Search Through Mendocino County Grants for Nonprofits in California

Community Support Grant Program

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County supports local educational opportunities open to the public, and public events with broad community impact, that align with the Community Foundation’s strategic plan. Nonprofits, tribes, schools, special districts and organizations with a fiscal sponsor are eligible to apply for these small grants.

Each request is evaluated on:

• The alignment with the Community Foundation’s mission, vision, strategic plan, and current priorities.
• The impact the event will have on meeting immediate needs in Mendocino County.
• The quality of the planning.
• The scope of outreach in the broader community.

Funding

$500-$1,000

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Hammond Trust Emergency Services Scholarship Fund

Created by the Ukiah Fire Fighters Association in honor of Virginia and George Hammond to support Mendocino County high school students to attend the Explorer Academy, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), paramedic training, Fire Academy, or pursue a bachelor’s degree in Fire Science. Active employees/volunteers of Mendocino County fire departments are also encouraged to apply to pursue additional training or education.

History

Established in the early 2000s, the Community Enrichment Grant Program was established to make annual grants that support the enrichment of local communities in Mendocino County. The Community Enrichment Grant Program is funded by the Community Endowment Fund, a collection of permanent, undesignated endowment funds.

Purpose

The goal of the Community Enrichment Grant Program is to provide funding to support projects and programs with a broad reach and impact and also to proactively address key issues in each region of our county.

Priorities

Priority will be given to projects that:

• Benefit the general public or a significant subgroup of the population –e.g. youth, seniors, Native or Latino community, or people with disabling conditions.
• Advance the applicant organization’s mission, vision, and long-term goals.
• Position the applicant organization to achieve the next level of operational, programmatic, financial, or organizational maturity, allowing it to fulfill its mission more effectively in the future.
• Develop stronger partnerships to catalyze growth and improve efficiency within the Mendocino County nonprofit sector.

Funding Types

Program grants

Strong proposals demonstrate that organizations are working in the context of the larger community and developing connections between diverse elements of the community. Proposals will be stronger if the program has a “multiplier” effect (e.g., funds that are used to improve education and also spur economic vitality of the community).

Capacity-building projects/administrative grants

Proposals must demonstrate how they will position the organization to more effectively and/or efficiently fulfill its programmatic goals in the future. Examples of eligible capacity-building activities include:

• Collaborating with other organizations to improve services or eliminate duplication.
• Strengthening governance, leadership, or staff expertise.
• Restructuring business models and accounting practices to improve financial stability.
• Building and diversifying revenue streams.
• Developing and implementing long-term strategic plans.
• Refining communications, marketing, and outreach.
• Improving volunteer recruitment, training, and engagement.
• Pursuing opportunities to share space, equipment, or other administrative costs.

Capital grants

Proposals are limited to assisting with the initial design/plans or with the final phases of fundraising for building and renovation. Non-specific requests for large capital projects will not be considered (proposals for specific portions of capital campaigns are welcome.

Applicants must own the land/building and have investigated the necessary permits. The Community Foundation does not make grants to property not owned by applicant organization. A description and budget for the overall capital project are required in the application.

Equipment and technology grants

Proposals must demonstrate how the equipment will increase the organization’s ability to advance its mission. Software, apps, or website development costs are considered equipment projects.

Product specifications and cost estimates, as they are known at the time of the application, are required.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

California Retired Teachers Association Division 55 Hilmer Finne Music Scholarship Fund

Created by California Retired Teachers Association Division 55 in honor of Hilmer and Vivian Finne to support Mendocino County high school and college students to study music.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Chris P. Lo Pinto Memorial Scholarship

Created by Chris Lo Pinto to support high school or college students who are interested in careers in law enforcement or probation. Sample careers include police officer, sheriff, probation officer, corrections officer, evidence technician, community outreach officer, game warden, parole officer, public safety dispatcher, bailiff, park ranger, etc.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Elmer Alberston Scholarship Fund

Created by the Elmer Albertson Trust to to help grow the future workforce of Mendocino County for those attending a Community College, other than Mendocino College, or a Vocational Program (e.g., Registered Nurse, Cosmetology, Dental Assistant, Licensed Vocational Nurse, Medical Assistant, Culinary Arts, Electrician, etc.)

