California grants for Nonprofits

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in South Santa Clara County for projects that positively impact areas such as education, technology, and the arts.

The Living Cultures Grant, offered by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, is designed to sustain and strengthen traditional arts across California. This program aligns directly with the Alliance's mission by supporting the nurturing of cultural continuity, sustaining cultural practices, and engaging communities through public programs. The grant's focus on traditional arts, which are deeply rooted in shared heritage, language, religion, occupation, or region, reflects the foundation's strategic priority of preserving and promoting the diverse cultural expressions within the state. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are individual artists/culture bearers and California-based nonprofits, Tribal Nations, and other community groups who actively practice traditional arts. The program aims to achieve several impact goals: fostering cultural continuity through learning and practice, sustaining cultural practices by providing necessary resources for purchases and services, and engaging communities through public programs that share these traditions. The theory of change suggests that by providing financial support to these practitioners and organizations, traditional arts will continue to thrive, be passed down through generations, and enrich the cultural landscape of California. The grant prioritizes proposals that demonstrate clear plans for nurturing cultural continuity, sustaining cultural practices, and engaging communities. This includes projects across various traditional art forms such as dance, music, foodways, material arts, and oral traditions. The Alliance seeks to ensure that these deeply rooted artistic expressions, reflective of a community's shared values and experiences, continue to be vibrant and accessible. Expected outcomes include the continued practice and transmission of traditional arts, increased community engagement with cultural heritage, and the preservation of diverse artistic forms. While specific measurable results are not explicitly detailed beyond the scope of funded activities (e.g., projects should run between November 1, 2024, and October 31, 2025), the inherent goal is to see a thriving ecosystem of traditional arts. For individual artists, the grant supports their practice directly, while for organizations, it supports activities that further their cultural programs and community outreach, aiming for a sustained impact on California's traditional arts landscape.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government entities that serve children and community projects in Long Beach and Avalon, California.

This funding opportunity provides over $800 million to support the construction and rehabilitation of facilities that expand mental health services for vulnerable populations in California, including unhoused individuals, veterans, and children.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is soliciting proposals to reduce whale mortality from fishing gear entanglement in Southern California. This grant directly aligns with NFWF's mission to sustain, restore, and enhance the nation's fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats for current and future generations by addressing a critical threat to cetacean populations. The program aims to provide compensatory restoration for injuries to cetaceans caused by the Refugio Beach Oil Spill (RBOS), thereby mitigating past environmental damage and fostering healthier marine ecosystems. The primary beneficiaries of this program are cetaceans in Southern California, particularly those susceptible to entanglement in fishing gear. The impact goals are to increase the capacity of the entanglement response network, improve documentation and disentanglement efforts, and broadly support activities that reduce serious injuries or mortalities from entanglements. This initiative contributes to the foundation's strategic priority of healthy oceans and coasts by safeguarding marine mammals. The program prioritizes several key areas to achieve its goals. These include directly enhancing entanglement response in Southern California, and potentially beyond if it benefits local cetaceans, coordinating with federal, state, and local resource agencies to improve the overall West Coast Marine Mammal Entanglement Response Program, and training and developing volunteer response capacity. Furthermore, proposals should outline how activities will contribute to the development of the overall capacity and infrastructure of the program. Expected outcomes include a more robust and efficient entanglement response network, a reduction in the number of entangled cetaceans, improved survival rates of entangled animals through effective disentanglement, and enhanced coordination among relevant agencies. Measurable results would likely involve metrics such as the number of successful disentanglements, the increase in trained responders, and the documented reduction in entanglement-related mortalities. An estimated $250,000 will be available for a Phase 1 project award, anticipated to last 1-2 years, with a priority geographic focus on the coastlines off Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties.

This funding opportunity supports organizations and initiatives that enhance life opportunities for underserved youth and families in San Diego County, particularly in the City Heights area.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to California-based nonprofit organizations and local governments to promote and preserve folk and traditional arts by directly funding artists and community projects rooted in cultural heritage.

The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County is launching its 2024 BUILD (building unity, infrastructure, leadership, and development) Grant Program, a direct reflection of its mission to strengthen charitable organizations within the county. This program specifically targets nonprofit agencies with an annual operating budget of $500,000 or less, aiming to bolster their capacity and infrastructure. The foundation's strategic priority is clearly to empower smaller, local nonprofits, recognizing their vital role in serving San Luis Obispo County residents. The primary beneficiaries of the BUILD Grant Program are these smaller nonprofit organizations, along with the communities they serve. The impact goal is to enhance the operational effectiveness and sustainability of these agencies, thereby improving their ability to deliver programs and services to the residents of San Luis Obispo County. By strengthening these organizations from within, the foundation seeks to create a ripple effect that ultimately benefits the broader community through more robust and impactful charitable work. The program prioritizes both general operating purposes and specific projects in several key areas. These include capacity building, staff or board training and development, communications or donor development efforts, and capital equipment improvement (such as hardware, software, or furniture). The foundation will specifically prioritize one-year grants, offering $5,000 to successful applicants. This focused approach ensures that funding directly addresses critical needs that contribute to an organization's long-term health and efficiency. Expected outcomes include improved organizational infrastructure, enhanced staff and board capabilities, more effective communication strategies, and modernized equipment, all contributing to increased operational efficiency and program delivery. While the description doesn't explicitly detail measurable results, the focus on tangible improvements in capacity, training, and equipment suggests that the foundation expects a clear, positive impact on the grantees' ability to fulfill their missions. The foundation's theory of change appears to be that by investing in the foundational strength of smaller nonprofits, it can catalyze greater community benefit and resilience in San Luis Obispo County.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to regional partnerships focused on training and placing underrepresented individuals in construction careers, aligning workforce development with California's infrastructure needs.

