Best Grants for Environmental Justice in California

Nonprofit organizations advancing gender and racial justice, especially for women, girls, and gender-expansive people of color, can seek funding from the Peggy and Jack Baskin Foundation. With a mission to center marginalized communities, the foundation supports work in areas like environmental gender justice, public policy, and legal advocacy across California and the broader U.S., by invitation only.

California 501(c)(3) nonprofits and fiscally sponsored projects can receive up to US $1,000 to support social justice and environmental initiatives, including operations, capital campaigns, and events. Beneficial State Foundation provides California organizations working on environmental justice, sustainability, health, housing, and community development with sponsorships, prioritizing existing bank clients and partners; requests must be submitted 60 days in advance.

Nonprofits, tribal entities, and community groups improving health and well-being in the Klamath River Basin in California can access funding via Humboldt Area Foundation’s Klamath River Fund: Catalyst Grants. Awards up to US $10,000 support community-led climate resilience, environmental stewardship, community healing, and related environmental justice projects typically completed within 6–12 months.

California nonprofit organizations, public schools, and school districts working on community development, environmental health, and youth and family services may be eligible for support; funding can back place-based initiatives in high-poverty Northern and Central California communities. These grants from S H Cowell Foundation can strengthen local capacity, advance racial equity, and improve conditions in neighborhoods facing environmental and economic challenges.

Environmental justice nonprofits in California can seek funding for programs protecting low-income families and children from toxic pollutants and related health harms. Sills Family Foundation provides US $10,000 - US $25,000 one-year grants, including general operating support, for community-based efforts advancing environmental justice and systemic change.

California agricultural landowners and partners can seek funding to restore wildlife habitat on privately owned working lands, including riparian areas, wetlands, grasslands, and buffers. Focused on habitat and ecosystem restoration, the California Wildlife Conservation Board supports durable, long-term projects that enhance connectivity, improve environmental co-benefits, and may benefit environmental justice communities through restoration and public access.

Grassroots 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations in California advancing environmental, racial, gender, and economic justice can apply for flexible general operating support; funding may also aid environmental justice advocacy. Grants from Women’s Foundation of California help groups led by women of color and gender expansive leaders using organizing, advocacy, and narrative change strategies.

Nonprofit legal organizations, solo practitioners, and small law firms pursuing impact litigation can apply for recoverable grants from the Impact Fund, typically ranging from US $10,000 - US $50,000, to cover out-of-pocket litigation costs. Focused on economic, environmental, racial, and social justice, California environmental justice and advocacy cases may be especially competitive.

The Robinson Foundation Grant, established in 2016, aims to alleviate hardships faced by individuals and communities, demonstrating God's love through charitable contributions. As a family-operated foundation, it focuses on creating meaningful, long-term impacts in various areas including animal welfare, education, and disaster relief. Organizations eligible for funding must be 501(c)(3) public charities. The foundation prioritizes fiscally responsible projects with the potential for tangible results, while not supporting capital projects.

Nonprofits, fiscally sponsored groups, and public or tribal entities in California can apply for Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment’s California Watershed Protection Fund, offering up to US $40,000 for community-based water quality and watershed protection projects. Grants support surface water stewardship, restoration, conservation, and environmental justice efforts in specified California watersheds.

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2000, dedicated to granting funds for environmental and human services causes. Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) nonprofits and public schools, with grants typically ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. The foundation supports unrestricted grants for various projects, including disaster relief and environmental programs, but does not fund individuals or for-profit entities. Applications are evaluated based on alignment with the foundation's priorities.

California 501(c)(3) public charities working on environmental resiliency, social and environmental justice, inclusive economies, or sustainable food systems may be eligible for funding, with a focus on the Bay Area. Hillman Family Foundations supports innovative projects that advance environmental justice and climate change mitigation, especially in San Francisco and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Organizations and tribal entities advancing community-led climate resilience, restoration, or environmental justice in California’s Klamath River Basin can apply for US $10,000 - US $50,000 from the Klamath River Fund. Humboldt Area Foundation supports projects in Humboldt, Del Norte, and Trinity counties that promote community healing, tribal self-determination, science and restoration, storytelling, and environmental stewardship.

