Deadline: 15-May-21
Applications are now open for the California Wildlands Grassroots Fund Program.
California is blessed with tremendous natural beauty, biological diversity and economic opportunity. Yet, their remaining wildland heritage is in jeopardy from poorly managed growth and development. Californians have long recognized the importance of preserving their spectacular and precious wildlands. The California Wildlands Grassroots Fund (Cal Wildlands) was established to support the heroic efforts of activists to preserve California’s wildlands.
Funding Priorities
- Requests for discrete, project-specific support in which both the site and strategy are concrete and specific, e.g., saving the River Styx from hydroelectric development by getting stakeholders and community members to a hearing in Sacramento. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, they are fully accepting general support proposals from organizations whose overall work aligns with the fund’s objectives.
- Geographic or issue areas that have not received significant financial support in the past, including rural communities and other regions without easy access to financial and political support.
- Community-based advocacy and organizing efforts in which the campaign/project is steered by affected community members and interest groups.
- Effort is predominantly driven and staffed by volunteers.
- Project will establish or combat a critical precedent that will influence other wildlands protection efforts.
- Innovative strategies.
- Project outreach and organizing target non-traditional stakeholders and interest groups.
Funding Information
- Typical grants range between $2,500-$6,000.
- Maximum grant is $7,500.
- If your organization’s actual annual income and expenses are $30,000 or less, they strongly encourage you to request a grant of $5000 or less.
- If your organization’s actual annual income and expenses are between $50,000-$150,000, you may request up to $7,500.
- Organizations seeking the maximum grant size of $7,500 must be able to articulate a clear project and budget that justifies the full grant.
What they Support?
- The strategies they support include, but are not limited to the following: Grassroots organizing; organizational capacity building; participation in public meetings and hearing; public education; communications; legislative and regulatory advocacy; media campaigns; lawsuits; listing petitions; conferences and meetings; skills and leadership trainings; restoration and trail maintenance; scientific research, including citizen science; coalition building; and developing partnerships with government agencies, private entities, nonprofit organizations, and communities.
- The activities they support include, but are not limited to the following: Communications campaigns (including mailings, web-based communications and social media, paid advertising, etc.); strategic campaign planning and implementation; advocacy-related travel or other expenses; research; hiring technical, legal, or scientific experts or consultants; equipment purchase or rental; training; conferences; retreats; monitoring; mapping; and restoration and trail maintenance.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to apply to the California Wildlands Grassroots Fund, you must be able to answer yes to the following eligibility requirements/questions:
- Are you and your organization based in California? If you think your organization meets the intent of this requirement even though you or your organization’s mailing address are located outside California, please explain why your organization qualifies for funding. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis
- Were your organization’s actual annual expenses $150,000 or less last year? Was your actual annual income $150,000 or less last year?
- Does your organization have a 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service, or is it a sponsored project of a 501(c)(3) organization?
- If you are an individual, are you affiliated with a 501(c)(3) organization?
- Is your funding requested $7,500 or less?
- If you have received a grant from Cal Wildlands in the past, has it been 12 months since you last applied?
- If you have received a grant from Cal Wildlands in the past, have you reported on your previous grant?
If you answer NO to any of these questions, you will not qualify for a grant from the California Wildlands Grassroots Fund.
For more information, visit https://rosefdn.org/calwildlands