California State Grants

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.

State Water Resources Control Board · Amount varies

Open to California local public agencies, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, public utilities, recognized Native American tribes, and mutual water companies for recycled water infrastructure projects (treatment, storage, groundwater recharge, potable reuse). Covers construction costs only — operation and maintenance are not eligible — and all community types, including disadvantaged communities, may apply. No specific award amount or deadline is listed; see the Water Recycling Funding Program guidelines for details.

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.

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

Open to a broad range of applicants in California, including businesses, individuals, nonprofits, other legal entities, public agencies, and tribal governments, but specifically for livestock producers seeking compensation for confirmed or probable wolf depredation losses. No set award amount or deadline is listed; compensation is determined case-by-case following a CDFW investigation of each incident. Not a general grant program — it only applies to documented wolf-livestock conflict losses in California.

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.

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.

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments in California working on climate adaptation, habitat restoration, drought resilience, or coastal/agricultural protection. Funded under Proposition 68, with at least 15% of program funds reserved for projects serving severely disadvantaged communities. No award amount or deadline is listed in the current posting, and eligibility is limited to California-based projects.

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments can apply for this Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy grant funded under California's Proposition 68 (2018), a $4 billion bond for drought, water, parks, climate, and coastal protection projects statewide. No specific award amount or deadline is listed here; applicants should review the Conservancy's Proposition 68 Grant Program Guidelines for eligible activities and funding details.

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

This California Proposition 1 grant program, administered by the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, funds watershed protection, river parkway restoration, wetland and habitat restoration, wildfire fuel treatment, and water quality projects; nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments may apply. Each proposed project must meet at least four of the thirteen listed program objectives, and funding is geographically limited to the RMC's service region in California. No specific award amount or deadline is listed in this posting.

Wildlife Conservation Board · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments, this program funds property acquisition and habitat enhancement/restoration projects along the San Joaquin River. All funded projects must be approved by both the San Joaquin River Conservancy Board and the Wildlife Conservation Board, an extra review step beyond a typical single-agency grant. No specific award amount or deadline is listed.

Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits and public agencies for projects addressing recreation/tourism, historic and cultural preservation, or environmental education in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region, with priority for disadvantaged/severely disadvantaged communities. This is an ongoing, noncompetitive process requiring a concept proposal before a full application; partnerships are encouraged but not required. No specific award amount or deadline is listed, and scope is limited to the Delta region.

State Water Resources Control Board · Amount varies

Open to local public agencies, 501(c)(3) nonprofits registered in California, public utilities, federally and non-federally recognized tribes, and mutual water companies. Funds construction (and in some cases planning/design) for recycled water treatment, storage, groundwater recharge, and surface water augmentation projects; operations and maintenance costs are not eligible. No specific award amount or deadline is listed, and all community types, including disadvantaged communities, may apply.

State Water Resources Control Board · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments, this California SAFER Program funding targets counties and their partners to build proactive regional programs addressing drinking water problems for households served by state small water systems and domestic wells. Funds are not awarded directly to individual households. No specific award amount or deadline is listed, and the geographic scope is limited to California.

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments can apply to this Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy program funded under Proposition 4's wildfire chapter. It funds projects that improve local fire prevention capacity, forest health, or reduce wildfire spread into populated areas, and each project must also address watershed improvement, wildfire resilience, chaparral/forest restoration, or workforce development. Specific award amounts and deadlines are not listed, so applicants should verify current guidelines directly with the Conservancy.

CA Energy Commission · Amount varies

Limited to public agencies such as school districts, this program uses federal infrastructure law (IIJA/Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) funds to provide loans and grants through a revolving loan fund for K-12 energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits. It is not open to nonprofits, businesses, or individuals, and funding is contingent on U.S. Department of Energy funds actually flowing through, so terms may change. No specific award amount or deadline is listed.

Ocean Protection Council · $200K–$1.5M

Open to businesses, nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments in California through the Ocean Protection Council's SB 1 Sea Level Rise Adaptation Grant Program (Track 1), funding planning activities like vulnerability assessments, data collection, and adaptation plans. Awards range from $200,000 to $1.5 million, and Track 1 proposals are accepted on a rolling, non-competitive quarterly basis. A companion technical assistance program is also available for applicants facing imminent sea level rise threats.