Search Through Environmental Education Grants in California in the U.S.

Overview

Founded in 2007 by Kat Taylor and Tom Steyer, Beneficial State Bank is a B Corp Certified community development bank with branches in California, Oregon, and Washington. One hundred percent of the economic rights of Beneficial State Bank are owned not by private shareholders, but by nonprofit organizations, including Beneficial State Foundation. As nonprofit shareholders, we reinvest all distributed bank profit back into communities to promote thriving people, a healthy economy and a prosperous planet. This ownership structure allows us to learn and develop new metrics and standards as Beneficial State Bank tests and implements equitable banking products and practices.

As of 2023, Beneficial State Bank is a $1.7 billion asset state-chartered, federally insured bank with branches in California, Oregon, and Washington. Learn more about the origins of Beneficial State Bank.

Supporting Our Communities With Sponsorships

From day one, Beneficial State Bank has been committed to supporting our community above and beyond our lending by providing sponsorships to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations each year. We provide sponsorships to 501(c)(3) organizations in California, Oregon, and Washington that are engaged in transformative social justice and environmental work in our target sectors:

Social:

• Affordable and Multi-family Housing
• Arts, Culture and Community Building
• Education and Youth Development
• Beneficial Financial Services
• Economic, Business and Job Development
• Making, Manufacturing and Production
• Social Justice

Environmental:

• Environmental Sustainability
• Health and Well-being (non-food)
• Healthy Food
• Other Mission Categories (Business Ownership, Structures and Practices)

Beneficial State Bank has a unique business model compared to other banks. As a mission-driven bank majority-owned by the nonprofit Beneficial State Foundation, we work to maximize prosperity for our communities and our customers instead of working to maximize shareholder profits. We structure our business practices to benefit our stakeholders, not just our shareholders, so our total sponsorship budget is smaller than what you’ll find at a large, national bank. Therefore, we are limited in the number of sponsorships we can approve each year.

The mission of The Dorrance Family Foundation is to improve the quality of life in the community by supporting education and natural resource conservation. The Foundation does this through scholarships, grants and volunteer service.

Who We Are and How We Work

The Dorrance Family Foundation supports projects that work to resolve societal, educational and environmental problems strategically and make our communities a better place. We accept grant proposals only for charitable, education, or scientific purposes from tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organizations in Arizona, California and the Island of Hawai’i.

Local Grantmaking:

The Dorrance Family Foundation supports an array of nonprofit organizations in geographic areas that are personally significant to the Dorrance Family; Southern California, and the Island of Hawaiʻi.

Grantees include but are not limited to programs related to the:

• arts,
• children’s health,
• animal welfare,
• animal therapy,
• sustainable agriculture,
• organizational effectiveness and capacity, and
• natural resource conservation projects.

The Foundation also provides institutional support to organizations with a long-term history of Dorrance family commitment, and core to the foundation’s mission and family’s values.

The Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company

Qualifying charitable or educational organizations can apply for grants from the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company, which has been empowering employees to pool their tax-deductible donations for greater impact for more than 60 years. Employee advisory boards work to locally distribute combined employee donations, which are made through recurring payroll deductions or one-time gifts, to nonprofits in their community. Boeing pays all administrative costs so 100 percent of every employee dollar helps strengthen local communities.

ECF grants have gone toward community projects such as aiding the homeless, stocking food banks, helping at-risk children succeed in school, providing job training for the unemployed, funding critical health services, supporting veterans programs and more.

Southern California Chapter

The Employees Community Fund (ECF) of Boeing, Southern California chapter is an employee owned and operated nonprofit organization. ECF of Boeing California funds organizations from the contributions of Boeing employees made through payroll deductions to support charitable organizations in areas where contributors live and work in the Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Ventura, Riverside, San Diego and Santa Clara counties.

The Employees Community Fund is a unique employee giving program that allows employees and retirees to support the needs of their local communities through tax-deductible recurring payroll deductions or one-time gifts. The Boeing Company provides administrative and system support as an in-kind donation. The ECF pledge to its members is that 100% of the dollars contributed will be returned to the areas where contributors live and work.

Under ECF funding guidelines, all requests for support are studied and reviewed by the Chapter Grantmaking Committee for consideration. Review of grant applications includes compliance with basic funding guidelines, tax exempt status, service area, services provided, as well as financial information to ensure that ECF dollars provide meaningful and necessary services in the most efficient manner.

Focus Areas : Arts & Culture, Civic, Health & Human Services, Education, Environment.

Crystal Vision: The Crystal Vision Grant Award is an annual ECF grant program established in 1990 to direct special funding to specific areas of community need. ECF CA invites organizations closest to the need to suggest new and innovative programs they believe could make significant positive impact in communities. Crystal Vision Awards have focused on youth-mentoring, services to veterans and senior citizens, the homeless, children at risk, environmental and arts education.

Brightening Our Communities

Today, Edison International is one of the largest corporate philanthropic contributors in Southern California, we partner with local nonprofits and everyday community heroes to brighten our neighborhoods and build a better tomorrow.

Last year, we contributed $20 million in funding to support programs that help communities in our service area shine bright while tackling tough issues, such as improving air quality and access to clean energy solutions, increasing community resilience and disaster preparedness, advocating for increased diversity, equity & inclusion, and helping kids make a difference in the world by studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

More than 90% of our giving helps underserved residents, including diverse ethnic groups, seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, women, LGBTQ+ populations and low-income families.

Grants to Make a Difference

Our grant funding aims to assist members of our communities that are often underserved, such as diverse ethnic groups, seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, women, low-income and LGBTQ+ populations.

Our Giving Priorities

Education

We believe education has the power to change lives, communities, and the world. Education receives the most funding of our focus areas to support educational programs designed to help keep kids engaged in school while opening doors to higher education.

