Best Fremont Grants for Nonprofits in California

The PVF Technology, Engineering and Design Thinking Resource Grants offer funding of up to $1,000 for TK-12 teachers in low-income public schools across specific California counties. These grants support innovative projects in Technology, Engineering, and STEAM curriculum through hands-on learning and expert guidance. Applications for the 2026-2027 school year are now open, encouraging collaborative efforts among teachers to maximize the impact of the resources provided.

The Berkeley Film Foundation's Narrative Short Grant Program supports local filmmakers by providing funding for narrative short films. With a focus on social and environmental justice themes, the program aims to foster creativity and originality. Grants are available for all stages of film production, including pre-production, production, post-production, and distribution. This initiative addresses the growing need for short fiction film funding in the region, ensuring that innovative storytelling can thrive.

The Hesed Foundation Grant supports charitable initiatives that promote social justice through Tzedakah and gemilut hasadim, which emphasize justice and loving kindness. This private foundation focuses on enhancing the welfare of underrepresented communities, particularly in the Boston area, NYC, and Northern California. Grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, and the foundation prioritizes projects related to youth, education, health, and community building.

StopWaste

StopWaste is a public agency serving the 1.7 million diverse residents of Alameda County. Formed in 1976, we work on behalf of 17 member agencies—the County, 14 cities, and 2 sanitary districts—committed to advancing environmental sustainability and building healthy, equitable, climate resilient communities in Alameda County. Our vision is focused on an Alameda County in which people thrive and are empowered to utilize resources and energy in ways that are good for the health of our communities, our local economy, and the planet.

StopWaste's work is guided by three long-term goals: building a healthy local food system that eliminates waste, advancing a thriving circular economy, and accelerating innovation in the built environment. We prevent wasted food, recover surplus food to nourish communities, and keep materials in circulation through reuse, repair, recycling, and composting—while helping communities across Alameda County cut pollution, save money, and meet California’s climate and waste goals.

Surplus Food Donation Equipment Grants

SFDE Grant supports Alameda County non-profit organizations that recover, transport, store, and distribute surplus edible food to community members. The program prioritizes investments that strengthen edible food recovery infrastructure and improve the safe, efficient, and dignified distribution of recovered edible food. 

SFDE grant funding is intended to support equipment with a demonstrated connection to edible food recovery activities. It is not intended to support general nonprofit operations or facility improvements. Applications are reviewed based on project need, operational readiness, food recovery impact, community benefit, and alignment with SFDE funding priorities. 

StopWaste

StopWaste is a public agency serving the 1.7 million diverse residents of Alameda County. Formed in 1976, we work on behalf of 17 member agencies—the County, 14 cities, and 2 sanitary districts—committed to advancing environmental sustainability and building healthy, equitable, climate resilient communities in Alameda County. Our vision is focused on an Alameda County in which people thrive and are empowered to utilize resources and energy in ways that are good for the health of our communities, our local economy, and the planet.

StopWaste's work is guided by three long-term goals: building a healthy local food system that eliminates waste, advancing a thriving circular economy, and accelerating innovation in the built environment. We prevent wasted food, recover surplus food to nourish communities, and keep materials in circulation through reuse, repair, recycling, and composting—while helping communities across Alameda County cut pollution, save money, and meet California’s climate and waste goals.

Reusable Foodware Grants

StopWaste offers grants to help replace single-use disposable foodware with reusable systems in closed-environment dining facilities. Controlled settings with high meal volumes are ideal for reusable alternatives — items are used on-site, collected, washed, and returned for reuse.

Up to $50,000 for schools, colleges, institutions, and large venues to replace single-use items with durable, reusable foodware and dishwashing systems.

In Dulci Jubilo Grant supports educational initiatives aimed at enhancing learning experiences for youth in Berkeley. This private funder prioritizes projects from schools and community organizations that address the achievement gap through innovative teaching methods. Grants are awarded for one year and aim to enrich the educational landscape, particularly for low-performing students. Recipients must submit a final report at the end of the funding period, ensuring accountability and sharing of outcomes.

Zoo Labs Fund, established in 2013, empowers Bay Area artist teams through unrestricted grants and mentorship. With over $910,000 awarded, the program supports culturally-rooted artists facing access challenges. In 2025, the Fund will provide $230,000 in grants, partnering with the Center for Cultural Innovation to enhance economic opportunities and foster a sustainable creative ecosystem. By prioritizing artist-led businesses, Zoo Labs Fund aims to enrich the local economy and preserve cultural expression through innovative support.

