Environmental Champions Grant Program is a grant from San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) that funds 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations focused on community-based environmental education and enhancement in San Diego County and southern Orange County. For more than a decade, SDG&E has invested in grantees demonstrating leadership in environmental engagement and climate literacy.

The program prioritizes low-income and under-resourced communities, supporting projects including community gardens, habitat restoration, school gardens, and tree planting programs. In 2024, more than 30 organizations received close to $1 million in shareholder-funded grants.

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SDG&E Environmental Champions 2024 Grant Recipients SDG&E’s Environmental Champions initiative supports 501(c)3 non-profit organizations whose programs work to improve our local environment in San Diego County and southern Orange County. SDG&E has offered charitable funding under this signature initiative for more than a decade, supporting organizations who have demonstrated leadership in environmental engagement and climate literacy.

SDG&E is proud to announce the 2024 recipients of its Environmental Champions grant initiative. This year, 30+ organizations will receive close to $1M in shareholder-funded grants to advance their efforts in support of community gardens, habitat restoration, school gardens and tree planting programs in low-income and under-resourced communities.

Linda Vista Community Garden The Linda Vista Community Garden is the first of its kind community garden installed at a City of San Diego park and grant funding will support final installation costs as well as operations and garden workshops.

Botanical Community Development Initiatives Community Roots Nursery Free Seedling Initiative The Community Roots Nursery Free Seedling Initiative includes expanded cultivation and distribution of native and edible plants to schools, food justice programs and greening efforts across San Diego County.

Garden 31 Community Initiative Inc. Funding will allow Garden 31 to strengthen its farm training and agro-business program serving opportunity youth, while making produce available through the Foodshed Cooperative to underserved communities. Global Action Research Center In partnership with Berry Good Food Foundation, this program will provide resources, including raised garden beds and workshops to Southeast San Diego communities.

Activating the Market Street Urban Garden Grant funding will allow Project New Village, together with Treedom Cooperative, to transform a vacant lot in Southeastern San Diego into a greenspace dedicated to advancing climate justice and food sovereignty.

Growing Greener Together tackles food insecurity and environmental restoration by creating an educational community garden, food forest and native plant habitats at S&S Friendly Ranch in the Tijuana River Valley.

Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Outdoor Action is a comprehensive program in partnership with Wildcoast aimed at enhancing the Agua Hedionda Lagoon ecosystem through community-driven habitat restoration, monitoring programs and public education.

California State Parks Foundation State Park Stewardship in San Diego County California State Parks Foundation's Park Stewardship Program will support volunteer workdays at Palomar Mountain State Park, where volunteers will focus on habitat restoration activities and maintenance of the historic apple orchard.

Earth Discovery Institute El Monte Cactus Scrub Restoration Enhancement This project aims to support a 15-acre cactus scrub restoration effort in El Monte Preserve in Lakeside by creating habitat and enhancing climate resilience on site.

Fallbrook Land Conservancy Appleton Preserve Restoration and Community Access Project Funds will support habitat restoration, native planting and the creation of a community trail through Apppleton Preserve in Fallbrook.

Native Ecosystems: Weed-Free, Fire-Resilient, increasing the water-table The Regenerative Native Ecosystems Initiative aims to enhance environmental education and stewardship at Paradise Tribal Farm, empowering to cultivate knowledge through indigenous wisdom.

Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation, Inc. MTRP Foundation Eco Ambassadors and Environmental Stewardship The Eco Ambassadors program invites cohorts of teens to participate in an 8-week program, using Mission Trails Regional Park as their living laboratory to explore careers and learn habitat restoration skills.

Paradise Landfill Habitat Restoration This project will build fencing and create a dedicated path to enhance Paradise Hills Native Garden while preventing the spread of highly invasive plants into restored areas. City Heights Community Canyon Resilience This project focused on strategic habitat restoration and invasive species management in Olivia Canyon, contributing to urban greening, fire resilience and a workforce training pipeline.

San Diego River Park Foundation Climate Action in Linda Vista/Mission Valley This project aims to bolster climate resilience for the San Diego River ecosystem and improve climate equity for the surrounding community by partnering with the YMCA's Mission Valley campus to remove invasives and plant trees as well as a pollinator garden.

U C San Diego Foundation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Sunflower Sea Star Restoration Program Grant funding will support Birch Aquarium to bring back the Sunflower Sea Star from the brink of extinction through spawning, workforce development and public education about the importance of this species to balance the marine ecosystem and bring back kelp forests.

Border Field State Park Natural Habitat Restoration This project aims to restore and enhance the natural habitat of native plants and animals in Borderfield State Park, utilizing corpsmembers to provide maintenance and restoration while teaching them job skills.

Barrio Botany (fiscal agent: Leah's Pantry) Thriving 30 School Garden Equity Initiative The Thriving 30 School Garden Equity Initiative will convene a diverse network of stakeholders to provide garden development and education programming to urban schools in the Promise Zone and surrounding communities.

Escondido Pollinator + Indigenous Plant School Gardens Nature Collective will work with Escondido Union School District to create vital urban green spaces by establishing and expanding it pollinator gardens at three elementary school campuses.

San Diego Children and Nature Collaborative Urban Greening with Native Plant Gardens Funding will allow SD Children and Nature to advance Phase 2 of an environmental literacy program by installing three pollinator gardens at schools in South County and Lemon Grove and one community garden in Imperial Beach.

Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association (ABDNHA) Trees for Desert Living is a project in Borrego Springs offering residents free trees combined with workshops as well as public education through enhanced planting and interpretation at the ABDNHA Desert Garden.

Urban Greening Solutions for Traffic Calming This project will develop an urban greening traffic calming toolkit and report, as well as engage communities by integrating tree needs assessment into walk audits.

Community Urban Agroforestry Project The Community Urban Agroforestry Project at Coastal Roots Farm includes the annual Food Forest Festival tree planting and giveaway event, as well as a series of tree maintenance workshops and the enhancement of on-site food forest through planting of 40+ more fruit trees.

Downtown San Diego Public Spaces Foundation Grow Urban Tree Planting Campaign The Downtown Partnership's Grow Urban Program will plant street trees and provide ongoing watering and maintenance in the city's urban core.

Balboa Park Tree Planting Initiative Forever Balboa Park will continue its Plant it Forward initiative, planting trees in Balboa Park and creating awareness on the importance of trees with park visitors through events like Arbor Day.

Healthy Communities Fruit Tree Program The Healthy Communities Fruit Tree Program donates and plants fruit trees at school and community gardens in San Diego's underserved neighborhoods to alleviate food insecurity and improve quality of life.

Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center Olivewood-Grown for the Community This project will expand Olivewood's capacity to produce food for their community by planting 100 fruit trees and building a new greenhouse to support National School District's 10 school gardens.

San Diego Parks Foundation Tree Planting in City Parks Funds will be used to support San Diego Parks Foundation's citywide tree planting project, ensuring a safe, inviting and sustainable urban forest by planting 150+ trees in city parks. This program will distribute trees in underserved neighborhoods and utilize Treejectory workforce development program to give participants hands on experience in the sector.

Volcan Mountain Foundation Volcan Mountain Foundation Forest and Conservation Project Volcan Mountain Foundation will use fund to implement conservation and habitat management practices, including the planting of 150 conifers and hardwood trees to enhance wildfire resilience and preserve forest-dependent species.