California Education Grants

The Innovation Fund by Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors in California offers grants over $1 million to stimulate innovative public service projects and programs in areas like equitable access to services, economic vitality, and environment, available to IRS tax-exempt organizations operating in Contra Costa County, with application deadline on 10/07/2024.

The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is offering Special Project Grants of $100,000 to $500,000 for a 3-year period to arts nonprofit organizations for youth arts programs, arts service organizations, and Asian and Pacific Islander arts and culture programming, with the application deadline set for October 9, 2024.

This grant provides financial support to small and mid-sized arts organizations in San Francisco that are deeply connected to their communities, helping them cover essential operating costs and foster artistic expression.

This funding opportunity supports small and mid-sized organizations and individual artists in San Francisco who are connected to historically marginalized communities, helping them sustain their work and remain in the city.

Funding and Duration: The CA Dept. of Food and Agriculture anticipates that up to $180,000 will be awarded to projects to support agricultural education and training. Grant amounts range from $2,500-153,000. The maximum grant duration is one (1) year, six (6) months and grant funds cannot be expended before January 1, 2025, or after June 30, 2026. CDFA reserves the right to offer an award amount less than the amount requested. * NOTE: Non-profit programs administered or managed by a university, such as the 4-H Youth Development Program are exempt from this limitation. Two funding opportunities available: Tier 1 – California Adopted Agricultural Education Programs Up to 85 percent ($153,000) of total available grant award funding is reserved for the California FFA Association; the non-profit organization that represents state-adopted Agricultural Education Programs (Education Code Sections 52450-52454). These programs have proven to be effective on a statewide basis in meeting the priorities and intent of the CalAgPlate program. Tier 1 grant awards range from $10,000 to $153,000 per project. Tier 2 – Local/Community/State Agricultural Education Programs Up to 15 percent ($27,000) of available funding will be awarded to eligible Local/Community/State Agricultural Education Programs. This Tier is open to non-profit organizations, as well as state, local, and Indian tribal government agencies within California which promote and administer agricultural education and leadership programs targeting K-12, post-secondary, and adult education. Individual schools and school districts are encouraged to partner with eligible non-profit organizations. Institutes of higher learning are ineligible to directly apply*, however, they can partner with eligible organizations on a proposed CalAgPlate project. Tier 2 grant awards range from $2,500 to $10,000 per project. Funding Category I: Agricultural Education In this funding category, CDFA will consider projects that enhance and benefit agricultural education opportunities for students and educators. Examples:• Agricultural curriculum development and implementation• School/community garden enrichment programs• Interactive agriculture learning experiences, outdoor agricultural education programs (e.g., farms/ranches)• Agriculture demonstrations/activities (e.g., exhibits). Funding Category II: Agricultural Career Awareness, Development and Training In this funding category, CDFA will consider projects that advance, promote and support agricultural career development and training for high school and college students. Examples:• Interactive training experiences and mentorship programs• Practical career preparation and career advancement opportunities• Outreach programs and career expos• Informational workshops for next-generation/beginning farmers. Funding Category III: Agricultural Leadership Development In this funding category, CDFA will consider projects that provide leadership experiences and skills for participants that encourage agricultural leadership development. Examples:• Agricultural leadership conferences• Agricultural leadership training programs• Education tours focusing on agricultural policy issues/areas.

This funding opportunity supports projects that engage youth and adults in California through education and stewardship related to the coast and its watersheds, particularly targeting underserved communities.

The LA County Department of Arts and Culture is offering a two-year Organizational Grant Program for Los Angeles County nonprofit arts organizations to fund projects that increase accessibility, sustainability, and capacity in arts programming, with eligibility criteria including tax-exempt status, a primary mission in arts programming, and a minimum of two years of programming history in the county.

The Kern Community Foundation's Women’s and Girls’ Fund is offering grants between $10,000 to $100,000 for one year to 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Kern County, California, that aim to enhance educational attainment and STEM interest for women and girls, with a focus on improving test scores, literacy, graduation rates, and vocational training opportunities.

This grant provides funding for public events or educational opportunities that benefit the residents of Mendocino County, promoting community engagement and addressing local needs.

