Best Grants for Mentoring Programs in California

Nonprofit organizations in California offering STEM education, youth mentoring, or workforce development programs can apply for community grants supporting education, environment, public safety, and civic engagement. Edison International provides funding to local nonprofits in its Southern California service area, with a strong emphasis on underserved populations and programs that build community resilience and opportunity.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations providing culinary, nutrition, or arts education with a life-skills focus in California counties like Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego may be eligible for Community Grants. Grants from Emeril Lagasse Foundation help mentoring and tutoring programs that build youth life skills, connect food to healthy living, and address basic needs.

Nonprofit organizations serving under-resourced youth ages 10–19 in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties can seek project funding for out-of-school-time experiential learning, youth food justice, youth sports, and girls’ empowerment initiatives. Horner Foundation supports California programs that build leadership, mentorship, academic support, and life skills, including mentoring-focused efforts within these priority areas. Awards up to US $40,000.

California 501(c)(3) public charities with budgets under $10 million that provide direct youth services, including mentoring and leadership programs, may be eligible for up to US $10,000 to support projects. Grants from Frieda C Fox Family Foundation help organizations in Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties maximize the potential of children and youth through annually themed initiatives.

California 501(c)(3) organizations running structured, sports-based youth development programs for underserved youth under 18 can receive up to US $25,000 for program costs, staffing, equipment, facility renovations, or testing new models. LA84 Foundation prioritizes Southern California efforts that expand low-cost sports access and coaching, which may include mentoring-style support for youth participants.

Eligible 501(c)(3) public charities in California serving disadvantaged youth and families in Orange County and nearby communities can apply for Nobbs Family Foundation’s Nobbs Family Foundation Grant to support education and mentoring programs. Funding may cover program, operating, or capital expenses for single-year projects that provide tutoring, training, scholarships, and youth development or leadership opportunities.

Nonprofit and fiscally sponsored organizations serving Monterey County in California can apply for the Community Foundation for Monterey County’s Organizational Development Grants, awarding US $5,000 - US $10,000 for one-time capacity-building projects. Funding can support strategic planning, leadership transitions, CRM upgrades, or other efforts that strengthen internal management and resilience, which may benefit mentoring and tutoring programs.

Youth robotics teams in California and other John Deere home communities that are part of schools, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, or registered charities can seek funding to participate in the FIRST LEGO League Challenge. With a mission to expand STEM opportunities, John Deere Foundation provides support to teams near its Inspire locations, especially those serving underserved or underrepresented students.

California nonprofit arts organization staff and individual artists, creatives, cultural practitioners, and cultural producers can apply for the Center for Cultural Innovation’s Quick Grant, with awards up to US $600 for professional development. Funding supports workshops, conferences, and consulting or coaching that build administrative capacity, business skills, and financial resilience, which may benefit mentoring-focused arts programs.

California State Universities and Community Colleges that run mentorship and training programs can seek funding to support undergraduate, post-bac, and master’s students in tobacco-related research and local tobacco control activities. Focused on tobacco-related disease and smoke- and vape-free initiatives, the University of California’s TRDRP awards up to US $1,150,000 over four years.

Postdoctoral physician-scientists and junior researchers in California conducting translational biomedical research can receive up to US $210,000 in salary support through this fellowship and leadership award. The A P Giannini Foundation funds three years of research training plus structured communications and leadership development, which may benefit mentoring-focused labs and training environments at accredited California medical schools.

Youth robotics teams connected to schools or 501(c)(3) nonprofits in California and other John Deere home communities can seek funding to participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition. Focused on underserved, underrepresented, and rural students, the John Deere Foundation invites teams with strong mentoring and diversity commitments to apply, with preference for those engaging John Deere employee mentors.

Local governments and eligible public agencies in California can apply for US $200,000 - US $8,500,000 from the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program to create, expand, or renovate parks in underserved areas. Youth-serving organizations with mentoring or recreation programs may benefit by partnering on projects that add new recreation features in low-park or low-income neighborhoods.

Hematology fellows and early-career faculty seeking clinical research training and mentoring can access support through the American Society of Hematology’s year-long Clinical Research Training Institute, including a workshop in California. Grants from American Society of Hematology help participants develop patient-oriented hematology research projects with education in methods, collaboration, and career management, with certain travel costs covered.

California school-based or 501(c)(3) FIRST LEGO League Explore teams focused on STEM/STEAM education can access funding through the John Deere Foundation, primarily for underserved, underrepresented, or rural youth near Torrance. Grants support registration and participation, with priority for teams meeting equity criteria and those engaging John Deere mentors or requesting mentor support.