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Fionna and Richard Perkins Scholarship Fund

Created by Fionna and Richard Perkins, this scholarship is awarded to women on the Mendocino Coast who are re-entering higher education after being in the workforce.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Jesse Pittman Memorial Scholarship Fund

Created by the friends and family of Jesse Pittman, to help determined young Americans who share Jesse’s spirit by ensuring an opportunity to attend college.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Katherine and Elizabeth Lanam Memorial Scholarship Fund

Created by Philip Lanam in honor of his daughters, Katherine and Elizabeth, to support students who participated in 4-H or Future Farmers of America (FFA) throughout high school. Students must either pursue a career in agriculture (timber, wine, dairy, ranching, and non-cannabis farming) or be a scholar athlete with interest in the Humanities (especially English literature and art and film), life skills (cooking, sewing, arts and crafts, etc.), and/or education.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Marvin Lehrman Music Scholarship Fund

Created by Mildred Lehrman in honor of her late husband, Marvin, to support Mendocino County high school seniors who have a passion for music and are interested in continuing their studies at an accredited community college or an accredited four-year college or university within the United States.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

McCarthy and Whitcomb Inland Performing Arts Scholarship Fund

Created by John Whitcomb and Dennis McCarthy to support high school and college students who intend to study performing arts and/or design.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Mendocino Agricultural Families’ Scholarship Fund (Winegrowers’ Scholarship Fund)

Created by the Mendocino Winegrowers Alliance and the Savings Bank of Mendocino County to recognize the invaluable contributions of the agricultural workforce and invest in the future of the Mendocino County agricultural industry.

The scholarship is aimed at helping students achieve the dream of higher education and their goals that might otherwise be unachievable.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Nash Bartolomie Industrial Arts Scholarship

Created by friends and family in honor of Nash to support students who are interested in pursuing careers in the industrial arts. Sample careers include carpentry, metallurgy, automotive technology, diesel mechanics, electronics and computer repair, technical drafting and computer-aided design, building and construction, plumbing and heating system design and operation, welding, etc.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Pasternak Family Healthcare Scholarship Fund

Created by Stephen and Liesbeth Pasternak for high school and college students who are pursuing careers in the dental or physical therapy professions. Sample careers include dentist, dental assistant, hygienist, physical therapist, physical therapy assistant, athletic trainer, etc.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Penserra/Madrigal Family Scholarship

Created by Jorge Madrigal and Penserra Financial Ventures LLC, to honor “la familia Madrigal” and encourage entrepreneurism while supporting seniors who are first, second, or third-generation (minimum one parent or one grandparent) immigrants. 

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Sandy Westman Mayfield Vocational Scholarship Fund

Created by Sandra and John Mayfield, Jr., to support high school and reentry students in pursuit of vocational careers, especially those studying cosmetology.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Skye Scholarship Fund

Created by Valerie and Nick Brownrigg, to support students who have overcome adversity to make their dreams of college come true. 

Established in 2016, this scholarship is awarded to graduates from Mendocino County high schools who desire to better themselves through higher education, despite personal circumstances that could have limited their opportunities, and who are altruistic and desire to make the world a better place.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Visual Arts Scholarship Fund

Created by Holly Brackmann and Thomas Liden to support high school and college students who intend to study the visual arts. Examples of fields of study include fine art, art history, curatorial studies, photography, design, fine woodworking, ceramics, textile and fiber arts, etc.

Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County is a county-wide nonprofit organization that administers permanent charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County Scholarship program provides scholarship opportunities for local students to help pursue their educational goals and achieve their higher education dreams.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County provides scholarships for all seven regions of the county, as well as for specific academic and professional goals.

Walter Camp STEM Scholarship Fund

Created in honor of Walter Camp by his family, wife Jane and sons Tomki and Blaise, the Walter Camp STEM Scholarship is awarded to a Mendocino County high school senior (excluding Ukiah High School) pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) at an accredited community college or an accredited four-year college or university within the United States.

The In-N-Out Burger Foundation’s mission is to assist children and youth who have been victims of child abuse and neglect, and to prevent others from suffering a similar fate. The Foundation will only consider requests from organizations that closely align with our mission and that serve communities where In-N-Out Burger does business.

The In-N-Out Burger Foundation is happy to consider the following types of grants:

Traditional Grants: Grant awards range from $5,000 - $25,000.

Program: Restricted funding to support the development, expansion, or enhancement of programs within an existing organization.

General Operating Support: Unrestricted funding to support the overall operations and sustainability of your nonprofit. Applicants must present a strong case on how this funding will help sustain the organization’s mission and provide benefits to the children in their care. *Please note that all of your organization’s programs must align with our mission to be considered for this type of support.