Hunter Industries and KidsGardening are working together to offer the Water Wise Garden Grant to support public and charter schools in San Diego County planning to teach about water conservation, water stewardship, and responsible water management through gardening. Donor Name: KidsGardening State: California County: San Diego County (CA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/13/2024 Size of the Grant: Less than $1000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Funding Priorities The selection of winners is based on demonstrated need and program impact. KidsGardening considers a variety of factors when determining needs, including: Socioeconomic & Sociodemographic Factors How does the program exist within or engage a community that has been systematically denied resources, whether physical assets and money or representative leadership and community services? Organizations affected by multiple socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors are given priority. Program Funding and Support Does an organization have access to consistent, substantial monetary support or prior grant funding? Or are pre-existing resources (financial or otherwise) limited? Organizations experiencing the latter are given priority. Impact Will grant funding dramatically expand learning opportunities for program participants? Does the intended impact reflect the needs of the community? Organizations working with greater than 50 youth will be given priority. Funding Information In 2025, five elementary schools in San Diego County will be awarded $1,000 in funding and an irrigation supply kit valued at $500. Eligibility Criteria Any public or charter elementary school located in San Diego County serving at least 15 youth is eligible to apply. Applicants must be planning to use the funds to install new or improve an existing youth garden. Organizations: Support, work with, or serve communities with a majority of individuals that are under-resourced (systematically denied resources and opportunities based on race, gender, ethnicity, income level, abilities, geographic location, etc., or currently experiencing hardship such as a natural disaster, etc.) Have fifteen or more youth participate in the garden program. For more information, visit KidsGardening.

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 Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District is offering a grant of $100,000 to $500,000 for public agencies and nonprofit organizations to acquire land for the creation or expansion of parks, wildlife corridors, trails, and access facilities, with a focus on high-need, rural, and regional areas.

Funding and Duration: Grant amounts for the conventional program range from $100,000 to $500,000. The maximum grant duration is two (2) years, eight (8) months, and grant funds cannot be expended before November 1, 2025, or after June 30, 2028.   Projects submitted through the Additional Assistance for Historically Underrepresented Organizations (Additional Assistance) Program will range from $100,000 to $250,000. Program requirements and submission deadlines differ for Additional Assistance Program applicants. Please reference the 2025 Request for Concept Proposals - Additional Assistance Program or email [email protected] for more information.   CDFA reserves the right to offer an award amount different than the amount requested.    

The City of Stockton and Stockton Arts Commission are offering a grant of $10,000 to $100,000 for local artists and art organizations to fund projects that promote public engagement and access to various forms of art within the city, with funds being used for artist compensation, production, exhibit costs, marketing, rental cost, and supplies.

This grant provides funding to nonprofits in Mendocino County to create enriching outdoor experiences for disadvantaged youth and adults, promoting personal growth, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is accepting applications for its Arts in the Schools Endowment Fund to support arts education in K-12 schools in perpetuity. Donor Name: Community Foundation of Mendocino County State: California County: Mendocino County (CA) Type of Grant: Endowment Deadline: 09/16/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Foundation’s goal of the Fund is to provide a consistent, stable funding source for arts in schools programs in Mendocino County and support the work of trained, professional artists in classrooms throughout the county. Eligibility Criteria Proposals may include: Selecting and placing artists in classrooms. Providing artists with training and other resources that facilitate high-quality arts education in K-12 classrooms. Individual artists must apply through an organization. The Community Foundation invites proposals from organizations, including educational institutions, to offer K-12 school-based arts programs. For more information, visit CFMC.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is seeking applications for its Charles F. Flinn and Walker B. Tilley Fund for Sustainable Forestry. Donor Name: Community Foundation of Mendocino County State: California County: Mendocino County (CA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/16/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Foundation’s primary purpose is to make grants to nonprofit organizations that are assisting public and small private (non-industrial) forest owners to maintain and enhance the economic, social, and environmental values of Mendocino County’s working forests and rangelands.  Criteria Key activities that will be funded include, but are not limited to: Research and demonstration (including re-measurement of plots). Public and youth education and outreach directed towards learning about using the forests for economic production, not conservation. Education (best management practices). Restoration of forests and watersheds, with a preference to projects related to forest restoration over stream restoration. Removal of invasive species. Mitigation of the impact of forest roads. Fire management (including Tan-Oak management). Fish and wildlife habitat protection and enhancement.  For more information, visit CFMC.