We look for education programs that emphasize science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in middle school, high school, and college levels, including tutoring, scholarships, and college-access programs.

The Environment

Our commitment to protecting the environment began decades ago and is deeply rooted in our company culture and focus to be a clean energy leader for our region and state.

We are uniting with nonprofits that have the passion and expertise to help shift environmental issues impacting our state and the world, such as improving Southern California's air quality, conserving green spaces for future generations, preserving and restoring habitats, and creating healthier communities by increasing access to green jobs and clean energy solutions.

Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness

Natural disasters can strike suddenly, anywhere and at any time. Earthquakes pose a real and ongoing threat, while wildfires have become an urgent problem with devastating consequences for all Californians.

Edison is committed to protecting our communities and helping families be prepared for natural and human-caused disasters. We support programs focused on electrical safety, emergency/disaster preparedness, community resiliency and wildfire safety and mitigation for our most vulnerable community members.

Civic Engagement

We believe that the ability to lead the transformation of the electric power industry toward a clean energy future relies on the diversity of our team and a society that enables all people to thrive.

To reflect our values, we partner with organizations that are deeply rooted in community advocacy and engagement while providing services such as workforce development and career pathway programs, professional and civic engagement leadership, youth mentoring, and capacity building for local nonprofits.

The Leighty Foundation (TLF) is a small family foundation incorporated under Iowa law.  Directors and advisors live in Colorado, Alaska, and California.

Mission

To carry on the Leighty family legacy of service and stewardship by leveraging our time and talents, as well as our financial resources, primarily in the areas of Earth Protection, Education, Philanthropy, and Strategic Volunteer Engagement.Focus Areas Earth Protection “Environmental” has become trite, and does not convey the profound, urgent, and necessary changes in the way our species perceives and relates to our fellow species on Earth, and to its wonderful physical systems. The Leighty Foundation is especially interested in accelerating humanity’s transition to a sustainable, equitable, benign, affordable global energy system based entirely upon renewable energy sources — driven by radiant energy from our local star, the Sun, and by geothermal. Our earliest, most rewarding investments will be energy conservation and efficiency, while we invent and invest to “run the world on renewables.” We assist science education, so that we will better understand who and what and where we humans are, and to better understand Earth and our options for cooperation within its context and limits. Thus, we intend to invest wisely in Earth Protection, with both Foundation funds and with our personal involvement. An urgent Grand Challenge is transforming the world’s largest industry from about 80% fossil to nearly 100% renewable, CO2-emission-free energy sources, as quickly as we prudently and profitably can. Prudently: with acceptable social and economic disruption. Profitably: the huge amount of capital needed will flow only to attractive opportunities for returns. Electricity systems may be inadequate or technically and economically suboptimal for this transformation. Therefore, we now need to think beyond electricity, to comprehensively consider alternatives. Hydrogen (H2) and Anhydrous Ammonia (NH3) are attractive, energy carriers, storage media, and fuels – as complete renewable energy systems. The Leighty Foundation Earth Protection program focuses on the Big Three challenges of time-variable renewable generation:

• Gathering and transmission;
• Low-cost, annual-scale, firming storage;
• Distribution, integration, and end-use of energy services.

Strategic Volunteer Engagement Our nation finds itself faced with a perfect storm with shrinking resources and escalating needs. Meeting these needs will require a dramatic increase in the number of people willing to give their time and skills as well as their financial resources. However, the challenge may be less about increasing the number of people who volunteer, and more about building infrastructures which connect people with worthy opportunities, and empower them to make a meaningful difference.There is a growing awareness that even if Americans respond to the myriad of calls for service, many charities are not prepared to effectively engage them. A recent survey found that more than 30% of charities do not currently have the infrastructure to effectively deploy volunteers. Now is the time for us as funders to seize this unique opportunity to financially support nonprofits in building their capacity.

Background

The Foundation’s primary grantmaking strategy is place-based. We seek opportunities to make clusters of complementary grants in specific communities, supporting public and nonprofit organizations that serve essentially the same children, youth, and families.

We respond first and foremost to the capacities and vision of the community and to expressed community needs. Then we seek ways to build on the insights, resources, and achievements generated through our grantees’ efforts.

We prioritize places in Northern or Central California that are experiencing acute and widespread poverty, where people of color likely experience disparate outcomes. Our goal is to achieve more capable, responsive, and effective community organizations and institutions.

Through the sustained, concerted efforts of those organizations, we expect community residents to realize benefits including:

• The healthy development and education of children
• The economic and social advancement of their families
• The opportunity to influence the conditions that shape their lives

Funding Priorities

The Foundation’s primary grantmaking strategy is place-based. We seek opportunities to make clusters of complementary grants in specific communities, supporting public and nonprofit organizations that serve essentially the same children, youth, and families.

Families

We support programs that honor lived experiences and incorporate resident voices in the design, implementation, and governance of family-support services.

We fund programs and community-building efforts that help families build on their strengths and increase their self-efficacy, and that implement trauma-responsive practices. We also support comprehensive programs that safeguard equitable access to concrete services such as food, shelter, childcare, and safety.

Examples of grant-funded activities include, but are not limited to:

• Family resource centers that promote physical health and wellness, child development, and parenting;
• Organizations that build pathways for families to attain financial literacy, employment, and economic mobility;
• Community-organizing initiatives focused on emerging issues prioritized and led by residents.

Education

We believe that high-quality public schools, available to all, are essential for society to thrive.

We fund initiatives within schools and school districts to provide equitable learning for all students, particularly students of color and those living in poverty. We support engaging students in relevant, immersive learning that prepares them for college, career, and citizenship, equipping them to help solve complex challenges in their communities and the world. We also invest in organizations outside of school districts that, along with community residents, hold public schools to account and help them improve.