About the Port of Oakland

The Port of Oakland generates vital economic activity, community benefits and environmental innovation, as the Port decarbonizes its operations for a cleaner and greener future. Along with its partners, the Port supports 98,345 jobs in the region and $174 billion in annual economic activity. The Port oversees the Oakland Airport (OAK), the Oakland Seaport and nearly 20 miles of waterfront including Jack London Square and a publicly owned utility. 

Community Investment Program

Approved by the Oakland Board of Port Commissioners on July 2015, the Port of Oakland Community Investment Program seeks to add value and best serve our diverse communities within the Port’s footprint. This program provides grants to benefit the communities in the Port’s Local Impact Area (LIA) in Oakland, Alameda, Emeryville, and San Leandro, as well as communities in the Port’s Local Business Area (LBA) in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

The Port of Oakland provides quarterly grants up to $5,000 to non-profit organizations that align with the following funding priority areas:

• Economic Vitality:

The Port promotes community and economic viability by helping small businesses thrive and create and sustain jobs that support our local community. We proudly support programs that expand access to Port opportunities for small and local businesses, as well as organizations that provide technical assistance to businesses to expand their impact.

• Environmental Sustainability and Healthy Communities:

We are committed to sustaining healthy communities through leading-edge environmental stewardship via our air quality, clean water, and energy conservation programs. We proudly support organizations that promote our environmental programs.

• Workforce Development and Education:

We support programs that prepare individuals to participate successfully in an increasingly global society and to contribute back to the communities in which they live. Specifically, we focus on supporting programs that prepare individuals for careers in port-related industries. Examples include but are not limited to: training and education in construction; trade and logistics; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education; aviation, and the building-construction trades.

The Kenneth Rainin Foundation's Open Spaces Program funds innovative public art projects that engage communities in Oakland and San Francisco. This initiative supports artist-driven collaborations, emphasizing community involvement, unique partnerships, and artistic excellence. Grants range from $15,000 to $175,000, depending on project stages, with a focus on accessibility and sustainability. The program prioritizes projects that are publicly accessible for at least a month and that demonstrate measurable outcomes and evaluations.

The Boston Scientific Foundation aims to enhance health and educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals, particularly in STEM fields. Their grant program focuses on K-12 students, requiring at least 50% of participants to be at or below 185% of the poverty line. The foundation seeks evidence-based proposals that can measure improvements in STEM learning, and it prioritizes applications serving communities near Boston Scientific locations, ensuring inclusivity and non-discrimination in service.

TE Connectivity's Community Ambassador Program supports meaningful community impact by providing grants to registered nonprofits and educational institutions. This initiative evaluates proposals based on alignment with TE's values, community focus areas like education or health services, and opportunities for employee engagement. The program operates both in the US and internationally, with numerous ambassador locations, aiming to foster community development and engagement around the globe.

The Amgen Foundation, established in 1990, focuses on enhancing science education and strengthening communities. It supports nonprofit organizations that align with its mission, emphasizing teacher development and hands-on science experiences. Grants are awarded annually, with a commitment of $180 million to impactful programs. Eligible organizations include public schools and libraries, while ineligible requests involve individual support, religious organizations, and political activities. This approach aims to inspire the next generation of innovators through quality educational opportunities.

Philanthropic Ventures Foundation

Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (PVF), a 501(c)(3) public charity, was founded in 1991 to test new approaches to creative grantmaking and to maximize the impact of the philanthropic dollar. We are proud of our 34 years of advancing philanthropy.

Christopher Wellington Moore Memorial Scholarship

The Christopher Wellington Moore Memorial Scholarship is a $20,000 award to one graduating senior at Castlemont High School, McClymonds High School, Oakland High School or Skyline High School in Oakland, CA who has been accepted to a 4-year university pursuing a degree in music or education. The award will be disbursed in four annual installments of $5,000 to the recipient's chosen university.   

Community Finance Initiative 

Advancing the financial resilience of low-income households across the U.S.

This model enables us to engage and support a broad range of organizations across the globe to tackle some of the most pressing social issues of our time.

