WHALE TAIL Grants Program

WHALE TAIL Grants Program

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: California Coastal Commission
Amount: Up to US $50,000
Last Updated: September 26, 2025

Summary

The WHALE TAIL Grants Program, managed by the California Coastal Commission, supports initiatives that engage children and the public with California's coast and watersheds through hands-on education and stewardship. Projects focused on climate change impacts, beach maintenance, and habitat restoration with an educational element are encouraged. The program aims to serve underrepresented communities, ensuring a diverse geographical reach across California, thus promoting environmental awareness and coastal conservation.

Overview

The California Coastal Commission’s WHALE TAIL® Grants Program funds projects that connect children and the general public to the California Coast and its watersheds through experiential education, stewardship, and outdoor experiences. Education and stewardship projects relating to climate change as it impacts the coast and ocean are eligible and encouraged. Adopt-A- Beach® programs, as well as other beach maintenance and coastal habitat restoration projects that have an educational component, are also eligible for the grants. WHALE TAIL® Grants focus on reaching communities that have historically received fewer marine education and stewardship opportunities, and strive for a broad geographic distribution throughout California. Background The California Coastal Commission started the WHALE TAIL® Competitive Grants Program in 1998 with funding from purchases of California’s WHALE TAIL® License Plate. In 2014, the Protect our Coast and Oceans Fund was added to the California state tax return’s Voluntary Contributions section to provide taxpayers the option to contribute to the WHALE TAIL® Grants Program. In 2021, the state budget provided one-time funding to the program. The Coastal Commission is a state regulatory and planning agency that operates under the 1976 Coastal Act to manage the conservation and development of coastal resources in California. The Commission’s Public Education Program works to increase public knowledge of coastal and marine resources and to engage the public in coastal protection and restoration activities.

Eligibility

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