Grants in California

CA Arts Council

The Arts and Youth program is rooted in the CAC’s belief that arts learning and engagement should be available to all young people in California. Providing access to meaningful, culturally responsive arts experiences helps youth develop a greater sense of self, deepen their connection to their communities, and make meaningful connections across histories and cultures. By participating in the arts, youth gain the knowledge, skills, and understanding to actively take part in creative processes, projects, and pursuits throughout their lifetimes as culturally literate, engaged citizens.    The CAC acknowledges that barriers to access are compounded by factors such as socio-economic status, geographic isolation, gender identity, racial identity, cultural identity, digital divide and disability and is committed to addressing these barriers in order to achieve greater equity. The Arts and Youth program expands meaningful arts participation and learning in diverse settings and contexts for infants, children, and youth ages 0-25 by prioritizing programs that directly bridge barriers to access and participation. 

CA Arts Council

A local arts agency is defined as the official county-designated organization that supports arts and cultural activity in service to individuals and communities throughout an entire county. Local arts agencies provide financial support, services, and/or other programming to a variety of arts organizations, individual artists, and the community. A local arts agency can be a unit of local government or a nonprofit organization.  The CAC’s Strategic Framework, adopted in 2019, indicates two aspirational areas regarding the agency’s relationship with its SLPs, both of which have been addressed by Council action in the last year and are furthered in these program guidelines: State-Local Partner Funding Conduct a review to determine a timeline and process for increasing the amount of funding granted to the SLPs. This timeline should include a detailed process for assessment, capacity building, bolstered support, and compliance checks, as well as a plan for establishing participation by and benefits for all 58 counties. State-Local Partner Capacity Building Increase technical assistance and training to SLPs that meets the unique needs of each organization, as identified by research and evaluation. Ensure that SLP contracts are written to require adherence to key CAC policies and expectations, clearly outlining the role of the state-county partnership. Develop strategies to align SLP priorities with the priorities of the CAC, while allowing for flexibility and self-determination. Support the development and implementation of local plans that result in consistent quality and equity of service across counties.  In 2023, the Council voted to increase the annual maximum request amount for the SLP grant to $75,000, in recognition of the outcomes of the SLP Equity Impact Assessment and the need for increased ongoing funding to support SLP work. State-Local Partners serve as Poetry Out Loud partners and will receive financial support of $5,000 through this grant program (also included in the maximum request amount) to facilitate an annual Poetry Out Loud program throughout their county, either through direct programming or in partnership with another local organization/agency. Poetry Out Loud funds will not be based on panel ranking. 

CA Arts Council

Impact Projects supports arts organizations for collaborations between California-based artist(s) and community members to address a community-defined need. Projects must use artistic practices to impact social issues affecting their communities, including but not limited to systemic marginalization, incarceration/justice systems, arts learning, poverty/economic disparity, health disparities, accessibility for people with disabilities, housing insecurity, violence, food insecurity, cultural/social justice, intergenerational/multigenerational learning, veterans’ issues, immigrant/refugee/asylum seeker/migrant issues, LGBTQIA+ issues, environmental sustainability, and climate change/natural disasters/climate refugee issues.    Previous applicants to Reentry Through the Arts and Veterans in the Arts are encouraged to apply through this program. Applicants focused on arts education for youth should apply for the Arts & Youth program.   Program Goals  Heal, stabilize, uplift, and transform communities Fund artistic projects that foster creative social change in the areas of equity and access Provide crucial opportunities for sustaining strong, healthy, vibrant, safe, and resilient communities in a region Strengthen community collaboration Support artistic practice and the creative expression of artists  Project Requirements  Applicant must develop and complete a project addressing the program goals within the Grant Activity Period.    Projects must be collaboratively developed between California-based artist(s) and community members to address a community-defined need.  Projects must use artistic practices to positively impact social issues affecting a community. Lead artist(s) must be California-based.  Project planning, implementation, and measures of success/evaluation (if applicable) must include and represent the communities to be served.  All aspects of the project must be free to community participants/audiences or affordable/accessible.  Rates of pay for artists and arts workers supported by this grant must be appropriate to experience and comparable to fees for other local skilled workers.  Individuals to be paid by this grant may not be full-time students in a degree program if they are receiving compensation/credit for this project.   All CAC-funded programs, services, information, and facilities where funded activities take place, including online spaces, must be accessible for individuals with disabilities, including but not limited to individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind, have difficulty speaking, have a physical disability, visual disability, developmental disability, learning disability, mental illness, or chronic illness. 