Examples of grant-funded activities include, but are not limited to:

• Efforts within schools to improve teaching and academic support, particularly for underserved students, by fostering teamwork, adaptation, and organizational learning;
• Organizing efforts among students and families to effect positive changes in their schools and expand learning opportunities;
• Programs promoting reconciliation and mental and emotional health among students and educators;
• Outdoor education and stewardship programs that link academics to life and deepen students’ understanding of the environment, climate, and community health.

Youth

We support youth development organizations that provide safe spaces for youth to explore their interests and aspirations, build confidence and resilience, and solidify a commitment to lifelong learning and community engagement.

We prioritize programs focused on the mental health and well-being of young people and supporting their agency and leadership, as well as their readiness for higher education and careers. We support organizations implementing trauma-responsive practices in their programs and services for youth.

Examples of grant-funded activities include, but are not limited to:

• Addressing the mental health and well-being of students through school-based wellness centers;
• Providing afterschool and/or summer programming that engages youth academically and in special interests such as the performing arts;
• Developing youth leadership, training them in community organizing skills, and supporting them to create solutions for their communities around issues such as educational equity, racial justice, and environmental health.

Supporting Programs

Through our active engagement in communities, we often learn about critical needs and opportunities that lie outside our main program areas.

Leadership & Organizational Health: Cowell commonly funds the direct costs of delivering services and operating programs for community residents; but we are keenly aware that the scope and quality of those services, and ultimately their effectiveness, depend on the vitality of our grantee organizations. Accordingly, grantees in the Families, Education, and Youth program areas may inquire about complementary grants through the Leadership & Organizational Health program.

In addition, Cowell supports organizations whose mission and core capability is leadership development.

Community Resources: Through our active engagement in communities, we often learn about critical needs and opportunities that lie outside our main program areas. For that purpose, we maintain a budget for responsive grants in communities where we are active. This complementary program is necessarily broad, but likely areas of focus include:

• Affordable housing construction and preservation;
• Small business and workforce development;
• Access to banking services, credit, and other supports for economic security;
• Neighborhood infrastructure such as parks, gardens, and greenways.

Across our programs, the funding guidelines incorporate four themes:

• Racial Equity
• Economic Advancement
• Community Health
  • Environmental Health and Justice
  • Mental Health
• Resident Voice and Agency

Types of Grants

Place-Based

• Grants awarded to organizations in active Cowell communities across program areas and initiatives.

Resource Capacity-Building

• Resource Capacity-Building grants from a secondary strategy that supports our primary, place-based investments.
• These grants enhance the resources, practices, and cohesiveness of the program fields in which Cowell operates, and to create access to such resources on behalf of place-based grantees

Exploratory

• Types of work that currently lie outside the program area guidelines.
• These grants are awarded while Cowell is prospecting and developing relationships in a community, before determining whether it is appropriate to fully engage there under the place-based guidelines.
• Exploratory grants may also be awarded as Cowell seeks to learn about emerging fields of work beyond the current program guidelines.

Our Program Areas

The Sills Family Foundation’s primary grants program intends to help children from low income families live up to their highest promise by concentrating on the following four areas:

Comprehensive Services to Families in Crisis- With a special focus on families impacted by incarceration

The Sills Family Foundation has a major focus on programs that support families impacted by the criminal justice system. We partner with programs that work to strengthen the parent/child bond during incarceration through facilitating transportation for prison visits, creating child-sensitive visiting areas in correctional facilities, providing parenting education classes to incarcerated parents, as well as supporting families through the re-entry period. This effort extends to addressing the inequities in the bail system, preventing juvenile detentions, and providing high quality legal services to low income populations.

In considering the rehabilitative opportunities so rarely provided to incarcerated individuals, the Foundation supports higher education and arts programming inside correctional facilities. The Foundation has begun to play a role in deepening policy makers and service providers’ capacity in this field. The Sills Family Foundation is proud to be a member of the NY Initiative for Children with Incarcerated Parents, as well as the New York Youth Justice Initiative.

Support to Underserved Communities- Through improved access to early education and reduction of neighborhood violence

Low income neighborhoods and schools experience a disproportionate amount of school suspensions, violence, arrests and damage to the community through involvement in the criminal justice system. We support programs that seek to intervene in this destructive cycle and help young people stay on the path to success.

Early education can make a world of difference in how a child goes on to succeed in school, work and life. This is especially true for children challenged by poverty, homelessness and other forms of trauma. Children who start kindergarten behind their peers may continue to face problems throughout school. Getting kids off to a good start is critical to their future.

We are committed to high-quality education experiences that help children live up to their highest potential. We want to improve chances for all children to succeed in life through access to education, early intervention and family supports such as mental health counseling and job skills classes for their parents.

Programs Supporting Immigrants, Refugees and Asylees

We believe all human beings have the right to pursue their dreams of building a better home for themselves and their families, and that newcomers to the US should have access to necessary legal, educational, and material needs.

Environmental Justice- With a focus on contaminants that harm the developing embryo, fetus and infant

Toxic chemicals are released into our environment every day. Children consume pollutants in their food, air and water, their toys, candy, even baby bottles. These hazards can cause serious health problems, ranging from asthma and cancer to brain impairment and behavioral problems. They take a greater toll on the most vulnerable: pregnant women, fetuses and children.

We want to protect families from lead, mercury and other toxic compounds. The foundation supports organizations that embrace the ideals of environmental justice and that protect against poor communities carrying a greater share of the toxic burden. We invest in programs that work to reduce pollutants in our air, water, food and homes so that the minds and bodies of our infants and children stay healthy and strong.

Arts and Culture- Arts education and other creative opportunities to support underserved populations

Arts and cultural activity can provide people of all ages important tools of self expression, can open paths to new forms of communication and can strengthen self esteem. We believe that high quality arts programming in schools, community centers and senior centers can be a powerful tool of social justice. The Foundation seeks to support culturally sensitive collaborations between teaching artists, educators and community leaders to bring the positive power of the arts to under-resourced schools and communities.

