Community Impact Grants

Community Impact Grants is sponsored by Community Foundation for Monterey County. Grants to nonprofit organizations and public agencies serving Monterey County residents to support community development, environment, animal welfare, and arts programs.

Impact | Community Foundation for Monterey County CFMC seeks to support funding requests that address the area’s greatest needs resulting in demonstrable impact. Approximately $2. 6 million will be awarded annually.

Below are related materials to our Grant Information Session, which reviews updates to our Impact (including Small) and Organizational Development grant programs. Read the respective grant guidelines, watch the overview video and/or review the presentation slides below. Impact grants, requesting up to $50,000, are due March 20, 2026 by 11:59 p.

m. or earlier. Grant Amount Decision Impact Grants $20,001 - $50,000 End of June Small Grants $10,000 - $20,000 End of April, August and December Frequently Asked Questions 2026 Information Session Presentation Slides Impact Grant Application Questions Evaluation Clinic Presentation Slides Impact Grant Guidelines 2026 Impact grants ($20,001 - $50,000) These grants typically fund programs larger in scope and scale.

Successful applicants will demonstrate a track record of effectiveness and the capacity to articulate and measure impact. The CFMC expects to fund grants with an average grant size of $45,000. These applications are reviewed by grant committees that carefully review proposals and recommend a slate of grants to the CFMC board, which has final authority in all grant decisions.

Grant Amount $20,001 - $50,000 By 11:59 p. m.

Due Date or Earlier March 20, 2026 Scope & Characteristics - Countywide or larger scope - Impact on complex issues - Organizations with strong track record of effectiveness Application & Reporting Annual report required Review Committee review Decisions End of June Small grants (previously known as Opportunity grants) ($10,000 - $20,000) While still following the Impact guidelines , these smaller grants are intended for first-time Impact applicants, smaller organizations, or programs serving a specific population or geographic area.

Small grants have a streamlined application and reporting process, and grants are reviewed and recommended by a group of senior foundation staff. Apply using the online Impact grant application. Grant Amount $10,000 - $20,000 By 11:59 p.

m. Due Date or Earlier Feb. 27, June 30, and Oct.

30 Scope & Characteristics - Limited size & scope - Serve specific community - Smaller organizations - First-time Impact applicants Application & Reporting Annual report required Review Staff review Decisions By the end of April, August and December The CFMC receives far more requests than is possible to fund. Typically, the CFMC can only approve one third of requests and must decline many worthwhile proposals.

The CFMC seeks to fund proposals that: Address the county's greatest needs resulting in demonstrable impact; Articulate vision, effective methods and viable plans for maintaining ongoing efforts; and Demonstrate community support, capable leadership and knowledge of, and engagement with the community. Impact grants are open to 501(c)3* nonprofit organizations and public agencies serving Monterey County residents.

All requested funding must directly benefit residents of Monterey County. All organizations applying for a grant must be current on reporting obligations for past CFMC grants. Only one Impact grant per organization will be awarded annually, unless the grant is for a multi-organization collaborative project.

Please contact us if your organization has not yet received its nonprofit status and plans to apply in conjunction with a fiscal sponsor . *Organizations or collaborative projects that are not legally incorporated may partner with a tax-exempt, 501(c)3 organization which will serve as the fiscal sponsor for the proposed grant.

The fiscal sponsor must agree to be accountable to the CFMC for the programmatic and financial outcomes of the grant and have a signed agreement with the sponsored group verifying the terms of the arrangement.

Grant funds cannot be used for the following types of activities: Activities that are non-secular or promote a religious doctrine Funding to K-12 schools and public agencies that would supplant tax-supported, mandated services or for the acquisition or renovation of equipment and facilities Fundraising campaigns or fundraising events Creation of, or addition to, an endowment fund Payment of debt or legal settlements Political or partisan purposes Expenses incurred prior to the grant award date The CFMC does not support organizations that discriminate in their employment practices, volunteer opportunities, or delivery of programs and services on the basis of race, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by law.

Capital Support We support capital costs (buildings and facilities) when those capital improvements have the potential to advance greater social benefit. Capital support will be considered for predevelopment expenses and/or for construction costs after the agency has raised at least half of the goal.

Operating Support We may provide unrestricted operating grants to organizations that have a proven track record of community benefit in Monterey County. Organizations must have a base of operations in Monterey County and a positive and stable history. Program The CFMC considers all expense needs associated with implementing services to produce meaningful results and in carrying out a nonprofit’s mission.

Applications requesting program support estimate how grant funds would be used in a program budget. Funding is provided for ongoing and expanded programs that show the promise of efficacy and sustainability. Strong applications include Evaluation Plans with a few measurable goals which will demonstrate progress towards the program’s broader outcomes.

Impact grants typically cover a period of 12 months. Multi-year proposals are invited based on recent outcomes with CFMC grants. An evaluation report is due 12 months after you have been awarded an Impact Grant.

