California grants › Categories
Park development, trails, outdoor access and recreation programs from State Parks and the conservancies. Many are limited to public agencies; some accept nonprofits with land or program partnerships. 41 open now, 35 open to nonprofits.
Parks grants fund park development, trails, outdoor access, recreation facilities and land acquisition for public use. State Parks, the regional conservancies and the Natural Resources Agency are the funders, much of it from bond measures. Awards can be large, often several million dollars for a single project.
Categories are assigned by the grantor on the California Grants Portal; a grant can appear in several. All categories with descriptions →
Provide boating safety education to the general public.
The purpose of the Recreational Trails Program is to provide for well managed OHV Recreation by providing financial assistance to eligible agencies and organizations that develop, maintain, operate, expand, support, or c…
YCA Grants will fund projects that serve youth from low-income and disadvantaged communities and provide immersive and meaningful experiences with natural or cultural resources within California that participants otherwi…
CDFW's Boating Access Grant Program provides funding for projects that increase access to recreational boating opportunities across California's waterways. The Boating Access program provides funding for a broad range of…
The Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program (SPP) that helps support the acquisition and development of new parks and the renovation or expansion of existing parks in critically underserved and cl…
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was established by Congress in 1964 to fulfill a bipartisan commitment to safeguard our natural areas, water resources and cultural heritage, and to provide recreation opportun…
Provide resources to replace or install signs at DBW funded boat launching facilities.
Provide resources to local agencies to develop or improve public non-motorized boating access.
Provide resources to local agencies to repair or renovate public boating access facilities.
Provide resources to local agencies to develop or improve public boat launching facilities, primarily for motorized vessels.
This grant provides resources for keeping boater sewage from California waterways.
This grant provides resources for keeping boater sewage from California waterways.
The Urban Streams Restoration Program (USRP), established by Water Code section 7048 which declared that urban creek protection, restoration, and enhancement are best undertaken by local agencies and organizations with a…
The Program provides funding for eligible entities to complete projects under $100,000 that make transformative investments in the Delta’s social, economic, scientific, and physical infrastructure. Projects may support c…
The purposes of Prop 4 include watershed improvement, wildfire resilience, chaparral and forest restoration, and workforce development that addresses needs related to this subdivision and to reduce the risks of climate c…
The Baldwin Hills & Urban Watersheds Conservancy Proposition 4: Community and Climate Resilience Grant Program aim to award projects and programs that protect biodiversity; restore watershed function; and expand equitabl…
CalNASP is an affiliate of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP™), a non-profit, international style archery program dedicated to providing students in grades 4-12 the opportunity to learn and participate in…
Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024. Appropriations under Chapter 6 Protect Biodiversity and Accelerating Nature-Based Climate Solutions 93020 to reduce the ris…
Regional projects to improve wildfire resilience.
Climate impact reduction and outdoor recreation opportunities at Randall Preserve.
The program makes grants to address climate resilience and nature-based solutions in conservation lands and improve sustainability in the Coachella Valley.