Applicants are invited to apply for the A Blood Bank of the Redwoods Legacy Fund. Donor Name: Community Foundation of Mendocino County State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/16/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Foundation’s goal of the Fund is to create a lasting legacy in the community for the Blood Bank of the Redwoods which has served North Bay communities since 1949. The Fund is administered in partnership with Community Foundation Sonoma County. Uses of Funds Funding may be used for: Salaries or wages that directly relate to the proposed project. Marketing/promotional expenses that directly relate to the proposed project. Stipends or incentives that directly relate to the proposed project. Eligibility Criteria The Community Foundation invites programs from organizations, including educational institutions, that work to increase a stable blood supply through outreach, education, and youth engagement. For more information, visit CFMC.

The Environmental Education and Conservation Fund seeks to raise awareness about the natural world through education and to address important conservation issues directly. Donor Name: Community Foundation of Mendocino County State: California County: Mendocino County (CA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/16/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Fund was created in 2018 by biologist Roger Foote and agronomist Chuck Vaughn to encourage the appreciation, conservation, and responsible use of the natural environment in Mendocino County. The Foundation’s goal of the fund is to provide support to organizations, including educational institutions, which offer conservation and/or education programs on issues including, but not limited to: Ecological understanding and natural resource management. The importance of the scientific method in addressing conservation issues. The effects of climate change and humans’ role in causing and addressing climate change. Caring for the land through land stewardship best practices. Habitat and watershed restoration. Providing and improving public access to natural lands so people from all walks of life can enjoy them. Criteria Educational projects may include (but are not limited to) day and residential outdoor schools and science camp programs, college-level programs in natural resource management, and natural history displays.  Eligible uses for education grants include: Equipment and teaching materials. Instructor compensation. Staff and volunteer training/conferences. Internships. Student transportation costs. Scholarships that allow more people to participate in programs. Conservation projects may include (but are not limited to) wildlife surveys, training for wildlife surveys, land docent trainings, habitat studies, habitat and watershed restoration projects, improving existing public access to conservation lands, internships for land stewardship and trail building, tree planting, native plant management, and invasive plant removal.  Eligible uses for conservation project grants include: Staff time for project management. Construction equipment and supplies. Engineering and design. Subcontractor services. Permit fees.  For more information, visit CFMC.

The County of San Luis Obispo is requesting proposals for the FY 2024 & 2025 Continuum of Care Program competition administered by HUD, and accepting applications for renewal projects, as well as new bonus funding projects. Donor Name: County of San Luis Obispo State: California County: San Luis Obispo County (CA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline:09/06/2024 Size of the Grant: More than $1 million Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program (24 CFR part 578) is designed to promote a communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; to provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, states, Indian Tribes or tribally designated housing entities (THDEs) as defined in section 4 of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103), and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals, families, persons fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and youth while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused by homelessness; to promote access to and effective utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families; and to optimize self-sufficiency among those experiencing homelessness. The Continuum of Care program seeks to: Promote a communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; End homelessness by providing funding for efforts to quickly re-house homeless individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless persons and communities by homelessness; Promote access to and effective utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families; and Optimize self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness. HUD’s Homeless Policy Priorities Ending homelessness for all persons. Use a Housing First Approach. Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness. Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness. Partnering with Housing, Health, and Service Agencies. Racial Equity. Improving Assistance to LGBTQ+ Individuals. Persons with Lived Experience/Expertise. Building an Effective Workforce. Increasing Affordable Housing Supply. Funding Information Estimated ARD:  $1,337,357 Estimated Tier 1: $1,203,621 Estimated New Bonus Projects:  $121,173 Estimated DV Bonus (New Projects): $173,104  Eligible Activities The CoC Program Competition Grant may be used to fund the following eligible activities: Permanent supportive housing Supportive services (including Coordinated Entry) Rapid re-housing programs Transitional housing Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)  Eligibility Criteria The San Luis Obispo County Continuum of Care will accept project proposals from non-profit organizations. For more information, visit County of San Luis Obispo.