Funding Priorities

The Sills Family Foundation funds nonprofits that support early childhood education, environmental justice, arts and culture, and families in crisis, with a focus on families and communities impacted by the criminal justice justice system as well as refugees, migrants and asylees.

Funding Criteria

The organizations we invest in support families and communities to overcome obstacles created by poverty, racism and other forms of marginalization. The programs we support have passionate leaders, are community based and offer potential for systemic, sustained change, including the possibility of replication. We seek to fund organizations for whom our grantmaking capacity will make an impact.

Grant Making Budget

Most of our grants range from $10,000 to $25,000. The Foundation accepts applications for one-year grants only, with the possibility of renewal grants for extended periods. Many of our grants support general operating needs.

Valero Energy Foundation 

Valero, its employees and the Valero Energy Foundation are committed to improving the quality of life in communities where we work and live, fulfilling a mission that was set from the beginning. We set the standard for corporate citizenship and promotes prosperity in our communities. 

The Valero Energy Foundation -- a public charity and Valero's philanthropic arm -- funds nonprofit agencies that serve predominantly disadvantaged children and families. In 2019, the Foundation contributed appoximately $40 million in assistance in the communities where Valero has major operations.

Four Pillars of Support

Our funding focuses on our four pillars of giving in communities where we have major operations.

• Basic Needs:  Valero gives assistance to agencies that provide basic needs of life, including shelter, food and clothing necessary for the development of a strong and safe community. 
• Health Care: We invest in the development of strategic community health resources and facilities that will support the needs of all members of our nearby communities, with major gifts going to children’s hospitals, university medical centers and service providers that offer specialized health care services and programs.
• Education: Valero is a strong advocate of education as it creates a necessary foundation for all children to thrive and for adults to lead productive lives. 
• Civic: We support civic and environmental initiatives directly related to the success of the communities where we live and work.

About Us

The Foxwynd Foundation comprises dedicated members of the Bentley family residing across the United States. Across numerous years, the family's philanthropic endeavors have catalyzed significant change on both domestic and international fronts, reflecting their deep-rooted commitment to humanitarian causes. This longstanding legacy of giving underscored the imperative to establish a family foundation.

With a diverse and passionate board of members, interests range from supporting domestic violence shelters and children's aid organizations to advancing renewable energy initiatives and safeguarding endangered species.

Today, the Foxwynd Foundation is dedicated to serving as a beacon of hope for communities in need, enhancing access to essential pillars of human dignity and potential, including healthcare, housing, and sustainable environmental initiatives. While presently focused on domestic causes, the foundation aims to expand its impact and secure international funding opportunities by the conclusion of 2024.

Priorities

• Healthcare
  • We support programs dedicated to assisting domestic violence victims, abuse survivors, and the protection of women's rights.
• Environmental Projects
  • We prioritize funding projects with a clear, measurable impact rather than initiatives with broad or abstract objectives. For example, we are more inclined to support tangible activities such as tree planting over programs like conservation education. Additionally, our focus is on building partnerships with organizations that are nonpartisan and refrain from engaging in lobbying activities.
• Housing
  • We are committed to funding established programs that address critical needs, including supporting shelters, preventing homelessness—particularly among children through initiatives such as orphanages—providing or establishing housing facilities, offering housing assistance to prevent eviction, and creating employment opportunities for individuals in need.

Health and healing for our society and planetThe Audrey Hillman Fisher Foundation is committed to caring for our communities through investment in big ideas that advance the arts, education, human services, and the environment. The Foundation has a targeted focus in Pittsburgh, Pa., Santa Barbara, Calif., and a small number of legacy partnerships in Squam Lakes, N.H.PrioritiesIn Pittsburgh, Pa. and Santa Barbara, Calif., the Audrey Hillman Fisher Foundation emphasizes the arts, education, and human services. The Foundation encourages big ideas and projects from new organizations that fit exclusively into these geographic areas. In the Squam Lakes, N.H. area, the Foundation focuses almost exclusively on conservation, environmental education and access through a small number of legacy partners.

The Foundation embraces the protection of biodiversity as its overarching priority.

Frank Weeden, the Foundation’s founder and original benefactor, established the Weeden Foundation to address the impact of growing human populations and overuse of natural resources on the biological fabric of the planet. Since his death in 1984, the Foundation has helped preserve more than 6 million acres of biologically important habitat worldwide and provided financing for the first debt-for-nature swap in Bolivia in 1992, a strategy that is now widely used by international conservation organizations. Program efforts have supported projects in environmentally sensitive regions of the western United States, Alaska, Russia, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Columbia, Ecuador, Belize, Namibia, Mexico, and various Caribbean nations.

Focus Areas

On a more general scale the Foundation supports the following focus areas.

Bird Conservation

Our goal in the Bird Conservation program area is to conserve wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. In particular we seek to fund grantees that work to prevent bird species extinctions and to prevent declining populations of bird species from becoming endangered. We specifically focus on protecting and restoring public and private bird habitat and we assist in acquiring land for threatened bird species. Finally we support protection of bird migration corridors in North and South America.

Systemic Support program at the U.S. national policy level for wildlife corridors, the Endangered Species Act, and additional wilderness designation.

Our goal in Systemic Support is to improve the effectiveness of environmental efforts through specialized services. Specific objectives include:

• support the Endangered Species Act through litigation, lobbying, grassroots campaigns and public education generally,
• promote organizations providing support for groups engaged in wilderness protection, land conservation, endangered species protection, wildlife corridor issues, and management of public lands, an
• improve federal and state support for environmentally sustainable practices, wilderness designations, and wildlife corridors. 

