California State Grants

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments may apply for this California (Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy) funding tied to the Randall Preserve. It supports work that reduces climate impacts on disadvantaged communities and vulnerable populations and that creates, protects, or expands outdoor recreation opportunities. Funds must be encumbered or spent by June 30, 2028, and the program is specific to this preserve, so it is geographically narrow. No award range or application deadline is stated; contact the Conservancy for details.

Department of Housing and Community Development · Amount varies

Businesses, nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments may apply for this California HCD Multifamily Finance Super NOFA, which makes roughly $101 million available (mostly as loans) for affordable and supportive rental housing, transit-oriented development, veterans housing, and related infrastructure. Awards are restricted to projects located in Los Angeles County and tied to recovery from the January 2025 wildfires, so it is geographically limited. Most funding is delivered as loans rather than outright grants. No application deadline is listed here; review the NOFA for program-specific requirements.

State Treasurer's Office · Amount varies

Nonprofits and public agencies may apply to this California Charter Finance Enhancement (Charter FinE) program, created from a $10 million federal credit-enhancement award. It enhances financing for charter schools to lower the costs of permanent charter school facilities. Because it is limited to charter school facility financing, eligibility is narrow to that sector. No specific award amounts or deadline are listed here.

State Treasurer's Office · Amount varies

Nonprofits and public agencies may apply to this California School Finance Authority program, which uses a federally funded Charter School Facilities Incentive grant to help charter schools finance permanent facilities. The Authority received a $30 million federal award in late 2024 and plans additional funding rounds starting in the 2025-26 school year. Funding is specific to charter school facilities, so eligibility is narrow to that sector. No award range or deadline is provided here.

Tahoe Conservancy · Amount varies

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments can apply to the California Tahoe Conservancy's Proposition 4 grant program, which funds land acquisition, planning, restoration, monitoring, forest health, watershed improvement, and climate resilience work on the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Funding comes from a state climate bond, and grants are generally made on a rolling basis with no fixed deadline. Note the geographic limit: projects must be on the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin, and all applicants must first submit and get approval for a pre-application (letter of intent) before applying.

State Water Resources Control Board · $1–$300K

Only local public agencies may apply for this California State Water Resources Control Board (Proposition 13) planning grant for water recycling. Eligible projects include recycled water treatment, storage, distribution, groundwater recharge, and indirect potable reuse; operation and maintenance costs are not eligible. All community types qualify, including disadvantaged communities. Awards run up to about $300,000, making this a smaller-award opportunity with eligibility limited to public agencies.

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

Administered by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy under California's Proposition 4, this grant funds wildfire and forest resilience projects such as fire prevention, forest health, fuel reduction near populated areas, watershed improvement, chaparral or forest restoration, and related workforce development. Eligible applicants are nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments. Projects must meet specific statutory criteria (Section 91520) and qualify under the Wildfire and Forest Resilience chapter, so eligibility is narrow and tied to project type and location.

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

This Proposition 68 grant from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments; individuals and businesses are not eligible. It funds drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor-access projects, with this specific track targeting the San Fernando Valley river area and severely disadvantaged communities. Funding amounts are not specified, and projects must serve the designated California geography.

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments, this Proposition 68 grant program (Prop 68 River track) administered by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy funds drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access projects under California's 2018 bond act. Award amounts and deadline are not specified in this listing. Because the Conservancy administers the program, projects are expected to fall within its California jurisdiction.

Wildlife Conservation Board · Amount varies

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments can apply to California's Wildlife Conservation Board for grants to restore or enhance monarch butterfly and pollinator habitat, including breeding habitat and overwintering sites on private and public lands, plus related technical assistance. Projects must be in California. Specific award amounts and deadlines are not stated in the listing, so confirm those details with the program before applying.

