California Community Development Grants

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.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for young residents and organizations in the Tri-City area to undertake educational and aesthetic environmental projects.

This funding opportunity supports individuals and organizations in the Tri-City area to develop local environmental projects that are educational or enhance community aesthetics, with a focus on sustainability.

The CalMoneySmart program aims to enhance financial empowerment among unbanked and underbanked Californians by funding nonprofit organizations. Through financial education and empowerment services, it seeks to reduce disparities, improve financial literacy, and foster wealth-building opportunities. The program awards grantees up to $200K per year for two consecutive fiscal years to promote financial stability and security statewide. ; Grant funds may only be used for the following financial education and empowerment services for the targeted at-risk unbanked and underbanked populations: 1) Designing, developing, or offering, free of charge to consumers, classroom or web-based financial education and empowerment content intended to help unbanked and underbanked consumers achieve, identify, and access lower cost financial products and services, establish or improve their credit, increase their savings, or lower their debt. 2) Providing individualized, free financial coaching to unbanked and underbanked consumers. 3) Designing, developing, or offering, free of charge to consumers, a financial product or service intended to help unbanked and underbanked consumers identify and access responsible financial products and financial services, establish or improve their credit, increase their savings, or lower their debt. Every project funded with a grant from the Financial Empowerment Fund shall meet the following criteria: 1) Promote and enhance the economic security of consumers. 2) Adhere to the five principles of effective financial education described in the June 2017 report issued by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau titled “Effective financial education: Five principles and how to use them.” Grant awards will be announced for a two-year period covering two consecutive fiscal years. Funds for each fiscal year are disbursed separately and any unexpended funds must be returned to the DFPI. Disbursement of funding for the second fiscal year is contingent on submission of a satisfactory annual report. A mandatory in-person training for grantees will be held during the grant cycle. Final details will be included in the grant agreement.   Grantees may use no more than 15 percent of the grant to cover administrative (indirect) costs. Failure to comply shall render the Applicant ineligible for a grant during the subsequent fiscal year and until the noncompliance is corrected.  A grantee may subcontract services that it has agreed to provide under the grant agreement, so long as those services are conducted on behalf of the grantee. Subcontract arrangements must be clearly described in the scope of work and budget. Accepting grant funds with the intent of distributing those funds to other nonprofit organizations (for example, sub-grants or fiscal sponsorship) is not allowed. Grant funding may not be used for financial incentives for individuals. Prohibited incentives include, but are not limited to, match funding for savings accounts, participant stipends, or gift cards with a cash value. Grantees are required to submit preliminary and final annual reports, in a form and by a date specified by the Commissioner of Financial Protection and Innovation, documenting: 1) The specific uses to which grant funds were allocated, 2) The number of individuals aided through use of the funds, 3) Quantitative results regarding the impact of grant funding, and 4) Any other information requested by the Commissioner. Failure to submit satisfactory reports shall render the Applicant ineligible for any DFPI grant during the subsequent fiscal year and until the required report is submitted. 

This grant provides financial support and resources to nonprofit organizations in Del Mar for projects that enhance community pride, preserve open spaces, and improve local cultural programs and events.

