Coastal Conservancy Technical Assistance Program

The Coastal Conservancy authorizes grants that fund projects to protect and restore the California coast, expand public access to it, and enhance the resilience of the coast to climate change.  We offer Technical Assistance to help communities implement projects that will achieve our shared goals. The Technical Assistance Program aims to help people understand our grant program and develop competitive applications for funding.

Through our Technical Assistance program, we offer advice and guidance on a number of project-related topics including:

Grant Support	Coordination and Engagement	Coastal Habitat Restoration	Public Access	Climate Change	Tribal Support
Project Scoping	Partnership Development	Coastal Wetlands	Trails and Accessways	Wildfire Resilience	Land Return
Scoping and Budget Review	Community Engagement	Dunes	Accessibility Guidance	Living Shorelines	Tribal Land Management
Grant Award Requirements	Tribal Engagement	Creeks and Rivers	Lower Cost Coastal Accommodations	Nature-based Adaptation	Good Fire
Invoicing Support	Workforce Development	Land Acquisition and Easements	Outdoor Education		Coastal Cultural Program
	Permitting

Please review the steps and resources below and apply for Technical Assistance at the link here.

Step 1: Start with an idea for a project

• All projects start with an idea.  If you are in the early stages of developing your project, we encourage you to apply for support through this Technical Assistance Program.  This is a voluntary program, and you are welcome to submit a pre-application without Technical Assistance.
• Does the Conservancy fund the type of project you are developing? Review the Conservancy’s Strategic Plan, which clearly outlines the types of projects we fund.
• Before deciding to write a pre-application, review the Conservancy’s Grants page to understand what it takes to apply for and receive a Conservancy grant.
• Our main source of funding right now is the 2024 Climate Bond (Prop 4). To understand the priorities of the Bond and the Conservancy’s Prop 4 funding, please review the webinars and materials on the Resources for Accessing 2024 Climate Bond (Prop 4) Funding page on our website.
• Sign up for the Conservancy Mailing List to be notified of upcoming webinars and scheduled grant rounds.

Step 2: Writing a competitive application

Following your initial Technical Assistance consultation, the next step is to develop a grant application. The majority of the Conservancy’s funding is awarded through a rolling pre-application solicitation that uses a two-step application process; first, submit a brief pre-application. If your project seems like a good fit, you will be invited to develop a full application.  To write a competitive pre-application and, if asked, full application, please review the resources below.

• Conservancy Project Selection Criteria – these are how we evaluate and prioritize projects
• Conservancy Strategic Plan – all project selected for funding must align with the goals and objectives of our strategic plan
• Recording of Conservancy webinar on grant writing skills – this webinar aims to help applicants write effective grant proposals.

Prioritizing equity is the first goal in the Conservancy’s Strategic Plan. We encourage you to review the resources below when developing your application and throughout your project to build equity into your project’s design, delivery, and outcomes.

• Tips for Meaningful Community Engagement
• • Incorporating Successful Community Engagement Examples
• Inclusive Interpretive Materials Guidelines
• Tips for Equitable Workforce Development in Environmental Conservation Projects
  • Webinar recording on Workforce Development, with of SF Recreation and Parks Department, SF Office of Economic and Workforce Development, and A. Phillip Randolph Institute
• In 2023, the San Francisco Estuary Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program lead the development of Best Practices for Tribal Engagement. This document aims to give helpful guidance to meaningfully engage with Tribes.

After reviewing your application, Conservancy staff will inform you if your project will be recommended for funding.  If your project will be recommended, Conservancy staff will present your project to our Board at a public meeting.

Step 3: Managing your grant

After being awarded a grant, you should review the following:

• Resources for Grantees page
• The Grantee Manual

Following each Board meeting, the Conservancy hosts an onboarding webinar for new grantees.  After your grant funding has been approved by the Board, you will be invited to one of these webinars. A recording of a Grantee Onboarding webinar from April 2025 can be found here.

The Conservancy created guidance videos broken down by each step of your Conservancy grant. You can find them here. We also created a flow chart visualizing these steps here.Other resourcesThe Conservancy provides a range of services to support our partners throughout the life of their projects. Conservancy staff can often provide assistance directly.  Occasionally, we can make consultants that we have under contract for specific, technical needs available to grantees at no cost.

Stay in regular contact with your Conservancy Project Manager to keep them updated on your project’s progress and any unforeseen challenges.

Materials in Spanish/ Recursos y Documentos en EspañolSeveral of the Conservancy’s key documents are available in Spanish here:Recursos y Documentos en EspañolLa agencia estatal para la Conservación de la Costa (Coastal Conservancy) está al servicio de todos los californianos. La mayor parte de la información y los materiales de nuestro sitio web están escritos en inglés, lo que no refleja la diversidad lingüística de nuestro estado. Para obtener información en otros idiomas distintos del inglés, póngase en contacto con taylor.samuelson@scc.ca.gov