California grassroots environmental and community groups can access funding through Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment to advance climate resilience and environmental justice. Eligible organizations are nonprofits or fiscally sponsored projects with annual budgets of $150,000 or less, working on issues like pollution, sustainable agriculture, water resources, or habitat protection; awards are up to US $7,500.

Nonprofit organizations advancing environmental justice and toxic reduction in California can access funding through As You Sow; awards US $1,000 - US $10,000 for projects enforcing state consumer protection and toxic exposure laws or educating consumers. Grants must substantially benefit California communities, with related efforts considered if they include a California-focused environmental or toxic enforcement component.

With a mission to strengthen local communities, Impact 100 Greater Sacramento provides California nonprofits with large project grants supporting arts, education, environment, family, and health and wellness. Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in Sacramento, Yolo, Placer, or El Dorado counties may receive more than US $100,000 for high-impact programs, including environmental justice and conservation initiatives.

Environmental and social justice nonprofits in California can seek $10,000 - $30,000 for projects advancing environmental conservation, environmental justice advocacy, and community development. Focused on concrete, year-end deliverables, the Firedoll Foundation supports 501(c)(3)s and fiscally sponsored projects working with vulnerable communities, including in Alameda, Contra Costa, and other Northern California counties.

Nonprofit and mission-driven for-profit organizations in California developing early-stage projects in environment, heritage conservation, or social justice can apply for the J.M. Kaplan Fund’s J.M.K. Innovation Prize; awards up to US $175,000 for piloting game-changing ideas. Environmental justice initiatives that fit these priorities may be competitive candidates.

The Community Ties Giving Program by Union Pacific Foundation offers local grants aimed at enhancing community well-being through diverse funding priorities. These include safety initiatives, workforce development, community vitality, and environmental sustainability. The program emphasizes supporting organizations that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, aiming to create impactful projects that resonate with Union Pacific's heritage and mission. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit organizations serving Union Pacific communities and demonstrate a clear need and capacity to deliver effective programming.

Nonprofit arts organizations and fiscally sponsored groups using creative programming to address environmental and climate issues in California can apply for grants supporting operations, projects, and community programs. Grants from the Wilhelm Family Foundation help arts organizations nationwide, with a preference for California, that engage diverse, marginalized, or underserved communities through public, community, and social-change art.

California arts nonprofits and fiscally sponsored groups in California can receive up to US $25,000 to run collaborative arts projects addressing community-defined social, economic, or environmental issues. With a mission to uplift under-resourced communities, California Arts Council provides funding for artist-community partnerships that use creative practice to tackle inequities and promote cultural expression.

Nonprofit organizations addressing hazardous waste, pollution, and related public health impacts in California can apply for US $5,000 - US $50,000 to support environmental justice work. Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment administers this fund in partnership with the state’s toxics agency, focusing on communities affected by facility violations in select counties.

Businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies in California can apply for the Redemption Innovation Grant, which offers US $500,000 - US $10,000,000 for start-up and expansion of beverage container recycling centers and innovative redemption programs. Administered by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, this funding may benefit environmental justice efforts in underserved communities.

Government agencies, tribal governments, educational institutions, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits in California can seek funding for land, air, or water stewardship projects through the Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grant program. PG&E Corporation Foundation provides $100,000 awards in each of five regions, prioritizing disadvantaged or vulnerable communities and projects at any stage, from planning to construction or education.

Organizations and groups working at the intersection of racial justice, youth, and the environment in California can apply for grants up to US $25,000 to provide youth of color with meaningful nature experiences. Grants from Justice Outside help Bay Area programs in nine counties offer recreation, environmental justice, conservation, climate justice, and cultural or ancestral education for ages 3–24.

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.