Global Biodiversity

Our goal in Global Biodiversity is to support campaigns and/or groups in biodiversity hotspots. Specific objectives are to

• protect global temperate rainforests,
• support creation of wildlife corridors,
• land acquisition and protection for endangered species and,
• support projects that involve indigenous peoples in the process and stewardship of conservation projects.

Environmental Education

The Foundation’s Environment Education program area focuses on supporting grantees that will provide future leaders with the tools to effect environmental policies. These policies complement the other grantees of the Foundation including biodiversity and habitat protection. Sustainable environmental policies must include both immediate actions as well as education to anticipate and to prevent future environmental impact.

Marine Wildlife Conservation

The Marine Wildlife Conservation Program Area focuses on helping to protect endangered marine species in the Americas through research, advocacy, policy change, and habitat conservation.

To address the adverse impact of economic and human population growth on biodiversity, the Foundation’s grantmaking includes both Consumption and Population programs.

The Foundation’s Sustainable Consumption program currently focuses on promoting greater use of environmental paper. Grantmaking in this area aims to broaden the market for environmental papers and packaging through markets campaigns, shareholder activism, consumer-targeted education, and dialogue with the corporate sector. This year we have expanded our packaging program to include efforts to reduce plastics in the waste stream, through strategies such as eliminating single use plastic disposables by promoting reusable packaging for grocery stores, take-out, and delivery.

The Foundation’s International Population program area is focused on reducing population growth rates in countries recognized for their rich biodiverse landscapes and that have a total fertility rate exceeding replacement levels. To achieve this goal, the Foundation funds groups that facilitate initiatives related to family planning, women’s education and women’s empowerment in countries with such rich and recognized biodiversity. The Foundation also supports advocacy efforts addressing global population growth in the context of environmental sustainability.

Background

A family foundation that believes in strategic infusions of funding, we dedicate nearly 100% of our grant dollars to the environment. As citizens of the planet, we are compelled to participate in the protection of natural resources in the communities where we live.

The Campbell Foundation was established in 1998 to improve the conditions of America’s largest and most ecologically diverse and productive estuary systems: the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays. In 2003, Keith expanded the geographic focus of The Campbell Foundation to include Northern California and the San Francisco Bay watershed under the leadership of his daughter and the Foundation’s President, Samantha Campbell.

Chesapeake

The Campbell Foundation’s Chesapeake Initiative seeks to accelerate the pace of nutrient reduction in the Bay through engagement of diverse stakeholders and partnerships between agricultural interests and environmental concerns that forge new paths of working together.

The Campbell Foundation endeavors to identify, broaden and enhance leadership and grassroots advocacy by building capacity for those who chart a sensible course for the future, with 360° view of the needs and tradeoffs.

The grantees we support are thoughtful, inclusive and coordinated, with an enthusiasm for consensus-based solutions.

Our mission in the Chesapeake Bay Region is to improve water quality and ecological balance in the Bay and its rivers, as a healthy Bay fosters a vibrant regional economy and provides exceptional recreational opportunities.

Pacific

The Campbell Foundation’s Pacific Initiative strives to identify opportunities in the field that a) are gaining political momentum, b) present a great opportunity to leverage resources of all kinds, and c) are innovative from a business and social perspective.

We allocate the resources of our California office to projects in these areas:

• Water Quality (California)
• Land-Sea Connection (California)
• Protection of Special Places (California)

Our mission in the Pacific Region is to safeguard the ocean environment of the Pacific Coast and elevate environmental issues in our culture by promoting the implementation and enforcement of adequate policies, leveraging the power of markets to advance sustainable economies and supporting innovative communication.

Cycle 1 & Cycle 2

We offer two unsolicited grant cycles per year. The budget for each of our cycles is $50,000. Individual grants will vary in size, but will be no greater than $25,000. We accept proposals for any type of program in any geography. The maximum amount you can request is $25,000.

Background

The California State Coastal Conservancy (Conservancy) announces the availability of grants to public agencies, federally-recognized tribes and indigenous communities, and nonprofit organizations for programs that facilitate and enhance the public's opportunities to explore California's spectacular coast and San Francisco Bay shoreline. The ocean, coast, and beaches have long been recognized and used as spaces of joy, relaxation, and healing for many Californians. The ability to experience the coast without fear of physical barriers, feelings of not belonging, or financial challenge is crucial to how individuals cultivate their lifelong connections with the coast. The Explore the Coast grant program seeks to provide enjoyable coastal experiences for people and communities who face challenges or barriers to accessing or enjoying the coast ("ETC Priority Communities").

ETC Priority Communities may include but are not limited to lower-income individuals and households, people with disabilities, people of color, indigenous communities, immigrant communities, foster youth, and other historically excluded communities who face societal challenges or barriers to accessing or enjoying the coast. You can use this mapping tool or other resources you know of to help determine if you are serving low-income communities (please note the tool linked will refer to these as a “disadvantaged” or “severely disadvantaged community”).

Projects should also meet one or more of the following priorities:

• Provide an enjoyable experience at the coast.
• Reduce economic, physical, operational, or societal barriers to accessing or enjoying the coast.
• Inspire ongoing coastal resource stewardship ethic through active learning and interactive activities.

Eligible Projects

Eligible projects include a wide range of programs and activities that help to bring people to the coast and/or enhance their experience at the coast. Other benefits such as ecosystem stewardship and environmental education are secondary benefits and are not necessary for a project to be eligible.

Examples of eligible projects:

• Providing transportation for ETC priority community members to participate in recreational, educational, or stewardship programs at the coast.
• Providing coastal experiences such as kayaking, surfing, or sailing for persons with disabilities.
• Providing beach recreation day trips for participants and their families.
• Facilitating festivals, docent programs, or other outreach events to promote and increase coastal recreational opportunities for ETC priority community members. Applicants should have a clear plan for engaging ETC priority community members in large-scale festivals open to the public.
• Providing overnight coastal experiences for participants.
• Promoting the use of public transit to access the coast.