Wildfire and Forest Resilience [Section 91520(l)]: may be awarded for projects that promote watershed improvement, wildfire resilience, chaparral and forest restoration, and workforce development that addresses needs re…
The BH UWC Consolidated Grant Program streamlines administration of State funds, aligning with the Cutting Green Tape initiative. Centered on Embedding Equity, it funds high-impact projects that advance conservation, cli…
The Conservancy's Proposition 4 program aims to support watershed improvement, forest health biomass utilization, chaparral and forest restoration, and workforce development, and to reduce the risks of climate change imp…
The purpose of the SJRC is to create the San Joaquin River Parkway (Parkway) to preserve and enhance the river’s extraordinary biological diversity, protect its valued cultural and natural resources, and provide educatio…
Wildlife Conservation Board’s Public Access Program’s projects should focus on creating meaningful outdoor experiences for all Californians. Projects should provide public benefits, leverage funding to produce the greate…
Pursuant to Section 8008(b)(1) of Proposition 68, up to 10% of the funds available may be allocated for technical assistance to disadvantaged communities. RMC’s Technical Assistance Program (TAP) supports local communiti…
Priorities for RMC LLAR Prop 68: Develop urban recreation projects and habitat protection or restoration projects,Provide workforce development opportunities,Expand access to diverse populations,Secured matching funds …
Priorities for RMC Lower LA River Grants: 1. Ecosystems and watershed protection and restoration projects 2. Expand access to diverse populations 3. High-need project implementation 4. Implementation of projects cong…
Priorities for RMC Wildfire Prevention Grant Program: 1. Protect and expand native forests/wildlands; 2. Support communities in increasing their resilience to wildfire and improving fire safety; 3. Promote sustainable…
Priorities for RMC Prop 1 Grants: 1. Ecosystems and watershed protection and restoration projects 2. Expand access to diverse populations 3. High-need project implementation
Priorities for RMC Prop 1 LLAR (Lower LA River) Grants: 1. Ecosystems and watershed protection and restoration projects, 2. Protect and Enhance the LA River 2. Expand access to diverse populations, 4. High-need proje…
Create, expand, and/or improve public open space in the RMC's territory by improving water quality supply, create, enhance or improve a reliable water supply and/or restore an important species and habitat.
Priorities for RMC Prop 68 Grant Funding: 1. Develop urban recreation projects and habitat protection or restoration projects 2. Provide workforce development opportunities 3. Expand access to diverse populations RMC…
Funding for this grant program was provided through the Budget Act of 2021-22 for local assistance projects.
This non-competitive grant program focuses on increasing public access to the Delta through recreation and tourism opportunities, historic and cultural preservation, and environmental education in order to promote a robu…
IBank's ISRF Loan Fund program provides low-cost, direct loans to local governments and nonprofits sponsored by public agencies for a wide variety of public infrastructure and economic expansion projects (excluding housi…
The principal goal of the Conservancy's Science and Lake Improvement Account program is to support near-shore environmental improvement program activities and projects, particularly projects that manage aquatic invasive …
The principal goal of the Conservancy's Prop 68 grant program is to support purposes set forth in the Conservancy's governing statutes and strategic plan, including stewarding Conservancy lands and protecting Basin commu…
Each year, the Coastal Conservancy issues millions of dollars in grants for projects that restore and protect the California coast, expand public access to it, and enhance its resilience to climate change. We fund a wide…
The Explore the Coast Overnight Program aims to create more opportunities for all Californians to stay overnight at the coast through the expansion or construction of hotels, motels, hostels, campgrounds, RV campgrounds,…
No grants match those filters.
As of Oct 30, 2026 there are 41 open grants in this category on the California Grants Portal, 35 of them open to nonprofits. 12 have a fixed deadline and 29 are ongoing or in cycles announced by the grantor. The nearest deadline is Oct 30, 2026 (Division of Boating and Waterways Aquatic Center Boating Safety Education Grant FY26, Department of Parks and Recreation).
Who funds it: Department of Parks and Recreation (10), San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (10), Tahoe Conservancy (3), Department of Fish and Wildlife (2), Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy (2).
Funding available: programs that state a total range from $4K to $188.5M; 8 list no total. 9 of the 41 require matching funds.
Most of these programs are limited to public agencies and tribal governments, which is why the nonprofit count in this category is lower than the total. Nonprofits qualify through land-trust programs, youth outdoor-access programs, and partnerships where a public agency is the applicant and the nonprofit the operator.
Browse all open California grants, grants closing soon, or every category. Not in California? See the state guides.
41 as of Oct 30, 2026, 35 of them open to nonprofits. The list is rebuilt daily from the California Grants Portal.
The agencies with the most open programs right now are Department of Parks and Recreation, San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, Tahoe Conservancy.
9 of the 41 open programs require a match. Use the 'No match required' filter to exclude them.
Yes. Applications are made on the grantor's own site at no cost. Anyone asking for a fee is not the grantor.
One short email a week: grants added in the last 7 days and grants closing in the next 30. A same-day note only when a new nonprofit-eligible grant posts. Unsubscribe anytime. We never sell or share your address.