Browse grants

State Water Resources Control Board · Amount varies

A low-interest loan program (not a grant) for California small businesses (fewer than 500 employees) that own or operate underground storage tanks needing upgrades, removal, or replacement to meet state and federal standards. Loans range from $10,000 to $750,000 over 10- or 20-year terms, secured by business assets or real estate, with a 2% loan fee due at closing. Applicants must demonstrate ability to repay and provide adequate collateral.

CA Energy Commission · Amount varies

Available to individuals and public agencies, this program provides state matching funds ('cost share') for specific federal clean-energy funding opportunities listed by the CA Energy Commission — it is not standalone project funding on its own. Applicants generally need to already be pursuing or have won one of the referenced federal opportunities. No fixed award amount or deadline is given here.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Up to $600K

This NSF program (LTREB) funds long-term data collection to address questions in evolutionary biology, ecology, and ecosystem science, with awards up to about $600,000 over an initial 5-year period. Proposals may only come from U.S.-based nonprofit non-academic research organizations and accredited U.S. institutions of higher education acting for their faculty, so individuals, businesses, and foreign organizations are not eligible. Marine population/community/ecosystem research is excluded unless it focuses on evolutionary dynamics.

Wildlife Conservation Board · Amount varies

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments can apply to this Wildlife Conservation Board program funding stream flow enhancement projects, including planning, scientific studies, implementation, and land/water rights acquisition, with priority for watersheds supporting salmonids and other at-risk species. Planning and Scientific Study projects must be submitted as stand-alone applications (not combined with other categories); no specific award amount or deadline is listed here.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

NSF's Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences core programs fund fundamental research on molecular, subcellular, and cellular biology, and are restricted to U.S. nonprofit research organizations and accredited institutions of higher education (faculty-sponsored). General nonprofits, small businesses, and individuals are not eligible. No specific funding amount is listed.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

This NSF program funds research on why organisms are structured and function as they do, spanning developmental biology, neuroscience, biomechanics, physiology, symbioses, genomics, and animal behavior. Proposals may only be submitted by U.S.-based nonprofit non-academic research organizations and accredited U.S. institutions of higher education acting for their faculty, so individuals, businesses, and foreign organizations are not eligible. Funding amounts and deadlines are not specified.

Department of Toxic Substances Control · Amount varies

Restricted to public agencies in California; this program funds regulatory oversight and environmental cleanup activities related to reuse of former military bases, not general nonprofit or business projects. No award amount or deadline is specified in the posting.

U.S. National Science Foundation · From $202K

This NSF fellowship funds early-career individuals (current PhD students or those within roughly two years of their doctorate) to carry out independent research in atmospheric and geospace sciences at a U.S. host institution. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents, and proposals are submitted by the individual, not an institution; awards are about $202,000 and federally funded national centers (NASA, NOAA, EPA, DOE) cannot serve as host institutions. Foreign applicants are not eligible and the research must fall within specific atmospheric/geospace disciplines.

U.S. Mission to Australia · $5K–$15K

The U.S. Mission to Australia's Annual Program Statement funds non-governmental/civil society organizations, think tanks, educational institutions, and nonprofits for public-diplomacy-style projects, with awards typically between $5,000 and $15,000. Prior programmatic and budget-management experience is preferred, and applicants should be ready to describe cost-sharing from other sources. This is a small, geographically specific program tied to projects involving the U.S. Embassy in Australia.

Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments to acquire mountainous or natural community conservation lands in California's Coachella Valley, or in limited cases fund capital improvements on existing conservation lands. Matching funds are preferred but not required. No specific award amount or deadline is listed, and eligibility is limited to land acquisition/improvement projects within the Coachella Valley region.

State Treasurer's Office · $1–$50M

California's CHFFA Tax-Exempt Equipment Financing Program offers below-market loans (not grants) of $500,000 or more to nonprofit 501(c)(3) or public health facilities to finance medical equipment purchases, with no stated maximum. Applicants must have operated for at least three years, show fiscal soundness with three years of audited financials, and pay an application fee plus ongoing administrative fees; this is a loan product, not free grant funding.