This program provides $50,000 in funding and support to nonprofit organizations in select regions that are working to integrate artificial intelligence into their operations to enhance community impact.

This grant provides funding for organizations to conduct research and enhance habitats for invertebrate species at military sites in Colorado, focusing on biodiversity conservation and ecological management.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for California-based research organizations to enhance the resilience of desert ecosystems at a military training site by using advanced modeling techniques to study and manage key species and habitats.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to non-profit organizations and public agencies in California to deliver essential services aimed at improving the health, safety, and educational outcomes of children, youth, and young adults in Richmond and unincorporated North Richmond.

This initiative provides financial support to women-owned small businesses in San Francisco to help them grow through various improvement projects, such as marketing and equipment upgrades.

Please visit the Cooperative Efforts webpage on the CAL FIRE website for more information about this grant and how to apply. https://www.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/fire-protection/cooperative-efforts

The California Tahoe Conservancy (Conservancy) leads California's efforts to restore and enhance the extraordinary natural and recreational resources of the Lake Tahoe Basin. The principal goal of the Conservancy's Science and Lake Improvement Account program (SB 630, 2013) is to support near-shore environmental improvement program activities and projects, particularly projects that manage aquatic invasive species or improve public access to sovereign land in Lake Tahoe.More specifically, such projects manage aquatic invasive species, or improve public access to sovereign land in Lake Tahoe, including planning and site improvement or reconstruction projects on public land, and land acquisitions from willing sellers. SB 630 (2013) allocates the Conservancy approximately $350,000 annually. Please contact staff at robert.larsen@resources.ca.gov and 916.402.7508 for more information.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in Southern California that help vulnerable communities prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters.

Applications may be considered under one or both of the following project priorities. Project Type - Transition from Provisional License to Annual License: To transition to an annual license, provisional licensees must meet all regulatory requirements in Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations, sections 8102, 8105, and 8106. Eligible activities under this project type include, but are not limited to: cleanup, remediation, and restoration, professional services, consulting, and infrastructure related to cleanup, remediation, and restoration. Eligible costs include but are not limited to: compliance costs (except the ineligible costs described above); meeting the avoidance, minimization, or mitigation requirements approved in the project’s CEQA document; or county permitting requirements. If the applicant is representing a provisional license cultivator, actions outlined must lead to the issuance of an annual license or lead to on-the-ground implementation that will result in the issuance of an annual license from the licensing authority. Project Type - Sustainable Cannabis Cultivation Practices: Sustainable cannabis cultivation practices should alleviate direct and indirect environmental impacts of cannabis cultivation and enhance environmental stewardship. Activities that may be eligible include but are not limited to: sustainable water consumption, sustainable waste management, integrated pest and disease management, erosion control, and/or riparian protection. Qualified Cultivator - The following qualified cultivator may be represented by an eligible applicant. The qualified cultivator being represented by the eligible applicant must at a minimum have a valid and active provisional license or annual license issued by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA; now the Department of Cannabis Control). Bus. & Prof. Code, § 26050.2 et seq.). Priority will be given to qualified cultivators with ownership and/or financial interest in no more than 10,000 square feet of total canopy. However, cultivators with ownership and/or financial interest accumulating between 10,000-20,000 square feet of total canopy may still qualify. All proposed projects must benefit qualified cultivators as defined below. Qualified cultivation license types are: Specialty cottage:-“Specialty Cottage Outdoor” is an outdoor cultivation site with up to 25 mature plants.-“Specialty Cottage Mixed-Light Tier 1” only, is a mixed-light cultivation site with 2,500 square feet or less of total canopy Specialty:-“Specialty Outdoor” is an outdoor cultivation site with less than or equal to 5,000 square feet of total canopy, or up to 50 mature plants.-“Specialty Mixed-Light Tier 1” only, is a mixed-light cultivation site between 2,501 and 5,000 square feet of total canopy. Small:- “Small Outdoor” is an outdoor cultivation site between 5,001 and 10,000 square feet of total canopy.- “Small Mixed-Light Tier 1” only, is a mixed-light cultivation site between 5,001 and 10,000 square feet of total canopy. “Mixed-light Tier 1” is without the use of artificial light or the use of artificial light at a rate above zero, but no more than six watts per square foot.

Restricted to California nonprofit organizations that are described under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (IRC) and exempt from tax under Section 501(a) of such code. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) does not require certain organizations such as churches, mosques, and synagogues to apply for and receive recognition of exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRC. Such organizations are automatically exempt if they meet the requirements of Section 501(c)(3).

This funding program provides financial support to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for initiatives that assist children and youth aged 0-24 affected by poverty, violence, and trauma in Sacramento.