Non-Residential Programs/Corpsmember Development Grant

The Non-Residential Programs/Corpsmember Development Grant for Certified Local Conservation Corps is administered and funded by the California Conservation Corps (CCC). The program supports the CCC's legislative mandate to develop non-residential programs in urban and non-urban communities with high concentrations of ethnic-minority youth, high youth unemployment, and a need for conservation work. For fiscal year 2026/2027, the CCC states that it has been authorized to administer $336,000 in grants to certified local conservation corps. Awards are subject to passage of the California State Budget and Department of Finance budget authorization, and program totals may be adjusted based on the number of certified local conservation corps in existence at the relevant annual starting point. The program provides up to $24,000 to each qualifying certified local conservation corps. Funds may support projects, activities, and other expenses that advance non-residential programs providing employment, job training, and education services to corpsmembers. Eligible categories include corpsmember labor for qualifying conservation project work, corpsmember training, career development and job readiness, corpsmember support services, and corpsmember education services. Examples include trail and habitat restoration, invasive plant removal, technical and safety training, career-transition services, financial literacy, transportation assistance, basic necessities, educational counseling, classroom materials, and post-secondary school visits. Costs reimbursed through an LCC's CalRecycle grant funding cannot also be reimbursed under this program. Only direct costs associated with eligible projects and incurred during the grant performance period are eligible. Indirect organizational operating and overhead costs, including administrative staff salaries and wages, are ineligible. The guidelines do not state a required cost-share or matching contribution. Eligibility is limited to local conservation corps certified by the CCC in accordance with Public Resources Code section 14507.5 for fiscal year 2026/2027 and meeting the additional statutory conditions specified in the guidelines. These include procedures for recruiting high school dropouts from neighborhoods in which the corps operates; cooperation with workforce investment boards and youth councils to obtain employment and training services; assistance for corpsmembers wishing to return to school; securing employment and training funding or services to the extent possible; securing reimbursement for a significant portion of work performed; and securing commitments from local educational institutions for appropriate educational services. Because the source limits eligibility to this specifically certified class of organizations, the eligibility does not map cleanly to a broader standard governmental, nonprofit, educational, or business applicant category. Applications for the FY 2026/2027 cycle are submitted online through Submittable, with application forms identified as being available through DropBox. Required application content includes applicant name, address, and designated representative contact information; project title and estimated project start and end dates; selected project category or categories; a detailed Scope of Work explaining how grant funds will be used; an explanation of how the project will assist corpsmembers' professional, personal, and/or educational development; and supporting documentation when applicable. Applicants selecting more than one project category must provide separate Scopes of Work for each proposed project. Funding materials include the amount requested, a high-level list of budget categories and amounts, CCC Form 510 - Grant Budget Estimate, and a Budget Narrative explaining proposed costs, purposes, justification, and calculation bases. CCC Form 509 - Hourly Rate Justification Form and Narrative may also be required, as may the most recent Independent Auditor's Report and General Liability Insurance documentation. A CCC 529 - Non-Competitive Bid Justification Form is required when an applicant proposes an applicable sole- or single-source procurement. The guidelines do not provide a numerical scoring rubric or separately stated competitive evaluation criteria. They do, however, establish substantive standards that applications and expenditures must meet. The Scope of Work must clearly explain how funds will be spent, reimbursement requests must show that expenditures directly and tangibly provide services or support to corpsmember development within approved project categories, and budget calculations must be sufficiently documented to withstand an independent audit. A formal three-bid process is required for procurement of contractors, materials, or supplies costing $10,000 or more unless an approved non-competitive justification applies. At least one vendor quote or estimate must be submitted with the budget narrative for applicable budget line items. Changes to an executed grant agreement require advance CCC approval through CCC Form 513. The stated application deadline is August 15, 2026. The guidelines identify August 15 through October 8, 2026 as the period during which grant funds are to be awarded to local conservation corps and encumbered into grant agreements. Grant funds must be expended by June 30, 2027. The Key Dates section states that the final reimbursement request and CCC 514 - CMD Accomplishments Report are due August 1, 2027. However, the later Grant Billing section instead states that all billing must be submitted no later than August 1, 2026 and also refers to reimbursement requests being due by mid-May 2026. Those billing dates conflict with the FY 2026/2027 program timeline and should be verified directly with the CCC before reliance. Grantees must submit at least one reimbursement request per quarter after incurring expenses, submit the CCC 514 report with final billing, maintain accounting and audit documentation, and generally retain grant records for five years after project completion. Technical assistance is available through the grantee's designated Grant Coordinator or the CCC Grants and Certification unit at Grants.Certification@ccc.ca.gov.

Provide clear and detailed Scopes of Work explaining how every grant dollar will be spent; provide separate scopes for multiple project categories; ensure expenditures directly and tangibly support corpsmember development; fully justify proposed costs and show calculation bases; retain audit-ready records and source documentation; provide applicable vendor quotes; use the formal three-bid process for procurements of $10,000 or more unless an approved non-competitive justification applies.