State Consumer Protection Grants

The CalMoneySmart Grant Program, administered by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI), is an annual initiative dedicating a total of $2 million to nonprofit organizations. This program aligns with the foundation's mission to enhance financial well-being, specifically targeting individuals experiencing financial insecurity within California. The grants, ranging from $100,000 to $500,000, are awarded for a two-year period, with individual grants up to $200,000, to support programs that foster financial education and empowerment. The primary beneficiaries of this program are unbanked and underbanked consumers in California. The impact goals are centered on enabling these individuals to achieve financial stability by identifying and accessing lower-cost financial products and services, establishing or improving their credit, increasing their savings, and lowering their debt. The program prioritizes comprehensive financial literacy and practical tools to empower vulnerable populations. The core focuses of the CalMoneySmart grants include the design, development, or offering of free classroom- or web-based financial education and empowerment content. This content is specifically tailored to assist unbanked and underbanked consumers in navigating financial systems and making informed decisions. Additionally, the program supports the provision of individualized, free financial coaching, offering personalized guidance to help beneficiaries overcome specific financial challenges. Furthermore, the grants can be used to design, develop, or offer free financial products or services that help unbanked and underbanked consumers identify and access responsible financial products and services. The expected outcomes include a measurable improvement in the financial health of participants, evidenced by increased access to responsible financial products, improved credit scores, higher savings rates, and reduced debt burdens. The DFPI's strategic priority is to promote consumer protection and financial well-being, with a theory of change that by providing targeted financial education and access to appropriate resources, financially insecure Californians can achieve greater economic stability and security. Eligibility for the grant requires applicants to be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, in good standing with the California Secretary of State, and to have submitted a satisfactory final report for any prior DFPI grant funding. This ensures that the grants are awarded to reputable and effective organizations capable of delivering impactful programs.

Grants will be awarded for specific eligible activities, such as speaking on a panel, participating in a working group, or participation in other decision-making processes. The PP Grant Account cap per organization of $15,000 will ensure a proportional distribution of funds over time and across various organizations. Submissions for grant awards will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the grant period and payment for these discrete engagements will be prompt.

The Tobacco Grant Program, administered by the Office of the Attorney General, California Department of Justice, aims to foster a healthier California by curtailing illegal cigarette and tobacco sales and marketing to minors. This highly competitive program, enabled by Proposition 56, allocates funds to applicants with robust enforcement capabilities. Funded agencies will focus on enforcing tobacco-related laws, conducting retailer and online inspections, and enhancing local coordination and education efforts.

The FY24 BCRP Clinical Research Extension Award is designed to maximize the impact of previously funded breast cancer clinical studies by extending or expanding data collection, follow-up, and analysis. This mechanism directly addresses the loss of knowledge resulting from early trial termination, limited patient follow-up, or inadequate sample/data collection and analysis. The BCRP emphasizes the invaluable contributions of patient specimens and data, aiming to ensure that research maximizes the impact of these contributions toward saving lives and accelerating progress in ending breast cancer. Projects proposing to conduct new clinical trials will not be supported, focusing instead on leveraging existing clinical study infrastructure and data. The core impact goal of the award is to extend or affect the impact of a previously funded clinical trial or study, or to generate new impact toward ending breast cancer. Target beneficiaries include breast cancer patients whose contributions are utilized, and ultimately, active-duty Service Members, Veterans, military beneficiaries, and the American public who stand to benefit from advancements in breast cancer research. The program encourages collaborations between researchers at military/Veteran institutions and non-military institutions to leverage unique resources and access to diverse clinical populations, ensuring the research is relevant to the military community and the general public. Priorities and focuses for the proposed research, although not all-inclusive, include deeper molecular analysis of clinical samples, new correlative studies, biomarker validation, or continuing clinical follow-up of patients in open or completed trials. The research may be hypothesis-testing, -generating, or designed to create clinically annotated and molecularly characterized experimental platforms, such as patient-derived models. A required component is the involvement of two or more breast cancer consumer advocates—individuals diagnosed with breast cancer and active in advocacy organizations—who must provide objective input on the research design and its potential impact for individuals with, or at risk for, breast cancer. Innovation is not a required criterion for this award. Expected outcomes include generating meaningful hypotheses or supporting valid conclusions through statistically appropriate sample sizes and robust data analysis. Applicants must outline a data-sharing plan to ensure the scientific community has access to experimental platforms, molecular, and other data generated. The award encourages meaningful and productive partnerships, offering a Partnering PI Option with a higher funding limit ($6M vs. $5M for a single PI) to support collaborative efforts where both PIs bring distinct and critical expertise, reinforcing a strategic priority to foster team science in complex research questions. The CDMRP expects to allot approximately $18.6 million to fund about two applications.

