California State Grants

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

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments can apply to this San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy program funded by Proposition 4 (2024), a $10 billion bond for climate resilience, drinking water, wildfire prevention, and drought preparedness. The process requires a Concept Proposal first, followed by an invitation-only Full Application if selected by RMC staff; award amounts and deadlines are not specified, and a pre-application consultation with RMC staff is strongly recommended.

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments for projects that benefit California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, supporting water supply reliability, habitat restoration, and water resource system resilience under Proposition 1. No award amount or deadline is currently listed. Eligibility is geographically limited to Delta-benefiting projects in California.

Wildlife Conservation Board · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments through the California Wildlife Conservation Board, but restricted to projects within or adjacent to the American River Parkway in Sacramento County. Funds habitat restoration, public access improvements, and stormwater capture projects; all proposals must first be recommended by a program advisory committee. No award amount or deadline is listed, and the tight geographic scope makes this a narrow-eligibility program.

Department of Transportation · Amount varies

Restricted to public agencies (not businesses or nonprofits); this reimbursable state grant matches up to 5% of a federal Airport Improvement Program grant, capped at $200,000 per project, for airport development or planning. The project must already be listed in the State Capital Improvement Plan and cannot begin until the state issues a formal notice to proceed.

Department of Parks and Recreation · Amount varies

California's Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program (GCA/G25), run by the Department of Parks and Recreation, funds nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments for planning, building, and maintaining off-highway motor vehicle trails and related safety and education programs. No specific funding amount or deadline is listed in this record.

Wildlife Conservation Board · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments through the California Wildlife Conservation Board's Climate Adaptation and Resiliency program. Funds projects on natural and working lands that support climate adaptation, carbon sequestration, and alignment with state climate and wildlife action plans. No specific award amount or deadline is given.

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments in the San Fernando Valley area can apply for this Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy grant funded under California's Proposition 68 (2018), part of a $4 billion bond for drought, water, parks, climate, and coastal protection projects. No specific award amount or deadline is published, so applicants should consult the Conservancy's Proposition 68 Grant Program Guidelines for full eligibility and funding details.

State Treasurer's Office · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits and public agencies operating charter schools in California; funds debt service reserves to support financing for acquiring, renovating, or constructing charter school facilities, or refinancing existing facility debt. This is a credit enhancement program tied to bond financing rather than a direct cash grant; no specific award amount or deadline is listed.

Governor's Office of Emergency Services · Amount varies

Open primarily to California state agencies, local governments, special districts, and federally recognized tribes, with some private nonprofits also eligible. Funds hazard mitigation plans and projects that reduce damage from future disasters, administered by Cal OES after a Presidential Disaster Declaration; applicants must have (or apply to develop) a FEMA-approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. Planning grants are capped at $150,000 for single jurisdictions and $250,000 for multi-jurisdiction plans; project funding depends on ongoing federal disaster declarations.

Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery · Amount varies

Open to businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies in California, this program funds loans (not grants) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly landfill methane and upstream manufacturing emissions, with priority benefits for disadvantaged communities. No specific award amount or deadline is listed. Applicants should note this is a loan program, requiring repayment, rather than a non-repayable grant.

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments working on wildlife connectivity, this program funds planning and implementation of fish and wildlife corridor projects aligned with California's State Wildlife Action Plan and fish passage efforts. It is not open to individuals or businesses. No specific award amount or deadline is listed.

San Diego River Conservancy · Amount varies

Nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments can apply to this San Diego River Conservancy program funded under Proposition 4 for multi-benefit projects such as land conservation, flood and fire risk reduction, water quality improvement, wildlife habitat restoration, trail completion, and tribal cultural preservation along the San Diego River. Award amounts and deadlines are not specified, so applicants should confirm current funding limits and timelines with the Conservancy.

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments applying to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy's Prop 1 competitive grant program. Funds multi-benefit ecosystem/watershed protection and restoration and urban creek projects under the 2014 water bond act. No award amount or deadline is specified, and projects must fall within the Conservancy's service area.

CA Energy Commission · $500K–$5M

Open only to public agencies and tribal governments in California -- nonprofits and private businesses are not eligible under the stated criteria. Provides cost-share funding paired with two federal programs (INDIGO and FPIP) supporting industrial decarbonization, grid reliability, and greenhouse gas reduction at industrial and food production facilities; awards range from $500,000 to $5 million. This is a large-award but narrowly targeted program tied to specific federal solicitations.

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Funds cleanup and remediation of watersheds and lands impacted by illicit cannabis cultivation, including road decommissioning, culvert upgrades, erosion control, and wildlife/habitat enhancement. No specific award amount or deadline is listed.

Tahoe Conservancy · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments working in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Funds forest and watershed restoration, wildfire protection, public access/recreation, and climate adaptation projects, with $5 million set aside for local assistance grants out of a $27 million Proposition 68 allocation. Geographically limited to the Tahoe Basin, and no specific award size or deadline is listed; contact grants@tahoe.ca.gov for details.

CA Energy Commission · Amount varies

Provides state cost-share funding to California businesses, individuals, and public agencies that are applying for a federal DOE clean hydrogen funding opportunity — it is only available alongside an active or pending federal award, not as a standalone grant. Applicants who already received federal funding and want retroactive cost-share are not eligible. No specific award amount or deadline is listed.

State Water Resources Control Board · $1–$1M

California petroleum underground storage tank (UST) owners and operators — businesses and individuals — can apply for reimbursement of cleanup costs from leaking USTs, with grants up to $1,000,000 per site. This fund is not open to nonprofits or the general public; it is restricted to UST owners/operators meeting state financial-responsibility requirements.

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

California's Proposition 68 Fish and Wildlife Improvement Grant Program funds nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments working on climate adaptation, habitat and coastal protection, water access for fish and wildlife, or drought resilience projects. No funding amounts or deadline are listed in this record, and the program is limited to California-based projects.

Wildlife Conservation Board · Amount varies

Open to nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments through the California Wildlife Conservation Board's Forest Conservation Program. Funds meadow restoration, forest thinning for wildfire risk reduction, post-fire restoration, and aspen stand enhancement to protect water supply and forest health, primarily in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains. No specific award amount or deadline is listed.