Capital Grants: Grant awards range from $5,000 - $50,000.

Capital Campaign: Restricted funding for the construction of new facilities, renovations or upgrades to existing buildings, and other special projects that will enhance the organization’s mission.

Capital Purchase: Restricted funding to purchase equipment, furnishings, or any other major material purchases that will enhance the organization’s mission.

Capital grants are awarded on a very limited basis each year. The Foundation will only consider requests from organizations that meet all other funding criteria and who already have an established long-term funding relationship with the Foundation (minimum of 2 years).

Please carefully review the Capital Grant Guidelines above to ensure that your organization meets the requirements to apply. Capital Grants are invitation-only. Please contact us to set a 30-minute meeting to discuss your project and be prepared to send a draft summary of the project for review beforehand. 

Background & Purpose

The California Arts Council’s policies and practices prioritize racial equity and have a broad geographic reach into communities of all sizes and needs, and this includes providing critical services to artists and to the community at large. The CAC is committed to funding opportunities that support all of California’s creative ecosystem. Offering fellowship support to artists responds to the CAC’s Strategic Framework by directly supporting individuals who embody aesthetics, a key value of the CAC, recognizing all art forms and artistic traditions that enable full and meaningful creative expression.

Through a network of regionally-based Administering Organizations (AOs), the Individual Artists Fellowship (IAF) program will continue to recognize, uplift, and celebrate the excellence of California artists practicing any art form. In doing so, the CAC will showcase the centrality of artists’ leadership in guiding the evolution of our traditional and contemporary cultures.

Excellence, for purposes of this grant, is defined as an artist’s:

• Unique artistic vision
• Ongoing commitment to creative practice
• Engagement with and impact on the larger cultural ecosystem

This program will support artists at key moments in their careers, elevating their capacity for continued contribution to the field and our state. Fellowship grants support individual artistic practice through unrestricted funding. This program is intended to support a broad spectrum of artists working in all disciplines, from diverse geographies and communities of all sizes across the state of California.

Administering Organizations (AO)

The AOs will be responsible for the planning and implementation of the Individual Artist Fellowship program in their region, including but not limited to:

• Provide access and support for individual artists and culture bearers throughout the course of the application, award, and evaluation processes
• Engage in robust, culturally and discipline-specific engagement and outreach to ensure comprehensive geographic reach within the service area
• Convene fellows at least once over the course of the grant activity period to engage in networking and co learning
• Provide platforms including but not limited to virtual or print publications, exhibits, or performances to increase the visibility of the work of the fellows
• Engage in regular reporting to and collaboration with the CAC, including providing interim and final reports on program outcomes and findings.

Funding Structure

Administering Organizations will regrant fellowship awards to provide unrestricted funding in support of the fellows’ artistic practice. The following three tiers of funding are available. (Awards will be funded at the full dollar amount for each tier, partial awards will not be made):

CAC Emerging Artist Fellows - $5,000

Emerging artists are those in the beginning stages of making their work public and engaging the larger community in their practice. Individuals at this career stage may have had a few public showings of their work, but do not yet have ongoing resources or support.

CAC Established Artist Fellows - $10,000

Artists in the Established tier regularly make their work public and engage the larger community in their practice. Individuals in this tier can give multiple examples of artistic and/or cultural works that have made significant social impact.

CAC Legacy Artist Fellows - $50,000

Artists in the Legacy tier can point to a significant body of work, produced over a substantial period of time, that has engaged their communities and that has made significant social impact. Artists in this tier may be able to point to Emerging and Established Artists that they have mentored or otherwise positively influenced.

Each AO will make grants to a minimum of three fellows in each career tier. The total grant award is for $800,000.

AOs may use up to 20% of the grant award for administrative costs and costs associated with program design and implementation, including convening and publication and/or production costs to support visibility of fellows’ work.

AOs will regrant the remaining 80% of funds to individual artists and culture bearers in their region(s).

Field-of-Interest Grant Program

The Field-of-Interest Grant Program offers grant opportunities for local nonprofits with proposed projects or initiatives in the fields of arts and culture, children and youth, disaster relief, recovery, and resilience, economic development the environment, and healthy and inclusive communities.

History

Established in 2016, the Field-of-Interest Grant Program is a collection of funds established to make grants in specified areas of interest (e.g., the environment or human services), or specified geographical areas, or both. The grant program is offered annually with funding provided by individual Field-of-Interest funds.

