California Wildlands Grassroots Fund Grant

The California Wildlands Grassroots Fund Grant supports grassroots activists working to preserve California's wildlands and natural habitats. With a maximum award of $10,000, the fund prioritizes projects focused on conservation, environmental advocacy, and community engagement. Eligible applicants include nonprofits and fiscally sponsored individuals with annual incomes of $200,000 or less. The grant aims to empower communities, particularly in rural areas, to advocate for wildlands protection and biodiversity conservation.

NOTE: Cal Wildands will accept applications at any time. Funding decisions are made on a quarterly basis. If you’d like to submit your application in time for a specific quarterly review, then please turn in applications by 5 pm PST on the following days:

• February 17- Spring Applications DueMay 15- Summer Applications DueAugust 17- Fall Applications DueOctober  28- Winter Applications Due
• If the deadline falls on a holiday or weekend, then applications will be due the next business day at 5 pm.
• About the Fund

The California Wildlands Grassroots Fund (Cal Wildlands) supports the heroic efforts of grassroots activists to preserve California’s wildlands and natural habitat.
The Fund champion’s conservationists advocating for the permanent protection, including restoration and stewardship, of intact wildlands on both public and private lands, to help preserve California’s wilderness and native biological diversity. This includes policy advocacy, litigation and regulatory watchdogging at the local, state and federal levels; efforts to advance wildlands and open space protection through county general plans and local planning; as well as direct stewardship and maintenance of intact wild areas.
Issues and Activities We Support
Projects that protect and preserve wildlands and open space, or support the good stewardship, restoration and management of wild areas.Cal Wildlands defines “wildlands” as natural habitats, privately or publicly owned, that are (or have the potential to be) permanently preserved through legislation or deed restrictions, and are on a scale necessary to support significant native plant and animal life.Projects in urban or suburban settings, must feature connectivity to larger protected areas and/or be located along critical wildlife corridors.Activities such as grassroots organizing and outreach; communications campaigns; regulatory advocacy; lawsuits; wildlands restoration and stewardship (including trail maintenance); scientific research; organizational capacity building and equipment purchases.Environmental education programs must include a strong element of environmental advocacy to be considered.
Priority Areas
Community-based advocacy and organizing efforts steered by affected community members.Efforts predominantly driven and staffed by volunteers.Projects in areas that have not received significant foundation support, including rural communities.Projects that build diverse constituencies for wildlands protection and engage non-traditional stakeholders, especially communities of color.Project-specific requests, though general support requests will be accepted from strong organizations whose work is well aligned with the fund’s objectives.Projects that will establish or combat a critical precedent that will influence other wildlands protection efforts.
Duration of Support and Grant Size
Maximum grant award is $10,000, and typical grants range between $4,000-$8,000.If your organization’s actual annual income and expenses are $30,000 or less, we strongly encourage you to request a grant of $5,000 or less.Organizations seeking the maximum grant size of $10,000 must be able to articulate a clear project and budget that justifies the full grant.Grants are for a one year period.

Eligibility

Applicant Criteria Annual actual expenses and income of $200,000 or less.Applicants may be a nonprofit, or an individual/organization fiscally sponsored by a nonprofit.Project impact must be within the state of California.Organizations whose proposals are rejected may re-apply at the next funding cycle.Organizations that are funded may re-apply after one year if their report form has been submitted and accepted.

Ineligibility

Not Eligible for Support Lobbying activities as defined by IRS 501(c)(3).Beach clean-ups.Film or video production or completion, although we will fund outreach or communications strategies that use films or videos as advocacy and organizing tools.