The Arts & Cultural Organizations General Operating Support grant program provides direct funding to arts and cultural organizations in support of ongoing operations. Donor Name: California Arts Council State: California County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline:  06/06/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: This grant supports the well-being of California’s cultural vitality by helping sustain a robust and diverse arts workforce and infrastructure. Funds may be used to support any eligible expenses associated with the general operations of an arts or cultural organization, including but not limited to rent, utilities, and staff salaries. Applying for this grant does not restrict an organization from applying for other CAC project-based grants. General Operating grants are intended to support the applicant organization in carrying out its mission. Funding is not intended to support a specific project. Funding Information Organizations with total revenue below $250,000 or over $1.5 million are not eligible for this funding cycle. Applicant organizations can request up to $30,000 for this one-year funding cycle. Grant Activity Period: October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025. Eligibility Criteria  501(c)(3) organization- Organizations must demonstrate proof of nonprofit status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or section 23701d of the California Revenue and Taxation Code. Applying with a 501(c)(3) Fiscal sponsor- An applicant organization without nonprofit status must use a California-based fiscal sponsor with a federal 501(c)(3) designation to apply for funding. OR Municipal, County or Tribal Governmental Entity- Units of municipal, county, or tribal governments are eligible to apply. Certificate of good standing – Nonprofit organizations and fiscal sponsors (if applicable) must have “active status” with the California Secretary of State (SOS) showing evidence of “good standing” at the time of application. You can verify your organization’s status by conducting a search using the SOS online Business Search tool. An indication of “active” (versus “suspended,” “dissolved,” “cancelled,” etc.) confirms that your nonprofit corporation exists, is authorized to conduct business in the State of California, has met all licensing and corporation requirements, and has not received a suspension from the Franchise Tax Board. For more information, visit California Arts Council.

The Volunteer Fire Capacity (VFC) Program is a federally funded grant program that allows California to provide local and rural fire departments with minor firefighting, training, communications and safety equipment for their volunteer firefighters. The VFC Program is not intended for major equipment (fire engines, vehicles, etc.) or Capital repairs. The VFC Program has a 50/50 match requirement which means that the applying department must be able to meet the intended grant award, dollar for dollar. Awards for departments are set at a minimum of $500 with a maximum of $20,000. Amounts may be adjusted based on the grant funding available. For additional information please contact Megan Esfandiary at [email protected] or Bryan Giambrone at [email protected].

This funding opportunity provides financial support for community-focused projects, such as centers for social services, libraries, and cultural institutions, requiring significant community backing and a portion of the budget to be secured before applying.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for community projects and emergency needs in rural Oregon and Siskiyou County, California, aimed at enhancing local initiatives and ensuring their sustainability.

This funding opportunity provides up to $5,000 to help nonprofits, government agencies, and tribal nations in Oregon and Siskiyou County, California, improve their internal operations and effectiveness through various capacity-building activities.

Grant Opportunity: California Local Government Housing Assistance Program Funding Organization: California Department of Housing and Community Development Contact Information: For more information, please refer to the 2023 PLHA Program Entitlement and Non-Entitlement Local Government Formula Component Notice of Funding Availability. Award Details: The program aims to provide funding to eligible Local Governments in California for housing-related projects and programs that address the unmet housing needs of their communities. Eligible activities include the predevelopment, development, acquisition, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable rental housing for extremely low-, very low-, low-, or moderate-income households. It also covers the development of affordable rental and ownership housing, including Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), for the growing workforce earning up to 120 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) or 150 percent of AMI in High-cost areas. The program also supports matching funds for Local or Regional Housing Trust Funds and the Low- and Moderate-Income Housing Asset Fund. Additionally, it provides funding for services connected to the creation of new Permanent supportive housing, assistance for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness, accessibility modifications in lower-income owner-occupied housing, efforts to acquire and rehabilitate foreclosed or vacant homes and apartments, homeownership opportunities, and fiscal incentives for Affordable housing projects. Eligibility: Eligible applicants include Entitlement Local Governments, Non-Entitlement Local Governments, and Local or Regional Housing Trust Funds delegated by the Local Government. Please refer to Appendix A in the 2023 PLHA Program Entitlement and Non-Entitlement Local Government Formula Component Notice of Funding Availability for a list of eligible applicants. Matching Funding Requirement: Not applicable.