Purpose

The goal of the program is to provide grants to Mendocino County nonprofit organizations around specified areas of interest (e.g., the environment or human services), or specified geographical areas, or both. Available funding and grant guidelines are provided annually. Not all funds run every year.

Arts and Culture Fund

The Fund for Arts and Culture is comprised of private donors and the A.D. Abramson Endowment Fund for the Visual Arts, the Arts in the Schools Endowment Fund, the Community Endowment Fund, the Fund for Visual and Performing Arts, the Jonathan Gibbs Memorial Fund, the Judy Pruden Fund for Historical Preservation, and the Textile and Fiber Arts Endowment Fund.

The Fund for Arts and Culture was established to provide grants that nurture artistic and cultural organizations and initiatives in Mendocino County, including those that honor the region’s unique history and sense of place.

Funding priorities include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting efforts that bolster the delivery of performing and visual art experiences and/or grow local audiences.
• Making arts programming accessible to Mendocino County residents and visitors of all ages.
• Facilitating high-quality arts education in K-12 classrooms, such as providing artists with training and/or additional resources.
• Supporting community groups or accomplished local artists in creating high-quality art that will be displayed in public spaces. Please note: Permission for public art installation must be secured with an MOU from the entity where it will be installed (e.g., park, civic building, library, hospital, city, etc.)
• Supporting projects encouraging the practice, appreciation, and/or education of traditional and contemporary textile and fiber arts, such as special projects, speakers, publications, exhibitions, community or school education programs, etc.
• Supporting impactful projects that enrich the public’s understanding and appreciation of Mendocino County’s history, such as historical publications and exhibits, marketing materials for historical tours, and historical information/plaques/interactive media.

Funding

Grant range: $1,000-$5,500

Grant proposals for $5,000 or more may have two stages of review: an initial review and a site visit. Site visits may be made in-person, by phone, or virtually.

Field-of-Interest Grant Program

The Field-of-Interest Grant Program offers grant opportunities for local nonprofits with proposed projects or initiatives in the fields of arts and culture, children and youth, disaster relief, recovery, and resilience, economic development the environment, and healthy and inclusive communities.

History

Established in 2016, the Field-of-Interest Grant Program is a collection of funds established to make grants in specified areas of interest (e.g., the environment or human services), or specified geographical areas, or both. The grant program is offered annually with funding provided by individual Field-of-Interest funds.

Purpose

The goal of the program is to provide grants to Mendocino County nonprofit organizations around specified areas of interest (e.g., the environment or human services), or specified geographical areas, or both. Available funding and grant guidelines are provided annually. Not all funds run every year.

Children and Youth

The Fund for Children and Youth is comprised of private donors and the Community Endowment Fund, the Elisabeth McCarthy Fund for Covelo Children, the Jim Levine Youth Endowment Fund, the Mendocino Coast Youth Mentorship Fund, and the Vocational Education Fund.

The Fund for Children and Youth was established to provide grants that support, empower, and create opportunities for Mendocino County children to reach their full potential.

Funding priorities include, but are not limited to:

• Workforce and Service Learning:
  • Collaborative projects between businesses and educational institutions focusing on work readiness, job training, and certification programs for students interested in local employment opportunities.
  • High school, community college, and nonprofit technical education and vocational programs including, but not limited to equipment purchases, the deployment of innovative teaching techniques, and tools for students to successfully embark on careers upon graduation.
  • Youth programs with a focus on prevention that support service-learning and volunteerism.
• Health and Well-being for Youth:
  • Programs that promote youth leadership, mentorship, and empowerment.
  • Programs that promote the physical safety, health, and mental well-being of young with diverse sexual orientations and genders including, but not limited to: LGBTQIAA+ persons as well as their family and friends.

Funding

Grant range: $1,000-$5,500

Grant proposals for $5,000 or more may have two stages of review: an initial review and a site visit. Site visits may be made in-person, by phone, or virtually.

Field-of-Interest Grant Program

The Field-of-Interest Grant Program offers grant opportunities for local nonprofits with proposed projects or initiatives in the fields of arts and culture, children and youth, disaster relief, recovery, and resilience, economic development the environment, and healthy and inclusive communities.

History

Established in 2016, the Field-of-Interest Grant Program is a collection of funds established to make grants in specified areas of interest (e.g., the environment or human services), or specified geographical areas, or both. The grant program is offered annually with funding provided by individual Field-of-Interest funds.

