California State Grants

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

Open broadly to individuals, nonprofits, public agencies, and California Native American tribes, this program funds habitat conservation projects tied to upland game birds through California's Upland Game Bird Account. Any proposal that meets the criteria in Fish & Game Code §3684 can qualify — eligibility isn't limited to established organizations. No specific award amount or deadline is listed, so applicants should confirm current cycle details with CDFW.

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

Open only to public agencies and tribal governments (counties, cities, special districts, and Native American tribal governments) in California to pre-position oil spill response equipment near state waters. Total program funding is $400,000 available on a continuous application basis. Not open to nonprofits, businesses, or individuals, and limited to California coastal/waterway jurisdictions.

Ocean Protection Council · $250K–$750K

This Ocean Protection Council program funds only California Native American tribes and nonprofits for pre-planning and planning work to assess sea level rise impacts on tribal cultural resources, ancestral lands, and lifeways, with typical awards between $250,000 and $750,000. Applications are accepted on a rolling, quarterly, first-come first-served basis (non-competitive), making eligibility notably narrow and tribal-specific compared to general nonprofit grants.

Department of Water Resources · Amount varies

This forecasted California Department of Water Resources program will fund nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments to implement watershed-scale water conservation projects, such as irrigation efficiency upgrades, leak detection and repair, water-efficient landscaping conversions, and metering or monitoring improvements. Awards are expected to range from $3 million to $15 million. No application deadline has been set yet since the program is still in forecasted status, so applicants should watch for the official funding announcement. Not open to for-profit businesses.

Department of Housing and Community Development · Amount varies

Open exclusively to California Tribal Entities -- other applicant types are not eligible. Funds development of multifamily rental housing for tribal communities, including new construction, rehabilitation, manufactured housing, or conversion of non-residential space, targeted at seniors, youth, and people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. No award amount or deadline is specified.

State Treasurer's Office · $1–$5B

A bond financing (loan) program for private, nonprofit, regionally accredited postsecondary schools operating in California for at least three years, with sufficient revenue or collateral to cover debt service. Funds construction, renovation, land acquisition, equipment, and refinancing, with no stated loan maximum but a nonrefundable application fee and issuance-based fees. Schools that factor race or ethnicity into admissions, or are not secular in curriculum, are excluded; this is debt financing, not a traditional grant.

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments in California for projects that improve climate resilience, protect coastal/rural economies and wildlife habitat, or expand outdoor recreation, with top priority given to projects removing barriers to steelhead trout migration. Funded under Proposition 68; no specific award amount or deadline is listed in this posting.

CA Energy Commission · Amount varies

Restricted to tribal governments; this California Energy Commission program funds direct air capture and carbon removal technology research, development, and pilot testing. Projects that would benefit petroleum or gas production through enhanced oil/gas recovery are explicitly excluded. No award amount or deadline is listed in the posting.

Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development · $600K–$3M

Local health departments and community-based nonprofit organizations in California can apply, with at least 50% of each year's funding reserved for qualified nonprofits. California's GO-Biz awards $600,000 to $3,000,000 to support job placement, mental health and substance use disorder treatment, reentry legal services, and related services for communities disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs. Funding is drawn from cannabis tax revenue and program priorities can shift each fiscal year, so this is a fairly narrow, population-specific opportunity rather than a general-purpose grant.

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

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments for wildfire prevention planning, fuel load reduction, invasive species management, and forest health projects in the San Gabriel Mountains, Foothills, and nearby urban wildland areas of California. Awards range from $50,000 to $2,000,000, with a two-phase Concept Proposal then Full Application process. Limited to projects within the Conservancy's designated Southern California service area.

State Treasurer's Office · $1–$135M

Like its predecessor program, this California funding is restricted by statute to the same 13 named Children's Hospitals (eight private nonprofit, five University of California) for capital improvement projects. Awards can be very large — up to $135 million per private nonprofit hospital and $54 million per UC hospital — with applications accepted monthly through June 2033. Not open to any hospital or nonprofit outside this named list.

San Diego River Conservancy · Amount varies

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments can apply to this San Diego River Conservancy program (Proposition 4) for hazardous fuels reduction, wildfire prevention planning, and wildfire prevention education. No specific award amounts or deadlines are provided, so applicants should confirm current funding availability directly with the Conservancy.

Baldwin Hills & Urban Watersheds Conservancy · Amount varies

This $48 million California Proposition 4 climate resilience program, administered by the Baldwin Hills & Urban Watersheds Conservancy, funds projects that reduce climate risks to communities, fish, wildlife, and natural resources, with priority for disadvantaged and severely disadvantaged communities, tribes, and vulnerable populations; nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments may apply. Projects are evaluated against the Conservancy's Community and Climate Resilience framework and must demonstrate measurable benefits and community engagement; funding is limited to the Conservancy's California service area. No specific per-award amount or deadline is listed in this posting.

Department of Toxic Substances Control · Up to $2.5M

Open only to public agencies in California; this DTSC loan program (up to $2.5 million) funds investigation, cleanup, and redevelopment of abandoned or underutilized urban properties contaminated with hazardous materials. Applicants with felony convictions related to hazardous materials regulation, moral turpitude crimes, or violations of prior environmental remediation orders are disqualified. This is a loan requiring repayment (up to 7 years), not a grant, and is limited to public agency applicants.

Wildlife Conservation Board · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments in California pursuing oak woodland conservation, particularly projects that bring ranchers and conservationists together for sustainable farming and habitat protection. No specific award amount or deadline is published for this ongoing program. Limited to California oak woodland projects, so it is not a fit for out-of-state or unrelated environmental work.

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

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments for Lower Los Angeles River watershed projects in California that must meet at least four of thirteen statutory objectives, such as fish passage restoration, climate adaptation, or reducing water pollution, under Proposition 1. Awards range from $50,000 to $2,000,000. Eligibility is limited to projects addressing the Proposition 1 objectives within the Lower LA River watershed.

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments serving severely disadvantaged communities in the San Fernando Valley can apply for this Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy grant funded under Proposition 68 (2018), part of a $4 billion bond for drought, water, parks, and climate resilience projects. No specific award amount or deadline is listed here; the severely-disadvantaged-community designation narrows eligibility to projects serving that specific population.

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.

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.