The California Environmental Grassroots Fund supports small and emerging local groups across California that are building climate resilience and advancing environmental justice. Grassroots Fund grantees tackle the toughest environmental problems facing their communities from toxic pollution, urban sprawl, sustainable agriculture, and climate advocacy, to the environmental degradation of our rivers and wild places and the health of our communities. They are rooted in the communities they serve and committed to building the environmental movement through broad outreach, engagement, and organizing.

Priorities

Movement–building: Preference is given to groups building broad community support and engaging in effective public outreach. 

Impacted and Underserved Communities: The fund prioritizes groups that serve and represent historically marginalized or impacted communities, especially BIPOC, frontline, immigrant, and low-income communities.

Community-Oriented with a Big Picture Vision: Priority is given to organizations grounded in the communities they serve and addressing important local problems, but who are also thinking strategically about how their work fits into the larger landscape of environmental challenges we face today. 

Climate Resilience and Environmental Justice: We see these as the priority issues of our time, and they are deeply interconnected. The same extractive systems that have caused our climate crisis have heaped disproportionate harms on marginalized communities. Sustainable solutions must come from the communities that have born the most harm. On a practical level, these priority areas encompass a wide scope of work, from fighting to protect our forests and natural biodiversity, planning for sustainable and equitable management of our water resources, reimagining our food and transportation systems, and addressing the disproportionate effects of pollution and climate impacts on poor, BIPOC, and immigrant communities.

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.

The Impact100 Model

The Impact100 model is readily available to all communities who wish to implement it. The model is designed to empower women to see themselves as philanthropists and overcome the barriers women have historically faced in this arena. The model is designed for transformational grant making within local communities, with a minimum grant size of $100,000.

Focus Areas

All nonprofits are asked to apply under one of five focus areas:

• Arts & Culture
  • Cultural programs, participation in the arts, arts education
• Education
  • Educational opportunities for children and/or adults, especially those that address lingering educational disparities affecting our community
• Environment
  • Conservation and preservation of natural resources; environmental justice; parks and recreation; agricultural sustainability; environmental education; climate action, also includes non-domesticated animals.
• Family
  • Strengthening and enhancing the lives of children and families, seniors, also includes domesticated animals.
• Health & Wellness
  • Improvement of people’s mental and/or physical well-being

Liberated Paths Grantmaking Program

Building a More Just and Sustainable Outdoor and Environmental Movement Together

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led organizations are on the frontlines of the grassroots work being done to build a better planet but our work is chronically overlooked and underfunded. We know that when our voices are left out, our communities suffer, and our planet does too. With the Liberated Paths Program, we envision a way to bridge that gap.

Through this program, we are working to create a more just and sustainable outdoor and environmental movement by shifting resources to and building power with Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color. The Liberated Paths Program supports outdoor initiatives and organizations that cultivate and celebrate the contributions of Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color and affirm the many experiences and identities our communities hold, through grantmaking, capacity building, and network building.

Through our Liberated Paths regional grants, we support organizations and initiatives of all sizes located in California, the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington), the Southwest (Arizona and New Mexico), and the Delaware River Watershed that work at the intersection of racial justice, outdoor experiences, and the environment. In 2023, we will also launch grantmaking in North and South Carolina. Our Liberated Paths: Youth Access to Nature Fund supports efforts in the San Francisco Bay Area that increase safe and equitable access to the outdoors for Young People of Color.

We work with leaders and organizations who are rooted within their communities with the lived experiences to understand how to best advance justice and center the needs of the community. We support Leaders of Color to design and lead the types of joyful outdoor experiences and environmental efforts that are most meaningful to them and their communities. 

Liberated Paths support looks like:

• Relationship-driven and trust-based support
• Multi-year grants of $1,000 to $20,000 per year when possible
• Long-term, deep engagement in financial, operational, and fundraising capacity building
• Network building with a cohort of grantees to facilitate shared learning and systems-level changes
• Eligibility that is not hinged on organization size, ability to do impact reporting, or 501(c)(3) status
• Support for organizations and initiatives of all sizes and in all stages of their development
• Prioritized funding for organizations and initiatives led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
• Capacity building trainings and workshops for grantee partners

Capacity Building

Our model offers financial grants, as well as consistent coaching and mentorship. We want to connect our grantee partners with the tools and resources they need to sustain their vital work. To that end, in addition to trainings and workshops for all grantee partners, we work with each partner to identify areas where they want to grow and tailor our support to their needs. These areas could include: board recruitment, financial sustainability, staffing and hiring considerations, executive leadership coaching, budget planning, program design, insurance and liability considerations, safety, guidance on applications for additional grants, and more.

Network Building

Through Liberated Paths, we seek to bring together organizations and leaders working at the intersection of environment and racial justice. We do this through virtual get-togethers and information sessions. We facilitate network building within each cohort of grantees to facilitate shared learning and systems-level changes.

We also bring together funders and partners through a webinar series to connect, share information about the Liberated Paths Grantmaking Program and to also hold critical conversations regarding topics such as the explicit role of race in Liberated Paths, the racial funding gap, and racial bias and its impact in philanthropy.

Our Vision

Sustainability involves economic viability, environmental sensitivity, and social responsiveness, with emphasis on working with and preserving nature. Innovation involves creativity and new ideas that make this world a better place to live.

The foundation seeks to foster environmental restoration, preservation and education with emphasis on seed moneys that lead to establishing demonstration projects that link rural and urban settings. Projects could orient toward use of resources in sustainable ways, integration of food production, technology, economics, and community development in harmonious ways with the natural world, preservation of wildlife habitat as well as the diversity of wild and domestic plants and animals, and conservation of wilderness and open space. Of interest might be projects designed to restore and maintain biological diversity of flora and fauna or establishment of seed banks, sustainable land use, or appropriate technology for alternative energy resources. Efforts to find space in tight urban areas, bring the countryside to the city in the form of gardens, landscaping, and space are encouraged. Likewise, efforts to provide space and alternative living to urban people in a rural area are welcome.

