Browse grants

Natural Resources · Amount varies

Illinois' Recreational Access Program, funded through the federal Voluntary Public Access & Habitat Incentive Program, supports public access and habitat improvement projects on privately leased land, but it is open only to government organizations. Private landowners, nonprofits, and businesses are not eligible to apply directly. No award amount or deadline is listed.

Department of Housing and Community Development · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments through California's Department of Housing and Community Development (Local Housing Trust Fund NOFA, Round 5). Provides low-interest (up to 3%) construction and permanent financing loans for affordable rental housing, shelters, supportive housing, and accessory dwelling units. At least 30% of funds must serve extremely low-income households, no more than 20% may serve moderate-income households, and administrative costs are capped at 5%, making this a fairly restrictive, compliance-heavy program.

San Diego River Conservancy · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments for projects that support the San Diego River Conservancy's mission under its enabling legislation and strategic plan. No specific award amount or deadline is currently published. Limited to projects within the Conservancy's San Diego River service area in California.

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection · Amount varies

Open to businesses, individuals, nonprofits, other legal entities, and public agencies owning 20 to 5,000 acres of forest land in California; this program provides cost-share assistance (not full grants) for forest management planning, reforestation, and related improvement activities performed under a Registered Professional Forester. Broadcast, controlled, or cultural burning is not an eligible cost. No specific award amount or deadline is listed, and applicants should expect to cover part of the cost themselves.

U.S. Mission to the United Nations · $5K–$15K

Open to individuals, registered nonprofits, think tanks, civil society/NGOs, educational institutions, and governmental institutions based in Geneva or abroad, this US Mission Geneva Small Grants Program funds projects that promote US policy priorities at international organizations, such as lectures, exhibitions, exchanges, workshops, or public awareness campaigns. Awards range roughly from $5,000 to $15,000, all projects must include a US element or connection, and for-profit or commercial entities are not eligible. Cost-sharing is encouraged but not required.

Coastal Conservancy · Amount varies

The California Coastal Conservancy's Explore the Coast Overnight Program funds nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments to plan, design, permit, or build lower-cost overnight coastal accommodations, prioritizing access for low- and middle-income Californians and underserved communities. No specific funding amount or deadline is listed, and the program is limited to California coastal projects.

Department of Natural Resources · $10K–$10M

Open to government agencies, schools/universities, and nonprofits working on wildlife and habitat projects. Funds restoration, conservation, and management of wild birds and mammals and their habitat, plus public access, hunter education/safety, and shooting range development. Awards range widely from $10,000 to $10 million; no deadline is listed, so check with the funder for current cycle timing.

State Treasurer's Office · Amount varies

California charter schools (operating as nonprofits or public agencies) that serve a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals can apply for annual facility-cost grants through the State Treasurer's Office / California School Finance Authority. No specific award amount or deadline is listed here; availability is announced annually on the CSFA website, so applicants should check current-year details before applying.

Rural Business-Cooperative Service · $1.5K–$500K

Open to agricultural producers, the USDA REAP program funds renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements, with awards ranging from about $1,500 up to $500,000. Eligibility is limited to agricultural producers (and, under the broader REAP program, certain rural small businesses), so general applicants and urban organizations typically do not qualify. Review the application package and contact a State Energy Coordinator for required forms and current terms.

Wildlife Conservation Board · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments through the California Wildlife Conservation Board's Riparian Habitat Conservation Program. Funds restoration of riparian vegetation, floodplain reconnection, invasive species control, and stream/fencing projects statewide in California. No specific award amount or deadline is provided.

Coastal Conservancy · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments for projects along the California coast, San Francisco Bay, and coastal watersheds. Funds feasibility studies, land acquisition, planning, design, permitting, and construction for beaches, parks, trails, habitat restoration, and climate resilience projects, but does not cover ongoing operations or maintenance. Most funding is awarded through a rolling pre-application process; geographically limited to coastal California, and no set award amount or deadline is listed.

U.S. National Science Foundation · From $200K

Open to any type of entity (subject to NSF clarifications), this NSF MultiPLEx program funds ambitious international multilateral research partnerships that address grand challenges and require collaboration with at least two countries other than the US. Awards run up to about three years and typically start around $200,000; the funds support only the US research team, so international partners must seek their own national funding. This is well suited to US research institutions leading global collaborations.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

This NSF program funds fundamental research on civil infrastructure resilience — buildings, water/wastewater systems, energy infrastructure, and transportation — including how these systems withstand climate change and extreme hazards like earthquakes and floods. Eligibility is unrestricted, meaning most institution types can apply, though NSF's standard grant mechanisms are typically oriented toward universities and research institutions. No specific award amount or deadline is listed in this posting, so applicants should check the full solicitation for funding levels and submission windows.

U.S. National Science Foundation · $400K–$2M

Open to any type of entity (subject to NSF clarifications), the NSF RISBS program funds creation of computational tools and data infrastructure that enable basic social and behavioral science research, including major longitudinal surveys; it does not fund a PI's own research except in service of building the infrastructure. Awards range roughly from $400,000 to $2,000,000. In practice this large-award program is best suited to research institutions building shared data resources.

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

Open exclusively to California Native American tribes -- other applicant types are not eligible. Funds tribal emergency preparedness, response, and recovery efforts related to oil spills, protecting ancestral lands and communities, through the Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response. No award amount or deadline is specified.

Natural Resources · Amount varies

This Illinois Natural Resources pilot program funds conservation education and employment opportunities for young Illinois residents ages 15–25. Per the eligibility text, grants are limited to Illinois units of local government and nonprofit entities providing this programming — despite a conflicting 'for-profit' category label elsewhere in the listing. Award amounts were not specified (marked TBD).

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments serving severely disadvantaged communities can apply for this Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy grant funded under Proposition 68 (2018), a $4 billion bond for drought, water, parks, climate, and coastal protection projects. No specific award amount or deadline is listed here; eligibility is narrowed to projects benefiting severely disadvantaged communities specifically.

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments in California for river and stream restoration projects, including floodplain reconnection and riparian habitat work, funded through Proposition 68. No specific award amount or deadline is currently published. Geographic scope is limited to California rivers and streams.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Division of Chemistry is piloting no-deadline submission for its Chemistry of Life Processes, Chemical Structure and Dynamics, and Chemical Theory/Computational Methods programs. Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based nonprofit non-academic research organizations (such as independent museums, observatories, and research labs) and accredited U.S. institutions of higher education acting for their faculty; individuals and businesses do not qualify. No specific award amount is listed, and proposals may be submitted at any time.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Chemical Process Systems (CPS) program funds fundamental research on chemical and biochemical processes to make manufacturing, energy, and biotechnology more efficient and sustainable, spanning catalysis, reactor design, separations, and process optimization. Eligibility is unrestricted, so universities, research organizations, and other entity types may apply. No specific award amount or deadline is listed in the program description.