The 2024-25 Physical and Digital Infrastructure Security Grant (DF) Program for Health Care Facilities, offered by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), aims to enhance physical and digital security for healthcare facilities in California. This program aligns with the foundational mission of protecting vital health services and ensuring the safety of facilities that provide abortion-related and reproductive healthcare, which are often targets of violence and vandalism. The grant seeks to mitigate these threats, thereby supporting the continuity and accessibility of critical healthcare services across the state. The target beneficiaries of this grant are currently licensed community health centers, tribal health programs, non-profit hospitals not part of large health systems, and non-profit organizations whose membership includes such licensed facilities. All eligible applicants must be located in California and provide abortion-related services (or referrals) and reproductive healthcare services. The impact goal is to strengthen the security infrastructure of these facilities, creating safer environments for both patients and staff, and ensuring uninterrupted access to essential healthcare. The program's priorities and focuses include providing funding for physical facility enhancements, such as improved security measures for buildings, and digital security enhancements to protect against cyber threats and data breaches. The grant specifically targets facilities that may be vulnerable to violence and vandalism due to the nature of the services they provide. The funding aims to directly address these vulnerabilities, thereby safeguarding the operational capacity of these crucial healthcare providers. Expected outcomes and measurable results include a demonstrable improvement in the physical and digital security posture of funded facilities. This could involve a reduction in incidents of vandalism or violence, enhanced data protection, and increased patient and staff safety. The grant period is from September 1, 2024, through December 31, 2026, during which time facilities are expected to implement and integrate these security upgrades. Applicants can request up to $750,000 from the total available funding of $7,798,822. While specific "Foundation's strategic priorities and theory of change" are not explicitly detailed for Cal OES in the provided text, the underlying theory of change for this grant program appears to be that by providing targeted funding for security enhancements, the state can directly reduce risks to essential healthcare infrastructure. This proactive investment is expected to lead to greater resilience for healthcare facilities, particularly those offering sensitive services, thereby upholding public health and safety and ensuring that all Californians have access to necessary medical care without fear or disruption.

The CalMoneySmart program, funded by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, is designed to boost financial empowerment among California's unbanked and underbanked populations by providing up to $200K annually for two years to eligible nonprofit organizations. These funds support activities like financial education, empowerment services, and the development of financial products aimed at improving financial literacy and economic security. The program emphasizes adherence to the principles of effective financial education to ensure impactful outcomes.

This grant provides funding to organizations in Texas that promote financial literacy and consumer credit education, helping communities improve their financial stability at little or no cost.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local public agencies in California to enforce laws against the illegal sale and marketing of tobacco products to minors and youth.

This funding opportunity is designed to support organizations that provide financial education initiatives in Washington State, helping to improve financial literacy among residents.

This funding opportunity supports organizations in Texas that provide innovative financial education programs to diverse populations, including youth, educators, low-income families, and underserved adults, to promote financial literacy and independence.

This funding opportunity is designed for public and private entities in California to conduct research and monitoring initiatives that evaluate and improve the state's tobacco retail environment, focusing on marketing, availability, and policy impacts related to tobacco products.

This funding opportunity supports organizations in New Jersey that provide free assistance to residents seeking health coverage through the state's marketplace, particularly targeting underserved communities and ensuring access to necessary resources and information.