A particular concern is with sustaining agriculture through organic, biodynamic, permacultural and other processes, training young people to be farmers, and linking farms to communities through community supported agriculture. Another area of need would be support for small alternative presses and periodicals that focus on issues and problems and their resolution and desire to impact broadly on society with their creativity and new ideas.

The foundation sponsors Laguna Wilderness Press that publishes books featuring the work of concerned artists, photographers, and environmentalists. Its books move in two directions: (1) to depict nature and pristine wilderness areas through photography and essay; (2) to focus on changing landscape and the impact of urban growth, technology, and development on natural beauty and resources.

With its interest in LWP and its home base in southern California, the foundation desires to direct attention to environmental groups and concerns in Laguna Beach, especially preservation and restoration of areas under conservation in the open space known as the Laguna Greenbelt or Wilderness and including the Laguna Bluebelt; projects that expand open space in the inner greenbelt, promote community gardening, including in its schools, restore wherever possible the canyon creeks to their natural setting, and help to establish the legacy of a unique place and its traditions of village diverse planning and vision, plein air painting, and historic homes and sites.

Project Types

Projects could orient toward use of resources in sustainable ways, preservation of wildlife habitats, conservation of wilderness, integration of food production, technology, economics, and community development in harmonious ways with the natural world. Also, another area of interest is support for small alternative presses and periodicals that show creativity and new ideas, and focus on issues and problems.

Mission Statement

The Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust provides assistance to organizations seeking to improve the quality of life for residents of the City and surrounding area of San Luis Obispo, California. This Trust was established under the will of Mr. Harold J. Miossi, who died on November 8, 2006. The Foundation focuses on six key areas: animal-related, education, environment, the Catholic Church, fine arts and youth development.

Animal-RelatedWe fund animal-related programs that focus primarily on the protection of animals and animal rights. Mr. Miossi loved dogs, so the Miossi Charitable Trust has a particular interest in programs that promote the protection of and rights of dogs.EducationWe fund education programming for all ages, with a particular focus on programs that promote college readiness and access for residents of San Luis Obispo. In addition, we support agricultural and environmental education of the surrounding area.EnvironmentWe are committed to funding programs that work to protect the environment. Particularly, we are interested in programs that focus on environmental science, green technology, promoting open spaces, sustainable agriculture, and land preservation.Catholic ChurchWe support programs and improvements for staff and parishioners of Mission San Luis Obispo and other historic missions within San Luis Obispo County. We will also consider requests to fund capital improvements.Fine ArtsWe fund public art projects for the enjoyment of the community of San Luis Obispo and special projects by non-profit art organizations.Youth DevelopmentWe fund programs that focus on youth development, with a particular interest in programs that provide youth with opportunities that they would not otherwise have access to and programs that provide youth with exposure to different ideas and opinions. 

Impact Projects

Background & Purpose

The Impact Projects grant program intends to support collaborative projects that center artists and artistic practice in responding to issues experienced by historically and systemically under-resourced communities in California at this time, including, but not limited to, social, political, and economic inequalities. This program prioritizes local artists and forms of arts and cultural expression that are unique to, and/or historically rooted in, the specific communities to be served.

Impact Projects grants support arts organizations for collaborations between local artist(s) and community members to develop and express their own creative and artistic goals and address a community-defined need. Collaborative projects will utilize various creative practices to impact social issues affecting their communities, including but not limited to systemic marginalization, incarceration/justice systems, access to education, poverty/economic disparity, health disparities, accessibility for people with disabilities, housing insecurity, violence, food insecurity, cultural/social justice, intergenerational learning, veterans’ issues, and environmental sustainability. Previous applicants to project-based programs such as Reentry Through the Arts and Veterans in the Arts, etc. are encouraged to apply through this program. Please note that applicants focused on arts education for youth are encouraged to apply for Creative Youth Development, Arts Education Exposure, or Arts Integration Training.

Project Requirements

• Applicant organization must develop and complete a project addressing the goals of the program to be completed within the project timeline. 
  • Projects must be collaboratively developed between local artist(s) and community members to develop and express creative and artistic goals and address a community-defined need. Projects must utilize creative practices to impact social issues affecting a community.
• Project planning, implementation, and evaluation must reflect a commitment to include and represent the communities to be served.
• All aspects of the project should be free to community participants and free and/or affordable and accessible to audiences.
• Rates of compensation for individual artists and/or arts workers to be supported by this grant must be appropriate to experience and comparable to fees for other local skilled workers.
•  Individuals to be compensated by this grant may not be full-time students in a degree program directly related to any type of compensation/credit for this project.
• All CAC-funded programs, services, information, and facilities where funded activities take place, including online spaces, must be accessible for individuals with disabilities, including but not limited to individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind, have difficulty speaking, have a physical disability, visual disability, developmental disability, learning disability, mental illness, or chronic illness.

Justice Outside

Justice Outside advances racial justice and equity in the outdoor and environmental movement. We shift resources to, build power with, and center the voices and leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color because the health of current and future generations demands it. We envision a just world where Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color experience safety, health, and abundant joy through meaningful relationships with one another and the outdoors. We are thrilled to invite applications to help us achieve this mission and vision through the Youth Access to Nature Fund.

Established in 2016, the Youth Access to Nature Fund works to ensure youth of color in the San Francisco Bay Area have access to meaningful experiences in nature to support their growth as leaders and students, and to improve their mental and physical health. To that end, the Youth Access the Nature Fund is committed to the young people of the Bay Area, by centering the strength, joy, and leadership of their communities. By offering flexible funds and capacity-building the Liberated Paths Grantmaking Program: Youth Access to Nature Fund seeks to embody grantmaking that is built on trust, relationships, and support. 