CA Arts Council

Grant funds will go to four existing State-Local Partners (SLP) to foster the development of new SLPs in these counties.  A local arts agency is defined as the official county-designated organization that supports arts and cultural activity in service to individuals and communities throughout an entire county. Local arts agencies provide financial support, services, and/or other programming to a variety of arts organizations, individual artists, and the community as a whole. A local arts agency can be an agency of local government, a nonprofit organization, or a hybrid of the two.   The CAC’s Strategic Framework, adopted in 2019, indicates aspirational areas that will be directly addressed by this grant program:  State-Local Partner Capacity Building Increase technical assistance and training to SLPs that meets the unique needs of each organization, as identified by research and evaluation. Ensure that SLP contracts are written to require adherence to key CAC policies and expectations, clearly outlining the role of the state-county partnership. Develop strategies to align SLP priorities with the priorities of the CAC, while allowing for flexibility and self-determination. Support the development and implementation of local plans that result in consistent quality and equity of services across counties.  Geographic Equity Explore how to best address grantmaking equity for the disparate regions of the state. Utilize data analysis to assess present-day regional disparities among CAC grantees. Seek guidance from existing funding models that address how to identify and give preference to disadvantaged communities.  The CAC expects that an active SLP will be established in the identified county within 2-3 years, either as a unit of County government or an independent 501(c)(3), and that the SLP-M will mentor them through their first two years of arts programming and services, after which the mentee organization could qualify for an SLP grant independently. SLP-M grantees may reapply for 2nd and 3rd year funding through this program in order to fully implement this work. 

CA State Transportation Agency

The TIRCP was created to fund transformative capital improvements that modernize California’s intercity rail, bus (including feeder buses to intercity rail services, as well as vanpool and micro transit services that are eligible to report as public transit to the Federal Transit Administration), ferry, and rail transit systems (collectively referred to as transit services or systems inclusive of all aforementioned modes unless otherwise specified) to achieve all of the following policy objectives, as codified in Section 75220(a) of the PRC: (1) Reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (2) Expand and improve transit service to increase ridership (3) Integrate the rail service of the state’s various rail operations, including integration with the high‐speed rail system (4) Improve transit safety Additionally, Section 75221(c) of the PRC codifies a programmatic goal to provide at least 25 percent of available funding to projects that provide a direct, meaningful, and assured benefit to disadvantaged communities, consistent with the objectives of Senate Bill 535. Assembly Bill 1550 provides further requirements related to ensuring investments meet the needs of priority populations, a term used to cover disadvantaged communities, low-income communities and low-income households.  Investments made by TIRCP are expected to collectively meet or exceed the requirements in Assembly Bill 1550.

CA State Transportation Agency

The TIRCP was created to fund transformative capital improvements that modernize California’s intercity rail, bus (including feeder buses to intercity rail services, as well as vanpool and micro transit services that are eligible to report as public transit to the Federal Transit Administration), ferry, and rail transit systems (collectively referred to as transit services or systems inclusive of all aforementioned modes unless otherwise specified) to achieve all of the following policy objectives, as codified in Section 75220(a) of the PRC: (1) Reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (2) Expand and improve transit service to increase ridership (3) Integrate the rail service of the state’s various rail operations, including integration with the high‐speed rail system (4) Improve transit safety Additionally, Section 75221(c) of the PRC codifies a programmatic goal to provide at least 25 percent of available funding to projects that provide a direct, meaningful, and assured benefit to disadvantaged communities, consistent with the objectives of Senate Bill 535. Assembly Bill 1550 provides further requirements related to ensuring investments meet the needs of priority populations, a term used to cover disadvantaged communities, low-income communities and low-income households.  Investments made by TIRCP are expected to collectively meet or exceed the requirements in Assembly Bill 1550.

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Invitation to Bid (ITB) for the recycling, removal, and demolition of Material Documented as Safe (MDAS) mixed scrap steel and metal buildings located at Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) San Clemente Island

Board of Forestry

The Effectiveness Monitoring Committee (EMC) is seeking project proposals that: (1)   Address one or more of the EMC’s Research Themes and Critical Monitoring Questions and; (2)   Address natural resource protection issues that are important for California forestlands. The critical monitoring questions are organized under 12 Research Themes. Six prioritized critical questions were determined by vote amongst the current EMC members at the beginning of the calendar year:  Are the FPRs and associated regulations effective in...  Question 1h … managing WLPZs to reduce or minimize potential fire behavior and rate of spread? Question 2a … minimizing management-related sediment delivery from forest management activities to watercourse channels at the watershed and sub-watershed level in managed watersheds? Question 6c … managing fuel loads, vegetation patterns and fuel breaks for fire hazard reduction? Question 6d … managing forest structure and stocking standards to promote wildfire resilience?  Question 6e … achieving post-fire recovery and restoration? Question 12a … improving overall forest wildfire resilience and the ability of forests to respond to climate change (e.g., in response to drought or bark beetle; reducing plant water stress) and variability, and extreme weather events (evaluate ecosystem functional response to fuel reduction and forest health treatments)?  FUNDING AVAILABILITY. Funding available for newly proposed projects is anticipated as follows: $1,111,459 over three FYs beginning in 2026/27, comprising: $261,459 in FY 2026/27; $425,000 in FY 2027/28; and $425,000 in FY 2028/29. AWARD LIMITATIONS. Applicants requesting more than the stated annual amount available for funding will not be considered. While the EMC may choose to fund projects that span multiple FYs up to the annual funding cap, the EMC generally prefers to fund multiple research projects annually. Proposers should keep this in mind when developing their project and annual budget requests. Longer-term projects (greater than three years) may re-apply for funding for additional years through the competitive grants process advertised in the EMC’s Request for Proposals.   ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. Eligible projects will test one or more specific FPRs or other rule or regulation under the Board’s jurisdiction and which addresses one or more of the EMC’s Research Themes and Critical Monitoring Questions. Proposed projects must clearly apply to management activities on private timberlands in California. Projects on public land may be eligible for EMC funding provided they clearly apply to the activities and systems that also exist on non-federal timberland. ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS. Eligible applicants are local, state, and federal agencies including federal land management agencies; institutions of higher education; special purpose districts (e.g., public utilities districts, fire districts, conservation districts, and ports); Native American tribes; private landowners; for-profit entities; and non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations.

