Coastal Conservancy Grants
Grants
Each year, the Coastal Conservancy issues tens of millions of dollars in grants to non-profit organizations, public agencies, and federally-recognized tribes for projects that restore and protect the California coast, increase public access to it, and increase communities’ resilience to climate change. Grants are awarded through a standing pre-proposal solicitation and through scheduled grant rounds with specific submission deadlines. Information on the grant application and award process can be found here.
The first step in determining whether your project is eligible for Conservancy funding is to get in touch with the Regional Manager for your project area. The Regional Manager can give early feedback and help guide your project through the submittal process and can let you know which of the grant programs below could work best for your project.
The Regional Managers are:
North Coast (Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, coastal Sonoma, and coastal Marin counties)
- Karyn Gear – karyn.gear (at) scc.ca.gov
San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, bayside Marin, bayside Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, and bayside San Mateo counties)
- Moira McEnespy – moira.mcenespy (at) scc.ca.gov
Central Coast (Coastal San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties)
- Trish Chapman – trish.chapman (at) scc.ca.gov
South Coast (Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties, as well as Riverside and San Bernardino for the Santa Ana River Conservancy)
- Megan Cooper – megan.cooper (at) scc.ca.gov
- Greg Gauthier – greg.gauthier (at) scc.ca.gov for inquiries about the Santa Ana River
Ongoing Funding Opportunities
The Coastal Conservancy accepts grant applications on an ongoing basis for projects that benefit public access, natural resources, working lands, and climate resiliency on the California coast.
To find out how to access our ongoing funding opportunities for your project, please contact the Regional Managers above.
After contacting a Regional Manager, if your project is eligible for Conservancy funding, you will either be asked to fill out a pre-proposal application (approx. 3 pages) or advised to apply during one of our scheduled grant rounds (see below).
- Pre-proposal Application
- Full Proposal Instructions (fill out only if requested, after pre-proposal stage)
- Full Proposal Application (fill out only if requested, after pre-proposal stage)
The pre-proposal for the Explore the Coast Overnight program can be found here.
Scheduled Grant Rounds
The Conservancy also holds periodic grant rounds related to specific programs or fund sources. Information on those grant rounds and their deadlines are be posted on this page when they are open. You can also sign up to be notified of scheduled grant rounds by registering for our mailing list at this link.
- Explore the Coast Overnight Preproposals Due April 30, 2021
- Proposition 68 San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program Climate Adaptation Funds, rolling pre-applications will be accepted from January 1, 2021
What We Fund
The Coastal Conservancy funds a wide variety of projects along the California coast, San Francisco Bay, and in coastal watersheds to increase availability of beaches, parks and trails for the public, protect and restore natural lands and wildlife habitat, preserve working lands, and increase community resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Our jurisdiction runs the length of the California coast and includes the San Francisco Bay, the Santa Ana River corridor and coastal watersheds. It is almost 50,000 square miles — approximately 30% of California’s area — and is home to 75% of the state’s population.
Projects that achieve multiple objectives will receive higher priority for funding. Projects that serve disadvantaged communities, as defined by the funding source, will also receive higher priority for funding.
The Conservancy will fund most stages of a project including: pre-project feasibility studies, property acquisition, project planning including community involvement, design, environmental review, permitting, construction, and project-related monitoring. We typically do not fund operation and maintenance activities.
For more information about projects funded by the Conservancy, please visit:
Who is Eligible for Funding
The Conservancy can make grants to government agencies (federal, state, local, and special districts), federally-recognized tribes, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with purposes consistent with Division 21 of the Public Resources Code.
Grant Amounts
There are no established minimum or maximum grant amounts for most Conservancy programs. The Coastal Conservancy will base the size of awards on project needs, benefits and competing demands for existing funding. (Exception: $50,000 is the maximum amount for the Conservancy’s Explore the Coast Grants.)
Reference Documents
- Resources for Grantees page
- Pre-proposal application
- Full Proposal instructions
- Full Proposal Application (fill out only if requested, after pre-proposal stage)
- Nonprofit questionnaire (please download before filling in)
- Request for Disbursement Form (and RFD instructions). The RFD form is also available as a downloadable spreadsheet here. Either version is fine to use.
- Pre-proposal for Explore the Coast Overnight
- Proposition 68 Grant Guidelines
- Proposition 68 Grant Guidelines for the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program Climate Adaptation Funds (“Prop 68 SF Bay Climate Funds”)
California has a statewide grants portal (grants.ca.gov) where applicants can search all California state grants.
Grant News
- Grant Opportunity: FOREST HEALTH & WILDFIRE RESILIENCE PROGRAMIntent The Conservancy’s Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Program will fund approximately $12 million in grants for ready-to-implement projects that reduce the risk of wildfire on public and protected lands. There are no maximum or minimum grant amounts for this funding. Eligible Applicants Public Agencies Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status Federally-Recognized Indian Tribes Eligible […] (Read more on Grant Opportunity: FOREST...)
- Public Input Period: Updating the Project Selection CriteriaThe Coastal Conservancy is updating its project selection criteria and we are asking for public comments on the proposed new criteria. The draft proposed criteria are here. There will be a webinar to discuss the proposed criteria on April 16 at 10:00, to register, click here. If you would like to send in comments, you […] (Read more on Public Input Period:...)
- Explore the Coast Overnight Program Project Preproposal SolicitationThe California State Coastal Conservancy announces the Explore the Coast Overnight project pre-proposal solicitation. The Explore the Coast Overnight Program aims to expand opportunities for all Californians to stay overnight and experience the coast. Through this program the Conservancy is now soliciting preproposals for planning, design, permitting, and construction of lower-cost coastal accommodation projects using […] (Read more on Explore the Coast...)