The Citi Foundation’s 2026 Community Finance Initiative commits $35 million to support programming that bolsters the financial stability, strength and safety of low-income households in the U.S.

Focus Areas

The Foundation seeks to support organizations advancing low-income household financial resilience in the United States across three focus areas:

Stabilize: Programs that help low-income households to build financial skills and confidence to manage daily finances and navigate financial stress.

• Financial coaching on budgeting, credit, debt reduction and savings strategies.
• Digital tools offering personalized financial guidance and product navigation.
• Assistance with public benefits and social safety net programs.

Strengthen: Programs that help low-income households build and repair credit, as well as short- and long-term financial assets.

• Financial products or services for credit building and credit repair.
• Initiatives to increase savings, including emergency funds.
• Support for homeownership, including readiness, preservation and long-term stability (e.g., first-time buyer assistance, preventing displacement and support systems for aging in place resources).

Safeguard: Programs that protect low-income household financial security by preventing and addressing financial losses.

• Education and support for the safe and confident use of digital financial tools.
• Fraud and scam awareness, prevention and recovery initiatives, including protection from identity theft.
• Interventions to help households recover from major financial shocks (e.g., healthcare costs, extended family care, job transitions or natural disasters).

Funding Opportunity

The Foundation plans to award 70 $500,000 (USD) grants (to be disbursed over two years) totaling $35 million to community organizations working in select communities where Citi has a presence.

The grants will be restricted and are anticipated to be disbursed in two annual payments in 2026 and 2027. Proposed projects should be for a term of 24 months, starting no sooner than August 1, 2026 and ending no later than December 31, 2028.

The Venable Foundation, a corporate funder, provides grants averaging $10,000 to nonprofits focused on human services, legal support, education, workforce development, youth impact, health, environment, and arts. Funding is targeted at organizations in specific regions, including Washington, DC, Baltimore, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, and Denver, reinforcing equitable opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals.

The URA-Sandia Graduate Student Summer Fellowship for Summer 2026 is now open for applications until November 30, 2025. This fellowship offers STEM research opportunities at Sandia National Laboratories, focusing on national security projects. Selected candidates will work alongside experienced mentors and receive stipends based on their academic progress. A total of $2,000 is also available for travel expenses. Full-time graduate students and U.S. citizens are eligible to apply.

The City of Berkeley's Civic Arts- General Operating Support Grant provides essential funding to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Berkeley. These grants, awarded biennially, aim to enhance the vibrancy of the local arts scene by supporting operational costs. This initiative focuses on promoting equitable representation for historically marginalized groups, ensuring a diverse and inclusive arts ecosystem. Grantees receive funding for two consecutive fiscal years, streamlining the application process and fostering stability in the arts community.

The Harbor Point Charitable Foundation Grant aims to enhance the quality of life for underserved adults and children in the Bay Area. With a focus on innovative organizations addressing health crises and supporting educational, arts, and nutritional programs, the Foundation has distributed over $4.6 million in grants. Their mission emphasizes community engagement and advocacy, ensuring that funds support nonprofit organizations exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, particularly those benefiting Marin County residents.

Kala Art Institute

Founded in 1974 by Archana Horsting and Yuzo Nakano as an international workshop rooted in the local community and forum for ideas, Kala Art Institute provides exceptional facilities to professional artists working in and across all forms of printmaking, digital media, film, video, and sound, book arts, photography, and performance.

Misson

Kala Art Institute’s mission is to help artists sustain their creative work over time through its Artist-in-Residence and Fellowship Programs, and to engage the community through exhibitions, public programs, and education.

Curatorial Fellowship Program

We are excited to launch a new Curatorial Fellowship this cycle at Kala. For the inaugural program, we are accepting applications from Bay Area curators, artists, and cultural workers to provide research and exhibition development opportunities. The year-long program culminates in an 8-10 week exhibition in the Kala Gallery.

Curatorial Fellowship Resources

For this pilot program, Kala will select and support one Curatorial Fellow who will receive a $3000 stipend, an available desk in the gallery office for exhibition research and development, a Kala art class or workshop, access to Kala’s permanent collection of over 2,500 prints and works on paper, mentorship by Victoria Sung, Phyllis C. Wattis Senior Curator at Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, support from Kala’s exhibitions and collections team, Mayumi Hamanaka and Sonya Castillo, and exhibition support (Kala will pay an additional 40 hours directly to Kala’s installers for for install/deinstall and up to $3,000 for artist honoraria, shipping, materials, and other misc exhibition costs for the Curatorial Fellow’s 8-10 week exhibition in the Kala Gallery to take place between September 2027 – January 2028.)