Board of Forestry

The Effectiveness Monitoring Committee (EMC) is seeking project proposals that: (1)   Address one or more of the EMC’s Research Themes and Critical Monitoring Questions and; (2)   Address natural resource protection issues that are important for California forestlands. The critical monitoring questions are organized under 12 Research Themes. Six prioritized critical questions were determined by vote amongst the current EMC members at the beginning of the calendar year:  Are the FPRs and associated regulations effective in...  Question 1h … managing WLPZs to reduce or minimize potential fire behavior and rate of spread? Question 2a … minimizing management-related sediment delivery from forest management activities to watercourse channels at the watershed and sub-watershed level in managed watersheds? Question 6c … managing fuel loads, vegetation patterns and fuel breaks for fire hazard reduction? Question 6d … managing forest structure and stocking standards to promote wildfire resilience?  Question 6e … achieving post-fire recovery and restoration? Question 12a … improving overall forest wildfire resilience and the ability of forests to respond to climate change (e.g., in response to drought or bark beetle; reducing plant water stress) and variability, and extreme weather events (evaluate ecosystem functional response to fuel reduction and forest health treatments)?  FUNDING AVAILABILITY. Funding available for newly proposed projects is anticipated as follows: $1,111,459 over three FYs beginning in 2026/27, comprising: $261,459 in FY 2026/27; $425,000 in FY 2027/28; and $425,000 in FY 2028/29. AWARD LIMITATIONS. Applicants requesting more than the stated annual amount available for funding will not be considered. While the EMC may choose to fund projects that span multiple FYs up to the annual funding cap, the EMC generally prefers to fund multiple research projects annually. Proposers should keep this in mind when developing their project and annual budget requests. Longer-term projects (greater than three years) may re-apply for funding for additional years through the competitive grants process advertised in the EMC’s Request for Proposals.   ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. Eligible projects will test one or more specific FPRs or other rule or regulation under the Board’s jurisdiction and which addresses one or more of the EMC’s Research Themes and Critical Monitoring Questions. Proposed projects must clearly apply to management activities on private timberlands in California. Projects on public land may be eligible for EMC funding provided they clearly apply to the activities and systems that also exist on non-federal timberland. ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS. Eligible applicants are local, state, and federal agencies including federal land management agencies; institutions of higher education; special purpose districts (e.g., public utilities districts, fire districts, conservation districts, and ports); Native American tribes; private landowners; for-profit entities; and non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations.

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Eligible business development projects include facilities, operations, and professional services that support the restoration of healthy, resilient forests. Eligible workforce development projects include universities, colleges, government and community organizations, and businesses that aim to increase workforce capacity in the fields of logging, fuels treatment, manufacturing, or other support services that bolster the development of a resilient forest sector workforce. Research proposals that have the potential to facilitate an immediate benefit to California’s forest-sector businesses and/or workforce will also be considered. Check out the Wood Products website and subscribe for updates.     

Department of Fish and Wildlife

Proposal applications will be accepted for the types of projects outlined in the solicitation, subject to the funding program criteria. Priority 1 Projects are those that restore, enhance, or protect salmonid habitat in anadromous watersheds through implementation or design projects that lead to implementation. Approximately 65% of the PCSRF grant award will fund Priority 1 Projects. Priority 2 projects are those that support implementation projects through watershed-scale planning and effectiveness monitoring.  Funding support is based on availability. Priority 3 Projects are those that support implementation projects through planning, outreach, and/or education. Approximately 10% of the PCSRF grant award will fund Priority 3 Projects. Proposals for FRGP programmatic permit required effectiveness monitoring are ineligible. Any project requesting $2 million or more must submit a concept proposal to be eligible for the full proposal.

Department of Fish and Wildlife

Proposal applications will be accepted for the types of projects outlined in the solicitation, subject to the funding program criteria. Priority 1 Projects are those that restore, enhance, or protect salmonid habitat in anadromous watersheds through implementation or design projects that lead to implementation. Approximately 65% of the PCSRF grant award will fund Priority 1 Projects. Priority 2 projects are those that support implementation projects through watershed-scale planning and effectiveness monitoring.  Funding support is based on availability. Priority 3 Projects are those that support implementation projects through planning, outreach, and/or education. Approximately 10% of the PCSRF grant award will fund Priority 3 Projects. Proposals for FRGP programmatic permit required effectiveness monitoring are ineligible. Any project requesting $2 million or more must submit a concept proposal to be eligible for the full proposal.