California 501(c)(3) organizations running structured, sports-based youth development programs can apply for more than US $10,000 to cover program costs, staffing, equipment, facility renovations, and testing new models. Focused on equity-centered youth sports, LA84 Foundation invites Southern California programs serving underserved youth, especially girls and young women, to expand safe, affordable opportunities that often include mentoring components.

California school-based or 501(c)(3) FIRST LEGO League Discover teams can get support for STEM and educational equity activities through John Deere Foundation, primarily for underserved, underrepresented, or rural youth. Teams must be near Torrance (Los Angeles) or have an actively committed John Deere mentor, and complete required equity, diversity, and inclusion training.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) mentoring and youth programs in California can seek Charis Fund’s US $2,500 - US $7,500 grants to initiate or expand services for at-risk youth, education, and related social welfare needs. Funding supports efforts such as after-school programs and mentoring support, with priority for small to medium organizations under a $10M annual budget.

Nonprofits, schools, universities, and public agencies in California and worldwide can seek funding for amateur radio, STEAM education, and digital communications projects; awards support education, research, and infrastructure. Amateur Radio Digital Communications requires that all funded technology, documentation, and materials be released with open access using recognized open-source or free-culture licenses.

California 501(c)(3) nonprofits running tutoring, mentoring, or other youth enrichment, basic needs, conservation, or scholarship programs can apply for Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation grants of US $5,000 - US $20,000. Eligible work must serve communities tied to Henry Mayo Newhall’s legacy, including San Francisco, Santa Clarita Valley, and Santa Maria Valley in California.

Nonprofit and mission-driven for-profit innovators in California can apply for the J.M. Kaplan Fund’s J.M.K. Innovation Prize, awarding up to US $175,000 for early-stage projects. Funding supports transformative work in the environment, heritage conservation, or social justice, and mentoring programs that fit these areas and tackle pressing U.S. challenges may be eligible.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and educational institutions in California’s Inland Empire offering youth mental health, mentoring, tutoring, or education equity programs can apply for Inland Empire Community Foundation’s Youth Grantmakers awards of US $1,000 - US $5,000. Eligible agencies must serve youth in Riverside, San Bernardino, or the Coachella Valley and operate without discrimination.

California 501(c)(3) public charities and schools offering education and youth development or mentoring-related services in the Tahoe Basin can seek US $2,500 - US $5,000 to strengthen local programs. Focused on community well-being, Tahoe Community Foundation also supports arts, community engagement, and environmental initiatives for organizations incorporated in California or Nevada.

Aspiring artistic and managing directors in California partnering with Bay Area theatre companies can apply for Theatre Bay Area’s Arts Leadership Residency, which awards US $12,000 for a 12–16 week residency. Eligible pairs commit to mentorship, administrative work, and leading a significant creative project at a participating Bay Area theatre company.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) child care providers and allied direct-service organizations in California can receive up to US $15,000 to expand high-quality early care and education capacity, workforce development, and family engagement. Santa Barbara Foundation supports programs in Santa Barbara County serving children ages 0–5, including leadership training, business model support, and equitable access initiatives that may complement mentoring efforts.

About Elevate Youth California (EYC)EYC is grounded in social justice youth development (SJYD), which expands the concept of a positive youth development framework and addresses social factors including racism, xenophobia, and other racial inequities youth face as they develop into adulthood. Through a public health and harm reduction lens, EYC supports culturally and linguistically responsive, healing-centered, and trauma-informed strategies that prevent substance use before it begins, particularly in communities disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs. Youth Substance Use Disorder Prevention: Standard Track Cohort 8The required goal of this funding opportunity is to address SUD prevention by investing in youth

leadership and civic engagement for youth of color and 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth ages 12 to 26 living in communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. California Department of Health Care Services is seeking applications that: 

• Support youth engagement that focuses on youth civic engagement, specifically in communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs.
• Possess cultural humility and responsiveness with staff and organizational leadership who reflect the racial, ethnic, and cultural community they intend to serve.
• Prioritize public health solutions that focus on positive messages to prevent SUD.
• Develop culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate social justice youth development, peerto-peer support, and mentoring programs that are healing-centered, trauma-informed, and focused on youth ages 12 to 26.
• Utilize an intersectional approach to health equity through policy, systems, and environmental change.
• Implement SUD prevention activities that address the root causes of SUD, reduce risk factors, and increase protective factors.