Complete the report in our Online Grants Manager. The evaluation report describes how the grant was used, the impact it had on your organization and community, and what you have learned. More information on the grants awarded can be found below.

Organization Purpose Amount Awarded Alliance on Aging Operating support $50,000 Arts Council for Monterey County Operating support $90,000 Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County Operating support (two-year) $90,000 Bright Futures for Monterey County CalKIDS Interns (two-year) $60,000 Brighter Bites Equitable Food Access Monterey County (two-year) $100,000 Carmel Bach Festival Music Education and Year-round public performances $12,000 Carmel Foundation Operating support (two-year) $40,000 CASA of Monterey County Operating support $35,000 Center for Land-Based Learning Monterey County FARMS Program $15,000 Central Coast VNA & Hospice Monterey County's Clinical Workforce $25,000 Central Coast YMCA Youth programming in Monterey County (two-year) $90,000 City of Greenfield: Greenfield Community Science Workshop CSW & Teacher Professional Development (two-year) $70,000 City of Monterey Museums and Cultural Arts Monterey Mural Restoration (two-year) $100,000 Coastal Kids Home Care Home/mental health care for Monterey County children $25,000 Community Human Services Shuman HeartHouse (two-year) $100,000 Community Partnership for Youth Afterschool Mentor-Tutor Program (two-year) $40,000 Dentistry 4 Vets Increasing access to comprehensive, long-term, emergency dental care for veterans $20,000 El Pajaro Community Development Corporation Supporting Monterey County Entrepreneurs (two-year) $90,000 Epicenter of Monterey Drop-In Services $50,000 Everyone's Harvest Operating support (two-year) $80,000 Family Service Agency of the Central Coast Suicide Prevention Service in Monterey County $30,000 Girls Inc. of the Central Coast After-school programs in the Salinas Valley (two-year) $90,000 Independent Transportation Network Monterey County Operating support (two-year) $90,000 Interim, Inc. Supported Education and Employment Services $30,000 International Bird Rescue Avian Rehabilitation efforts in Monterey County $5,000 Legal Services for Seniors Operating support $30,000 Marine Life Studies STEM Marine Science Access for North County & Salinas Youth $19,600 Marine Mammal Center Operating support Monterey County (two-year) $100,000 Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula Operating support (two-year) $70,000 Meals on Wheels of the Salinas Valley Home-Delivered Meal Program (two-year) $70,000 MEarth Environmental Education $20,000 Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation Ocean in Motion exhibition (two-year) $100,000 Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust Local Seafood for Local Communities $20,000 Monterey Museum of Art Art for All: Free Museum Access $20,000 Monterey Peninsula College Foundation Emergency Assistance Program $40,000 Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Museum outreach $20,000 Natividad Medical Foundation Access to care and HIV/AIDS housing (two-year) $130,000 Palenke Arts Operating support $50,000 Partners For Peace Operating support (two-year) $90,000 Point Lobos Foundation Operating support (two-year) $80,000 Regeneración – Pajaro Valley Climate Action Air quality improvements in North Monterey County $15,000 Rising International Rising Safe & Sound in Monterey County $25,000 Salinas Regional Sports Authority Salinas Regional Soccer Complex $50,000 Salinas Valley Health Foundation Equitable access to essential healthcare $30,000 SPCA of Monterey County Sewer Infrastructure Project (two-year) $100,000 Sun Street Centers Operating support (two-year) $80,000 The Diversity Center Affirming and empowering LGBTQ+ youth in Monterey County $25,000 Eat REAL Eat Real Certification in Monterey County (two-year) $90,000 University Corporation at Monterey Bay OtterCare Basic Needs Hub $20,000 Valley Health Associates Operating support $20,000 Ventana Wildlife Society Species Recovery & Enviornmental/Outdoor Education (two-year) $80,000 Watsonville Wetlands Watch Environmental education and stewardship in North Monterey County (two-year) $40,000 YWCA of Monterey County Therapy $30,000 The goal of the Impact grants program is to address critical issues that advance CFMC’s mission and vision.

The grant committee, composed of board members, reviews the larger grant proposals (requesting over $20,000) and makes recommendations. These dedicated volunteers have opened up the grantmaking process to be truly community-driven and allow us to leverage the expertise of a larger group.

Staff’s role focuses on assisting grant seekers, staying in touch with nonprofit organizations and community issues, screening applications for completeness, and facilitating information between the grant committees and applicants.

2026 Grant Committee Members Romero Jalomo (Chair), Deneen Guss, Elsa Jimenez (CFMC Board Chair), Monica Lal, Kathleen Lee, Adriana Melgoza, Rene Mendez, Larry Oda Funding for the Impact Grants Program comes from a variety of field of interest and unrestricted funds managed by the CFMC.

These funds are all endowed, meaning that the amount of funding available for application-based grants is dependent on market performance in a given year. Field of interest funds are established by donors who are interested in supporting a given area, such as education, health, culture, the environment, and or seniors. Donors also may limit grantmaking from their fund to a geographic area and/or client population.

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