Purpose

The goal of the program is to provide grants to Mendocino County nonprofit organizations around specified areas of interest (e.g., the environment or human services), or specified geographical areas, or both. Available funding and grant guidelines are provided annually. Not all funds run every year.

Disaster Relief, Recovery, and Resilience

The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors created The Fund for Disaster Relief, Recovery, and Resilience to provide immediate relief from natural and human-caused disasters and promote recovery, preparedness, and resilience efforts in Mendocino County.

The Disaster Relief, Recovery, and Resilience Fund is comprised of private donors and the Community Endowment Fund.

The Fund for Disaster Relief, Recovery, and Resilience was established to respond to immediate disaster situations and support disaster preparedness projects that make concrete steps to mitigate disaster hazards, such as fire-safe building and landscaping; projects that encourage communities to improve resiliency, i.e., emotionally, physically, and socially; and service continuity projects which support community centers, senior centers, health centers, and family resource centers with a priority for evacuation centers, or those who provide a critical gap in the local safety net services.

Funding priorities include but are not limited to:

• Disaster Preparedness Projects:
  •  Workshops on fire-safe construction and landscaping for homeowners throughout the region.
  • Organizational collaboration to work with homeowners, city and county organizations to assess and prevent wildfire threat.
  • Funding for local emergency response organizations to be fully equipped and better prepared to respond in case of a disaster. 
• Community Resiliency Projects:
  • Activities that offer long-term benefit in supporting emotional, physical, or social recovery.
  • Supporting a Municipal Advisory Council (or other local governing bodies) to develop a long-term plan for a community.
  • Establishing or further developing local or regional disaster response/preparedness teams.
  • Assisting with a community resilience assessment to specifically evaluate the physical, economic, and social implications of community decisions (either active or passive) made with respect to recovery needs following a disaster.
• Service Continuity Projects:
  • Disaster planning and communications improvements.
  • Purchasing disaster readiness supplies, equipment and/or software to ensure business continuity in the face of disaster.
  • Generator installation and/or other critical infrastructure improvements.

Please note:

• Equipment grants must include product specifications and cost estimates as they are known at the time of the application.
• Permanent improvements on privately owned land are generally not funded. Speak to the Program Team if you have any questions. 

Funding

Grant range: $1,000-$5,500

Grant proposals for $5,000 or more may have two stages of review: an initial review and a site visit. Site visits may be made in-person, by phone, or virtually.

Field-of-Interest Grant Program

The Field-of-Interest Grant Program offers grant opportunities for local nonprofits with proposed projects or initiatives in the fields of arts and culture, children and youth, disaster relief, recovery, and resilience, economic development the environment, and healthy and inclusive communities.

History

Established in 2016, the Field-of-Interest Grant Program is a collection of funds established to make grants in specified areas of interest (e.g., the environment or human services), or specified geographical areas, or both. The grant program is offered annually with funding provided by individual Field-of-Interest funds.

Purpose

The goal of the program is to provide grants to Mendocino County nonprofit organizations around specified areas of interest (e.g., the environment or human services), or specified geographical areas, or both. Available funding and grant guidelines are provided annually. Not all funds run every year.

Economic Development

The Fund for Economic Development is comprised of private donors, the Community Endowment Fund and the John and Sandra Mayfield Family Economic Development Fund.

The Fund for Economic Development was established to provide grants that support a sustainable, healthy, and equitable local economy in Mendocino County.

Funding priorities include, but are not limited to:

• Technical assistance, development, and/or capacity building for social entrepreneurship efforts.
• Collaborative or coalition efforts to secure sustainable funding for a sector or shared mission.
• Financial literacy, money or debt management workshops or seminars.
• Infrastructure, education, and support resources (coaching and mentoring) for start-ups, social enterprises, and small businesses.
• Innovative projects to retain or attract qualified employees.
• Micro-loans to launch or scale entrepreneurial small businesses.
• Efforts to align economic development collaborations and implement best practices.

Funding

Grant range: $1,000-$5,500

Grant proposals for $5,000 or more may have two stages of review: an initial review and a site visit. Site visits may be made in-person, by phone, or virtually.

Field-of-Interest Grant Program

The Field-of-Interest Grant Program offers grant opportunities for local nonprofits with proposed projects or initiatives in the fields of arts and culture, children and youth, disaster relief, recovery, and resilience, economic development the environment, and healthy and inclusive communities.

