Climate Ready and Resilience Grants (California Coastal Conservancy)

Climate Ready and Resilience Grants (California Coastal Conservancy) is sponsored by California State Coastal Conservancy. Funds projects that enhance the resilience of the California coast to climate change, including nature-based solutions for sea-level rise and coastal watershed protection.

Coastal Conservancy Grants – California State Coastal Conservancy California State Coastal Conservancy Accomplishments & Annual Reports Regional & Statewide Plans - Reference to tribal relations page - Explore the River (link) Protect and Restore the Coast - Nature Based climate adaptation Project Selection Criteria Coastal Access Project Standards Recursos y Documentos en Español Information in languages other than English Coastal Access Project Standards Conservancy Projects Page Our Board Meeting Archive Project Selection Criteria CNRA Prop 4 Accountability Page Coastal Conservancy Grants 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.

Information on how to access our funding from the 2024 Climate Bond (Prop 4) is here. Most Conservancy grants are awarded through a rolling pre-application solicitation. This includes Climate Ready, Wildfire Resilience, and all regional grant programs.

Explore the Coast, Coastal Stories, and some other grant programs are NOT awarded through this rolling process. See Scheduled Grant Rounds section below for information on those grant rounds. We encourage potential applicants to review our Technical Assistance Resources before starting their application.

Recursos en Español a l final de la página. Application Guidance and Documents In March 2025, the Coastal Conservancy held a webinar about funding opportunities from the 2024 Climate Bond (Prop 4). A recording of the webinar can be found here.

Slides from the webinar can be found here. Further information on accessing funding from the 2024 Climate Bond can be found here. In September 2023, The Conservancy hosted a webinar on how to access our funding.

A recording on the webinar can be found here. Slides from the webinar are here. A Q&A document from the webinar is here , and the chat transcript is here.

We have compiled technical assistance resources for applying for and managing grants here. Grant Pre-Application (Word download) Grant Application (Word download) *The links above will initiate downloads of Microsoft Word files. Check your “Downloads” folder to locate them on your computer.

If you don’t have Microsoft Word, we recommend downloading the files then opening them in a free program like Google Docs. When your application is complete, save it as a Word doc before sending to us.

* The application is a two-step process, though all applicants are encouraged to request a technical assistance consultation with the Regional Manager covering your project area to discuss project eligibility before beginning the application process. The first step in the application process is to submit a pre-application.

If the Conservancy determines the project is priority for funding, based on Eligibility and Project Selection Criteria ( found here ), and there is available Conservancy funding for the project, applicants will be invited to submit a full application. Applicants may be asked to provide more information at the pre-application stage to determine whether the project is a priority for funding.

In May 2023, the Conservancy participated in a webinar with the EPA, NOAA, and the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority on accessing federal, state, and regional funding. A recording of the webinar can be found here . Diagram of Application Process following the Pre-Proposal Stage The Regional Managers are: North Coast (Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, coastal Sonoma, and coastal Marin counties) Joel Gerwein – joel.

gerwein (at) scc. ca. gov San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, bayside Marin, bayside Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, and bayside San Mateo counties) Jessica Davenport – jessica.

davenport (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 Rodrigo Garcia – rodrigo.

garcia (at) scc. ca. gov for inquiries about the Santa Ana River 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.

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 do not fund operation and maintenance activities.

The Conservancy uses Project Selection Criteria to communicate priorities to potential applicants and project partners, to evaluate grant applications, and to select projects for funding. Multi-benefit projects, projects that serve disadvantaged communities, and projects that advance the objectives in our 2023 – 2027 Strategic Plan and regional and statewide plans will receive higher priority for funding.

If you have an urban greening project, please direct your project idea to the California Natural Resources Agency, which has significant funds dedicated for urban greening. CNRA’s solicitation timeline is still TBD, so consider registering for Bonds & Grants announcements at the following link to stay updated on all funding opportunities, including the Urban Greening Program.

For more information about projects funded by the Conservancy, please visit: The Conservancy Project Page Our Board Meeting Archive Project Selection Criteria Coastal Access Project Standards The California Natural Resources Agency maintains a website showing how Climate Bond funding is being allocated. Funding can also be viewed by agency and program here .

Who is Eligible for Funding The Conservancy can make grants to: Public Agencies, including Joint Power Authorities and Federally-Recognized Indian Tribes Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status Other community-based organizations and non-federally-recognized tribes may apply with a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor There are no maximum or minimum grant amounts for this funding; however, it is anticipated that most grants will be between $200,000 and $5,000,000.

(Exception: $100,000 is the maximum amount for the Conservancy’s Explore the Coast Grants.)

Resources for Grantees page September 2023 Webinar on Applying for Grants California State Agency Climate Adaptation Planning Grants Matrix Questions and Answers on the Grant Application Process, 2023 Questions and Answers on the Grant Application Process, 2022 Pre-Proposal Application (Word Download) Grant Application (Word Download) 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. Presolicitud de Subvención (descarga de Word) Guía de Solicitud de Subvenciones Haga clic aquí para el sitio web con recursos y documentos en español California has a statewide grants portal ( grants.

ca. gov ) where applicants can search all California state grants.