in project planning, decision making, facilitation, and evaluation Projects in which youth participate in outreach and awareness campaigns Projects that empower youth to make healthy choices Projects that empower youth to make healthy choices Funding Information The maximum award for an individual project is $300,000. The minimum award is $25,000. Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants include local, state, and federal agencies; nonprofit organizations; and federally recognized Native American tribes. Nonprofit organizations are defined as any nonprofit public benefit corporation that is formed pursuant to the Nonprofit Corporation Law, incorporated for a minimum of two years, qualified to do business in California, and qualified as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization under the US Internal Revenue Code. Requirements To be eligible for funding, projects must meet ALL the following program requirements: Project must serve youth. For the purposes of this program, youth is defined as a person between the ages of birth and 26 years old. Project must directly support youth access to either natural or cultural resources. Project must include design features and program elements to promote youth health, safety, well-being, and comfort. For more information, visit CNRA.

This program develops and tests IPM strategies to control one of the target pests identified by CDFA in the RFP. The IPM program could be quickly implemented once the invasive pest becomes established in California. It is a priority to first utilize and adapt existing knowledge and technology that may exist outside of California. Additionally, the focus is on targets suitable for long-term IPM control. Pests that are typically successfully eradicated, such as certain fruit flies, will not be a high priority. A proposal should provide straightforward descriptions of the proposed IPM project or strategy, including a detailed scope of work, commitments from team members, and a budget justification (details provided in the Grant Proposal Requirements section). CDFA encourages but does not require matching funds from industry partners. Proposals must identify and justify a high priority target pest from the CDFA target pest list. Project proposals must include details and reasoning on what IPM techniques for that pest (biological/cultural control, monitoring, etc.) will be investigated. Projects may include any number of IPM components, including a single aspect of an IPM system. Projects with biological control components should detail a plan to collect data necessary to obtain a release permit and describe the process to obtain it. The focus of the research should be on long-term control of the invasive pest that minimizes disruption of urban communities and existing agricultural IPM systems. For example, it would be preferable to prioritize testing selective chemistries, biological chemistries, cultural control, and biological control, over broad-spectrum insecticides. Proposals should consider availability of products not registered in California and potential remedies. The proposal must focus on management strategies for pests on the target list. CDFA will use the priorities rubric in the RFP to evaluate proposals for each target pest. Applicants may only propose projects related to the pest on the target list. Note: it is not a requirement for target pests to fall into the highest priority category. This rubric is meant to serve as a guide to researchers when selecting target pests and discussing their importance to California and suitability for this program.

This grant provides funding to military bases and facilities to install additional electric vehicle chargers for government and authorized private vehicles, promoting the use of zero-emission vehicles.

This funding opportunity supports projects that improve water quality and restore ecosystems across California, targeting local governments, non-profits, and other organizations involved in watershed management and environmental conservation.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is soliciting proposals to improve existing efforts to reduce mortality of whales from entanglement in fishing gear in Southern California. Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) State: California County: Los Angeles County (CA), Orange County (CA), Santa Barbara County (CA), Ventura County (CA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline:  07/17/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: The activities will provide compensatory restoration for injury to cetaceans caused by the Refugio Beach Oil Spill (RBOS). Specifically, the aim of the activities is to augment an existing permitted and authorized program off the southern California coast by increasing the capacity of the entanglement response network in areas that need additional support to respond to reports of entangled cetaceans, to document and disentangle these animals, and to broadly support efforts to reduce the number of entanglements that could lead to serious injuries or mortalities. Priorities Project proposals should address as many of these program priorities as possible: Directly Enhance Entanglement Response Enhance entanglement responses that benefit cetaceans in Southern California. Types of direct response activities could include, but are not limited to: Participate in, and/or lead, entanglement responses in Southern California Participate in, and/or lead, entanglement responses beyond Southern California that benefit cetaceans in Southern California Coordinate with federal, state and local resource agencies This project will work closely with federal, state and local resource agencies to enhance coordination of the overall West Coast Marine Mammal Entanglement Response Program (Program), with a primary focus of benefitting cetaceans in Southern California.  Train and develop volunteer response capacity Efforts to train and develop volunteer response capacity throughout the West Coast have been limited. In addition, the relatively low number of high-level trained responders on the West Coast make it difficult to generate effective responses that may include detailed documentation of entanglement events, as well as disentanglement efforts.  Build capacity and infrastructure Proposals should outline how these activities will contribute to the development of the overall capacity and infrastructure of the Program. Funding Information An estimated $250,000 will be available through this solicitation for a Phase 1 project award, which is anticipated to last 1–2 years.  Geographic Focus The priority geographic focus is Southern California, and – in particular for responding to entangled cetaceans – the coastlines off Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange Counties Applicants do not need to be primarily based in the Southern California area if they can provide assurance that they can effectively perform entanglement response and capacity building activities in Southern California. Project proposals may include additional activities outside of the priority geographic focus if they relate to the health and protection of individual cetaceans that may occur in southern California at some point during their life. Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, for-profit organizations, Tribal governments and organizations, educational institutions, international organizations. Ineligible applicants include U.S. federal government agencies, and unincorporated individuals. For more information, visit NFWF.

Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation invites nonprofit organizations to submit grant applications for projects that will enhance the quality of life for those who live, work and play in Rancho Bernardo. Donor Name: Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation State: California Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/22/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: The purpose and vision of the Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation (RBCF) is to improve the quality of life and meet emerging needs by increasing responsible and effective philanthropy, building a community endowment for the benefit of Rancho Bernardo, providing funds annually to community organizations and causes, and giving the Rancho Bernardo community a vehicle for legacy planning and gifts that will benefit Rancho Bernardo now and forever. Focus Areas RBCF is in its 36th year of grantmaking to enhance the quality of life for those who live, work and play in Rancho Bernardo. Music: RBCF will award between $1,500 and $5,000 to programs involving music to be awarded from the RB Symphony on the Green Fund. Community Enhancement: RBCF will award between $1,500 to $10,000 to programs that inspire community pride, revitalization and increase the quality of life of the broader community. Grant Period These projects should be practical, achievable within a 12-month time frame and have prospects for long-term sustainability. Uses of funds  Funding may be used to expand existing programs, replicate programs tested in other communities or to launch totally new efforts. Eligibility Criteria  Projects must clearly address Rancho Bernardo-specific issues and needs, including activities that promote creativity and enhance civic engagement and must also clearly address the impact on Rancho Bernardo residents. RBCF will fund programs managed by nonprofit organizations, schools, or government agencies that embrace one or more of the following: Demonstrates and/or fosters collaboration with other successful entities in the community to achieve a common goal or objective; Is a current project that has strategic impact, i.e., provides long-lasting, ongoing benefit to the community or the distinct population it is intended to serve; Is based on a proven track record of success as demonstrated through process, leaders and/or experienced partners; Targets clearly defined, measurable results that are attainable within a reasonable time frame; Demonstrates sustainability, i.e., is replicable, repeatable and/or scalable; Focuses on problem areas, opportunities or populations that otherwise are not funded and serviced by existing nonprofits, educational organization mandates or state or federal programs. For more information, visit SDF.

This new multi-year grant program intends to create local community connections to California’s rich and diverse cultural history and natural areas outside of California’s state park boundaries. Eligible projects will enhance connections to local cultural history, local parks, open space or natural areas through community events, programming or installations that help to build sustainable community connections, health and well-being. The Local Parks Grants Program will be managed and administered by Parks California. This program supports the “Outdoor Access for All” initiative led by Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, along with the Natural Resources Agency’s “Outdoors for All” initiative, and California State Parks’ Reexamining Our Past Initiative.

The Planning and Development Grants, part of the Local Parks Grant Program managed by Parks California, aim to support the initial stages of community-oriented projects that connect local communities to California’s cultural history and natural areas. These projects include building partnerships, artist selection, and developing project plans. This initiative enhances community well-being and sustainable connections. The grant cycle runs from October 2024 to May 2025.