History

Established in 2016, the Field-of-Interest Grant Program is a collection of funds established to make grants in specified areas of interest (e.g., the environment or human services), or specified geographical areas, or both. The grant program is offered annually with funding provided by individual Field-of-Interest funds.

Purpose

The goal of the program is to provide grants to Mendocino County nonprofit organizations around specified areas of interest (e.g., the environment or human services), or specified geographical areas, or both. Available funding and grant guidelines are provided annually. Not all funds run every year.

Environment

The Fund for the Environment is comprised of private donors and the Arthur and Jean Morley-FTOS, the Charles F. Flinn and Walker B. Tilley Endowment Fund for Sustainable Forestry, the Community Endowment Fund, the Environmental Education and Conservation Fund, and the Fund for Trails and Open Space.

The Fund for the Environment was established to provide grants to support climate resilience and honor, preserve, and steward the natural environment of Mendocino County.

Funding priorities include, but are not limited to:

• Programs that offer environmental education around topics such as natural resource management, the effects of climate change, and humans’ role in causing and addressing climate change, land stewardship, habitat and watershed restoration, and/or providing and improving access to natural lands.
• Projects that conserve and rehabilitate Mendocino County’s natural environments and animal habitats (including the ocean and reef ecosystems) for the long-term social, environmental, and economic benefit of the community, such as wildlife surveys; habitat studies; habitat and watershed restoration projects; improving existing public access to conservation lands; land docents and land stewardship; native plant management; and invasive plant removal.
• Programs that support the acquisition, preservation, and restoration of parks, trails, trail signage, and open space areas that are free and open to the public for low-impact recreational uses.
• Increasing canopy trees for public benefit through tree planting (and subsequent maintenance) in cities and unincorporated areas of Mendocino County. Thinning, fuel reduction, and tree removal projects are ineligible for funding

Funding

Grant range: $1,000-$5,500

Grant proposals for $5,000 or more may have two stages of review: an initial review and a site visit. Site visits may be made in-person, by phone, or virtually.

Field-of-Interest Grant Program

The Field-of-Interest Grant Program offers grant opportunities for local nonprofits with proposed projects or initiatives in the fields of arts and culture, children and youth, disaster relief, recovery, and resilience, economic development the environment, and healthy and inclusive communities.

History

Established in 2016, the Field-of-Interest Grant Program is a collection of funds established to make grants in specified areas of interest (e.g., the environment or human services), or specified geographical areas, or both. The grant program is offered annually with funding provided by individual Field-of-Interest funds.

Purpose

The goal of the program is to provide grants to Mendocino County nonprofit organizations around specified areas of interest (e.g., the environment or human services), or specified geographical areas, or both. Available funding and grant guidelines are provided annually. Not all funds run every year.

Healthy and Inclusive Communities

The Fund for Healthy and Inclusive Communities is comprised private donors and the Community Endowment Fund, the Deborah E. Barber Fund, the Fraeda Dubin Endowment Fund, The Homeless Services Endowment Fund, the Hunger Express Poverty Fund, the Jane Anderson Developmental Disability Endowed Fund, the Mendocino County Endowment-Community Endowment Fund, the Mendocino County Endowment for Community Health Projects, the Moorehead Endowment Fund for Seniors, the Pat Denny Wellness Fund, the Poverty Program Fund, the Rainbow Fund, the Ukiah Saturday Afternoon Club Endowment Fund, and the Women’s Legacy Fund.

The Fund for Healthy and Inclusive Communities was established to provide grants to foster healthy and inclusive communities in Mendocino County where everyone has equitable access to the care, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive.

Funding priorities include, but are not limited to:

• Client services that assist individuals with basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, necessary household items, communication, sanitation, health, employment, and education, especially those that allow seniors to “age in place.”
• Patient navigation or case management services that assist individuals to manage complex health needs.
• Education and/or outreach programming that enriches community health knowledge and/or increases civic engagement in public health topics (e.g., educational programming around substance abuse prevention and treatment, outreach programs to encourage blood, platelet, and bone marrow donation, etc.)
• Opportunities that assist women and girls in strengthening their physical, emotional, intellectual, and/or financial well-being to enable them to reach their potential.

Funding

Grant range: $1,000-$7,000

Grant proposals for $5,000 or more may have two stages of review: an initial review and a site visit. Site visits may be made in-person, by phone, or virtually.