Funding

The total grant amount requested for a period of one year should be no more than $25,000

Pacific Power Foundation

The Pacific Power Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Pacific Power. Its mission, through charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of local communities.

Together with our foundation and employees, we've given $13 million to local communities since 2019 to lend a helping hand and spur economic development.

Grant Focus

The foundation manages its grants in four cycles. This helps the foundation carefully review similar requests to ensure maximum benefit.

Community Enhancement

Affordable housing, community resilience, community and recreation centers, economic development, libraries, monuments, memorials and science centers.

Environmental Respect

Animal and wildlife biodiversity; carbon and methane emissions; conservation of natural resources; environmental management systems; parks, trails and gardens; resource stewardship; waste management reduction, and water usage management.

Background

Funded by employee donations, Community Grants are awarded to nonprofits in our California service areas. A diverse advisory board, made up of Cox employees, reviews and evaluates applications to ensure that our giving is meeting the needs of our local communities.

Cox Charities funds organizations with programs that focus on the following:

• Digital Equity: All Markets
  • Creating opportunities which allow technology access for all.
• Conservation & Sustainability: All Markets
  • Championing positive environmental change in our community and beyond.
• K-12 STEAM Education: All Markets
  • STEAM opportunities for K-12 students beyond the classroom.
• Military & Veterans: OC/PV/SD
  • Supporting programs that enrich the lives of military and veteran populations.
• Affordable Housing and Food Insecurity: SB
  • Connecting families to programs that provide quality food and shelter.

Quadratec Cares 'Energize The Environment' Grant Program Goals

Quadratec recognizes that our position as a leading aftermarket supplier for 4x4 vehicles – such as Jeeps – also gives us a responsibility to help support enthusiasts working towards improving our environment. By doing so, we believe all of us can positively influence a new generation of outdoor lovers, help keep our recreational facilities and trails free of litter, and promote a better understanding of what makes our environmental world tick.

Money does not grow on trees. We all know that. Nor is it found under rocks or hanging from bushes. But for those individuals or organizations passionate about the environment – those looking to help save our trees, rocks and bushes, or even the trails we drive – Quadratec can help.

We are honored to present our Quadratec Cares 'Energize the Environment' Grant Program.

Over the years, Quadratec has proudly awarded environmental-restoration grants to scores of groups and individuals through our Quadratec Cares Restoration for Recreation program. In the process, we’ve seen trails and off-road facilities from Maine to California benefit. But more importantly, we understand that another great way to promote environmental responsibility is to energize those in the community who have a vision, a sense of responsibility, for making our environmental world a better place.

Our Program

Starting this year we are taking our love for all things environmental and asking you - or your organization - to tell us why you feel you'd make a great fit for our grant program. We are offering two $3,500 environmental grants per year – one each in the spring and fall – to an individual or group currently pursuing a program or initiative designed to benefit our environment.

Some examples of this would be:

• Trail building or restoration projects
• Park beautification events
• Litter prevention initiatives
• Earth Study missions
• Sustainable Land Management activities
• Community environmental educational projects
• Youth educational engagement events

The recipient or organization will receive a one-time $3,500 payment to be used exclusively towards stated project. 

About our Foundation

We believe in community. When communities come together to take care of each other and the planet, when they work as a team to tackle issues like poverty, climate change, or mental illness, when communities are strong- profound change can happen. Our founder’s vision was a world where: we lift others up in hard times, we help vulnerable populations- not just humans, but animals too, and we work hard to create a more sustainable future for our children and beyond.

We believe in the ripple effect: you can make a big difference by starting small. That’s why our foundation seeks out smaller, forward-thinking organizations that are looking to create better communities through outreach in areas of mental health, child health and development, community welfare, animal welfare and environmental impact. We seek out problem-solvers, innovators, educators, dreamers and do-ers. We hope that by helping these small organizations carry out their visions and achieve their goals, our impact will be exponential.

Grant Information 

The Richard Reed Foundation seeks out smaller, forward-thinking, non-profit organizations that are looking to create better communities through outreach and programs in areas of mental health, child health and development, community welfare, animal welfare, and community environmental impact.

Mission

Established in 2003, the Harry C. & Deborah L. Elliott Family Foundation is the philanthropic arm of builder and developer Elliott Homes. The Foundation’s mission is to enhance the quality of human life in the communities it serves. To that end, we help patients gain access to life-saving emergency care at hospitals, women and children rebuild their lives with safe shelter, and college students reach their goals through multi-year scholarships, among other projects. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors that meets on a monthly basis.

Interests

Funding has traditionally gone to community health care projects, scholarships for higher education, housing the homeless, environmental preservation and conservation, and services for disadvantaged seniors. Areas in which the Board members have special knowledge or interest are also considered.

About

"Enriching people's lives" is the global vision of Nissan and all its operating companies across the world. Nissan supports this vision by improving the quality of life in the communities where it operates.

Two impactful programs for our communities:

• Nissan Foundation
  • Since 1992, the Nissan Foundation has awarded millions of dollars to 150+ organizations promoting respect and understanding of America's rich cultural heritage.
• Nissan Neighbors
  • Nissan Neighbors provides charitable giving and employee volunteer support for initiatives in education, environmental sustainability, and humanitarian services.

Nissan Foundation

Nissan formed the Nissan Foundation in 1992 in response to the civil unrest that occurred near its then U.S. sales operations following the Rodney King trial verdict. Since its founding, the Nissan Foundation has annually awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to nonprofit organizations that support the Foundation’s mission.

The primary mission of the Nissan foundation is to award grants to nonprofit organizations whose programs explore and celebrate cultural diversity and heritage.