This program provides $5,000 grants to small businesses and non-profits in Norco, California, that have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grant Opportunity: Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) Loan Program Funding Organization: CalRecycle (Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery) Contact Information: - CalRecycle: - Phone: (916) 341-6199 - Email: [email protected] - Contact Form: https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/Forms/BizAssistance/RMDZInfo/ - Local RMDZ Administrator list: https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/bizassistance/rmdz/zones/contacts Program Intent: The RMDZ Loan Program, administered by CalRecycle, aims to stimulate the use of postconsumer waste materials and secondary waste materials generated in California as raw materials used by private businesses, industries, and commerce. The program supports the circular economy goals of CalRecycle and various legislative initiatives that will increase supplies of recovered materials. Loans are prioritized for projects that fill gaps in California's circular economy and demonstrate innovative reduction, reuse, recycling, or remanufacturing of materials. Eligible Applicants: - Private, for-profit entities - Nonprofit organizations (except private schools) - Local government entities (cities, counties, cities and counties) - Regional or local sanitation agencies, waste agencies, and joint powers authority Eligibility Criteria: - Projects must be located within a CalRecycle designated RMDZ or benefit a local jurisdiction in complying with Public Resources Code section 40051. - Loan applicants must demonstrate the ability to repay the loan. - Loan amount may not exceed $3 million without Director approval. - Collateral is required. - Business and/or personal guarantees may be required based on financial ability to repay. - Significant permits approval is required before loan funding. Use of Funds: Private entities and nonprofit organizations can use loan funds for machinery/equipment, working capital, real estate purchase/leasehold improvements/capital improvements, and refinancing onerous debt. Local government entities can use loan funds for infrastructure and/or capital improvements in support of private entities and nonprofit organizations engaged in value-added processing or manufacturing using recycled materials. Project Eligibility Criteria: Eligible project types include waste prevention, reuse, recycling

Grant Opportunity: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Funding Organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Contact Information: No specific contact information provided Program Description: The CDBG Program is a federally funded program that provides financial resources to states, cities, and counties to address community development needs. It supports the development of urban communities by creating decent housing, suitable living environments, and expanding economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals. Eligibility: Eligible service programs must meet at least one of three national objectives for the CDBG program: benefit low- and moderate-income persons, aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or meet a community development need with urgency. Grant Opportunity: CDBG Business Grant Program Funding Organization: City of Aliso Viejo Contact Information: Rose Rivera at [email protected] Program Description: The CDBG Business Grant Program aims to provide pandemic relief funding to assist small businesses impacted by COVID-19 within the City of Aliso Viejo. Funding will be provided based on compliance with program guidelines, availability of funds, and submission of the required application and supporting documentation. Grant Opportunity: CDBG-CV Funding Organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Contact Information: No specific contact information provided Program Description: The CDBG-CV program was established under the CARES Act to provide $5 billion in CDBG funds for low-income families and vulnerable citizens affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The City has received two allocations totaling $414,751 for various activities that meet the national objectives of the CDBG program. Other Relevant Information: - 2023-2027 Consolidated Plan and FY 2023-24 Annual Action Plan outline housing and community development needs within the context of the CDBG program. - Citizen Participation Agreement ensures resident participation in the development of the Consolidated Plan and related documents. - Consolidated Annual Performance & Evaluation Report (CAPER) summarizes progress towards meeting goals outlined in the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action. - Proposed 2020-2024 Orange County Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing identifies barriers to fair housing and outlines an

This program provides financial assistance to commercial property owners and tenants in Carson for exterior upgrades that enhance the visual appeal and economic vitality of key business areas.

This program provides bicycle racks at little to no cost for commercial property owners in Palm Desert, promoting cycling and supporting local businesses while enhancing community infrastructure.

This funding initiative provides financial support to Palo Alto residents for neighborhood events that promote community engagement and strengthen local connections.

City of Long Beach Activatelb Cultural Special Events Grants, funded by the Long Beach Recovery Act, seeks to support large citywide cultural special events that have not been previously funded by the City. The goal is to celebrate the diverse communities of Long Beach and promote community healing through cultural practices. Eligible events must be free and open to the public, and grant funding will cover the costs of City special event permits and fees.

The City of Indio in California offers the Community Grant & Sponsorship Program, which has been recently revised and approved by the City Council. This program provides monetary assistance and sponsorships of up to $5,000 annually, with a total annual funding of $150,000. Additionally, there is $25,000 available for in-kind contributions such as city services or event locations. The program also considers funding requests for event/table sponsorships.