U.S. National Science Foundation · $200K–$700K

The NSF, in partnership with the German Research Foundation (DFG), offers this Lead Agency opportunity in Chemistry and Chemical Process and Transport Systems, letting U.S. and German researchers submit a single collaborative proposal under one review. Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based institutions of higher education (including community colleges) and non-profit, non-academic research organizations directly tied to research or education; for-profit firms and individuals are not eligible. Awards roughly range from $200,000 to $700,000 and require a German research partner. No deadline is posted.

State Treasurer's Office · $25K–$1.5M

A loan program (not a grant) for California nonprofit 501(c)(3) small or rural health facilities, or public health facilities, licensed by the state and operating at least three years. Loans range from $25,000 to $1.5 million (up to $1 million for refinancing) at 3-4% interest, for real property, equipment, or debt refinancing; small facilities must have annual gross revenue of $30 million or less, and borrowers must contribute at least 5% of project cost themselves.

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments in the Los Angeles area can apply for this Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy program funded by Proposition 4. It funds projects that protect or restore rivers, wetlands, streams, lakes, or watersheds, or improve fish/wildlife and climate resilience, with a required focus on the Los Angeles River Watershed or the ULART revitalization plan. Award amounts are not published; applicants should confirm project fit against Section 91032 requirements before applying.

Department of Commerce · Up to $300K

The U.S. Economic Development Administration's Planning and Local Technical Assistance program (Chicago region, FY2021-2023) funds economic development planning and capacity building in economically distressed areas. Eligible applicants include EDA-designated District Organizations, Indian tribes, states and local governments, institutions of higher education, and nonprofits acting in cooperation with a political subdivision — individuals and stand-alone for-profit businesses are not eligible. Awards run up to $300,000. Note that applications are now submitted through EDA's EDGE platform (not Grants.gov), and Partnership Planning is by invitation.

Economic Development Administration · Up to $50M

This Economic Development Administration program funds disaster-recovery economic development projects (up to $50 million) for communities affected by hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, floods, and other disasters occurring in 2023 or 2024. Eligible applicants include EDA-designated Economic Development Districts, Indian tribes, state and local governments, higher-education institutions, and nonprofits acting with a local government partner; individuals and for-profit businesses are explicitly not eligible. Funding supports readiness planning, standalone recovery construction/non-construction projects, or large-scale multi-year industry transformation efforts.

State Treasurer's Office · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits and public agencies operating charter schools, administered by the California State Treasurer's Office. Uses a $20 million federal Credit Enhancement grant to fully or partially fund debt service reserve accounts on charter school bond transactions, lowering borrowing costs. No specific per-applicant award amount or deadline is listed, and eligibility is narrowly limited to charter school bond financing.

CA Energy Commission · Amount varies

Open to businesses, individuals, nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments, but only to applicants who have already received (or are applying for) an eligible federal clean energy funding opportunity or qualifying DOE follow-on funding — this program provides matching cost-share funds, not standalone project grants. Retroactive cost share for already-received federal awards is not eligible. No set award amount or deadline is listed; eligibility depends on holding or pursuing a specific federal award first.

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

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments applying to Prop 68 funding programs through the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy. This is a technical-assistance program, not a direct cash grant: it provides application help, mentoring, and grant-writing support, with priority access for applicants in High-Need or Very-High-Need Areas. No award amount or deadline applies since this funds assistance services rather than projects.

DOT Federal Highway Administration · $1M–$5M

This Federal Highway Administration program funds deployment of Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems, but eligibility is restricted to State Departments of Transportation (including DC and Puerto Rico) only — nonprofits, businesses, and individuals cannot apply. Individual awards range roughly from $1 million to $5 million. Note: as of a 5/12/2026 update, FHWA is reviewing this opportunity and any re-opening will be announced separately, so it may not currently be accepting applications.