State Treasurer's Office · Amount varies

California's Sales and Use Tax Exclusion (STE) Program lets eligible manufacturers exclude qualifying equipment purchases from state and local sales and use taxes when building or upgrading facilities for advanced manufacturing, recycling, alternative energy, or advanced transportation. Businesses, individuals, nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments may apply, but the project must occur in California and involve qualified manufacturing property. This is a tax-exclusion benefit rather than a cash grant, so confirm the qualifying-property and project requirements with CAEATFA before applying.

Wildlife Conservation Board · Amount varies

The Oak Woodlands Conservation program from California's Wildlife Conservation Board is open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments; individuals and businesses cannot apply. It funds local efforts to protect and sustain oak woodlands while supporting compatible ranching and farming operations. Funding amounts are not listed, and the program is focused on California oak woodland conservation.

State Treasurer's Office · Amount varies

Administered by California's State Treasurer's Office, this federally funded Charter School Facilities Credit Enhancement program provides grants to fully or partially fund debt service reserve accounts on bonds issued through the Authority, reducing borrowing costs for charter schools. Eligible applicants are nonprofits and public agencies (charter schools and related entities); individuals and for-profit businesses are not eligible. No award range or deadline is listed.

CA Energy Commission · Amount varies

Open to businesses, individuals, public agencies, and tribal governments, this California Energy Commission program provides matching (cost-share) funds to support applicants pursuing federal geothermal energy funding opportunities. It targets energy science, technology, and R&D projects. Award amounts are not stated; applicants should consult the application manual, and because it is a cost-share program, recipients must secure the corresponding federal award.

San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

This Proposition 68 program from the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy funds multi-benefit projects along the Lower Los Angeles River that serve Severely Disadvantaged Communities, supporting environmental, water, and recreation improvements. Eligible applicants are nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments; individuals and for-profit businesses cannot apply. Projects must be located in the defined river corridor in California, applications proceed in two phases (Concept Proposal then Full Application), and the program notes that cost share is among the review factors.

San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

The Proposition 1 Regionwide Grants program (San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy) funds watershed, river restoration, water quality, habitat, and climate-adaptation projects; funded projects must meet at least four of thirteen specified water and watershed objectives. Eligible applicants are nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments, so individuals and most businesses do not qualify. Projects are tied to the conservancy's Southern California service area, and no specific award amounts or deadline are listed.

San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy · $50K–$2M

This Proposition 1 grant from California's San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy is open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments; individuals and businesses are not eligible. It funds watershed protection and restoration projects along the Lower Los Angeles River, and applicants must meet at least four of the program's stated watershed objectives. Awards range from about $50,000 to $2,000,000 and are geographically limited to the designated California river area.

Baldwin Hills & Urban Watersheds Conservancy · Amount varies

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments can apply to this Baldwin Hills & Urban Watersheds Conservancy program for environmental, climate-resilience, parks, and green-space projects in the Los Angeles region. Funding prioritizes projects that deliver measurable benefits to disadvantaged communities and vulnerable populations. Award amounts are not specified, and projects must align with the Conservancy's Community and Climate Resilience Framework and serve the targeted geographic area.

Department of Toxic Substances Control · Amount varies

Open only to public agencies, this California Department of Toxic Substances Control program funds regulatory oversight of environmental investigation and cleanup tied to the reuse of former military bases in California. It is narrowly scoped to public-agency oversight work under a Defense-State agreement, so nonprofits, businesses, and individuals are not eligible. Funding amounts and deadlines are not specified.

Ocean Protection Council · $200K–$1.5M

California's Ocean Protection Council offers this Senate Bill 1 Sea Level Rise Adaptation grant (Track 1) to fund planning activities such as community visioning, vulnerability assessments, data collection, and adaptation plans to prepare coastal and San Francisco Bay communities for sea level rise. Eligible applicants are businesses, nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments, and awards range from roughly $200,000 to $1.5 million. Track 1 proposals are accepted on a rolling, non-competitive quarterly basis if they meet program criteria, and projects must address California coastal or Bay shoreline impacts.