Benjamin Moore & Co. Charitable Giving is dedicated to uplifting North American communities through support for educational programs, housing development, and preservation efforts. They focus on workforce development, community transformation, and sustainable practices. The initiative emphasizes philanthropy through financial and in-kind donations, alongside volunteer work from employees. Partnering with various organizations, they aim to create lasting impacts on local communities while adhering to strict eligibility criteria for support.

The Bridge Association of REALTORS Community Foundation Grants aims to financially support vital community programs that promote housing, youth opportunities, and diversity. The foundation focuses on Youth Arts and Education, Senior Services, and Workforce Housing, providing grants to non-profits in Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Kensington, Oakland, and Piedmont. With an emphasis on specific projects, eligible organizations must have tax-exempt status and demonstrate a commitment to addressing pressing community needs.

About Rose

Our Mission, Vision, and Roots

Rose believes that environmental stewardship, community justice, and consumer rights are all inextricably linked.

West Oakland Community Fund

This funding opportunity was initially born out of advocacy by West Oakland residents to draw value from the redevelopment of the old Oakland Army Base. Resident members of the West Oakland Community Advisory Group (WOCAG) shepherded the vision of the West Oakland Community Fund from its inception in 2002 to its eventual creation. This led to an agreement between the City of Oakland and the Port of Oakland to provide resources for economic development projects in West Oakland. The Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment is now administering this funding opportunity to support organizations creating community benefit opportunities in West Oakland, the neighborhood directly affected by the closure of the former Oakland Army Base. WOCAG, the City and the Port directed that the funds shall be spent on the following project categories:

• Workforce Development (2026 grant cycle)
• Business Development (2026 grant cycle)
• Educational Programs (future grant cycle)
• Environmental Programs (future grant cycle)

During this 2026 round we are focusing on Business and Workforce Development though grant projects that include elements from the Education and Environmental categories will be given consideration. (Future rounds may have different subject matter emphases.)

The Gordon E And Betty I Moore Foundation offers conservation grants to support projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, focusing on maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. Their initiatives prioritize land acquisition and conservation easements, while fostering partnerships among stakeholders. With a commitment to preserving the region's unique landscapes, the foundation has facilitated over 80 conservation projects across ten counties, enhancing habitats for native species and ensuring sustainable environmental stewardship.

Keep Oakland Beautiful : Community Grant Program

A mainstay Keep Oakland Beautiful tradition, the annual Community Grants program financially supports local work that aligns with our mission. 

KOB awards project grants of up to $1,000 every year. Individuals or community groups can apply for a grant to help fund a project that helps keep Oakland clean, green, and beautiful, and brings people together in a public space. Successful past projects have included park and neighborhood cleanups, beautification projects, tree and greens planting, community gardens, pop-up libraries, graffiti removal, and public murals.

The A to Z Fund Mini-Grant supports Oakland public schools by providing resources for underfunded educational projects, including STEM, art, and music initiatives. With a focus on equity, the fund prioritizes schools serving low-income students and those facing significant challenges. Grants can cover supplies, guest speakers, and project-related expenses, ensuring that all students have access to enriching experiences. This initiative addresses the disparities in funding across schools, aiming to create equal opportunities for all students.

The Sharks Foundation, established in 1994, aims to empower Bay Area youth by providing Community Assist Grants that support wellness, education, and hockey initiatives. Each month focuses on a different area, including cancer care, holiday assistance, and environmental education. The foundation envisions equitable access to quality education and essential resources for every young person, promoting inclusivity through hockey. With its nonprofit status, the Sharks Foundation is committed to fostering community engagement and positive social change.

The Veterans Artist Residency Program at Kala Art Institute offers unique opportunities for veterans in the arts. This program supports innovative work across various mediums such as printmaking, digital media, and sculpture. Selected artists receive 1-4 months of studio access, a cash award of $1,000, housing for out-of-area artists, and participation in community events. The residency fosters a collaborative environment, encouraging artistic growth and community engagement.