Funding Opportunities Newsletter
April & May 2026

Upcoming Grants

• The First Nations Development Institute: Native Food Security Grant (due April 14) funds efforts to ensure that American Indian communities have reliable access to traditional foods that support both physical and spiritual well-being, including providing resources for wild food harvesting.
• The CA Natural Resources Agency Tribal Nature Based Solutions Grant (due April 15) funds tribal multi-benefit, nature-based solutions projects, as well as escrow-ready, multi-benefit ancestral land return.
• The CA Department of Boating and Waterways Quagga and Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention Grant Program (due April 17) helps prevent the spread of quagga and zebra mussels in reservoirs that are open for public recreation and are mussel-free.
• TThe National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Western Big Game Seasonal Habitat and Migration Corridors Fund (due April 21) provides two funding programs that promote robust, sustainable populations of big game, such as elk, mule deer, and pronghorn; have positive effects on a variety of other species; and implement strategies that increase habitat connectivity and resiliency.
• The US Forest Service Wood Innovations Grant Program (due April 22) provides separate funding opportunities for Wood Innovations projects, Community Wood projects, and Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance. Together these programs support projects that increase the use of wood in construction, innovative products, and wood-energy systems.
• The First Nations Development Institute California Tribal Fund Stewardship of Ancestral Lands and Waters (due April 27) supports projects related to land reparations, reclamation of lands formerly under tribal control, or initiating culturally responsive models for current and future land and water stewardship. Eligible activities include resource surveys, cultural burning, native plant reintroduction, and capacity building, among others.
• The CA Department of Parks and Recreation Surrendered and Abandoned Vessel Exchange: Abandoned Watercraft Abatement Fund Program (due April 30) provides reimbursement for the abatement, removal, storage, and disposal of abandoned vessels from navigable waterways or adjacent public property, or from private property with the landowner’s consent.
• The CA Department of Parks and Recreation Boating Safety and Enforcement Equipment Grant Program ((due April 30) supports local government agencies in purchasing boating safety and law enforcement equipment.
• The American Indigenous Tourism (AIT) Association and United States Forest Service: Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act (NATIVE Act) Grant (due May 1) supports tourism development initiatives led by Tribal Nations, tribal enterprises, and Indigenous nonprofits on or adjacent to U.S. Forest Service-managed lands.
• The National Forest Foundation: Collaborative Capacity Program for Forests and Communities (due May 4) funds collaborative activities that support wildfire resilience, recreation opportunities, land & watershed restoration, and rural economies, with a special focus on projects that bring together multiple perspectives to co-create solutions for forest stewardship or that increase tribal co-stewardship of National Forests and Grasslands.
• The National Volunteer Fire Council and State Farm: Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program ((due May 7) helps resource-constrained volunteer fire departments secure needed equipment to enhance safety, effectiveness, and operational readiness.
• The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Five Star Grant Program (due May 14) supports local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds, and habitats in implementing on-the-ground, educational, or community partnership development activities.
• The CA Department of Conservation Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (pre-proposals due May 14) protects critical agricultural lands from conversion to residential development, including lands that support gathering and cultivation of tribal traditional foods, medicines, and fibers.
• The CA Fire Safe Council: State Fire Capacity Grant Program (due May 15) provides funding for community fire plan development, education and outreach, and hazardous fuel reduction and maintenance programs on non-federal lands, with a focus on the wildland-urban interface (WUI).
• The El Dorado Community Foundation’s Sierra Nevada Conservancy Grants (Letters of Inquiry due May 15) fund projects to protect, preserve, and restore lands, water, wildlife, and communities for lands within the Sierra Nevada Conservancy Region.
• The CA State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection Effectiveness Monitoring Program Grants (due May 18) fund scientific research that evaluates the effectiveness of the California Forest Practice Rules and related natural resource protection regulations on forestlands and rangelands throughout the state.
• The CAL FIRE Business and Workforce Development Grants ((due May 20) support a variety of projects that enhance industry operations, develop workforce skills, and foster innovation in the forest sector. Note: updated guidelines for the program were adopted on February 23, 2026.
• The AmeriCorps State and National Native Nations Grants (due May 20) fund community service projects, including the preservation and teaching of traditional Native languages and cultural practices and the promotion of sustainable food systems and agriculture, habitat preservation, Indigenous environmental practices, traditional ecological knowledge, and Indigenous food sovereignty.
• The CAL FIRE Volunteer Fire Capacity Program (due May 31) assists rural fire forces by funding personal protective equipment, training, and other equipment needs for fire departments serving communities of 10,000 population or less.
• The Arthur L. & Elaine V. Johnson Foundation: Grants for Conservation and Wildlife (due June 1) fund direct conservation as well as science-based conservation actions, with higher priority given to projects focused on vulnerable/endangered species or their habitat and environment.
• The CA Transportation Agency (Caltrans) Active Transportation Program (due June 22) funds projects that encourage active modes of transportation including new bikeways and walkways, recreational trails and trailheads, park projects facilitating trail linkages or connectivity to non-motorized corridors, and conversion of abandoned railroad corridors to trails.
• The Hydro Flask Product Donations Program (due June 30) provides products to be used for participant rewards or program incentives for programs including outdoor recreation and environment or climate action education.
• The American Kennel Club Reunite: AKC Pet Disaster Relief Program (rolling) provides nonprofit organizations and government units with a trailer and supplies (a pet disaster relief unit) for the protection and support of displaced pets and service animals in the event of an emergency or disaster.
• The Pedigree Foundation Disaster Relief Grants (rolling) provide up to $5,000 in funding to animal welfare organizations whose communities have suffered a natural disaster.
• The Coalitions and Collaboratives (COCO): Community Mitigation Assistance Team Program (rolling) provides community coalitions at medium to high risk of wildfires access to Community Mitigation Assistance Teams (CMATs), which work closely with local partners to identify mitigation opportunities before a fire impacts the community.
• The Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Fund Local Impact Grant Program (rolling) provides up to $5,000 for projects, programs, or community events focused on conserving wildlife and habitat or connecting new audiences to the outdoors.
• The Brothers Helping Brothers Equipment Grant (rolling) provides funding, tools, and equipment to small and rural fire departments and emergency medical services organizations.
• The Trek Foundation Grant Program (rolling) seeks to protect land, develop mountain bike trail systems for public use, and provide more riders access to great places to ride.
• TThe Gary Sinise Foundation: First Responders Outreach Grant (rolling) provides support to first responder departments for equipment and training needs.
• The Richard King Mellon Foundation Conservation Grants Program (rolling) helps protect imperiled habitats through large-scale strategic land protection, stewardship, activation, and sustainable economic development projects.
• The First Nations Development Institute – Community Navigator Project (rolling until funds are expended) provides up to $50,000 to eligible tribes and Native-led organizations to cover costs associated with building capacity, such as strategic planning, feasibility assessments, grant writing, project and grant management training, development of conservation strategies, etc.
• The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP): Caring For Our Relatives Technical Assistance Program (rolling) provides free comprehensive technical assistance to tribes that may be facing barriers to starting or completing ecological-resilience projects, which, for the purposes of this program, are defined as projects that will help non-human relatives to survive and thrive in a changing climate.
• The Hind Foundation Standard Grants Program (rolling) supports community-based projects proposed by nonprofit organizations that are at least three years old and have visible impacts in California. Areas of funding include ecosystem conservation, historical landmark restoration, plant and wildlife protection, and land conservation.
• The Groundwork USA: Nonprofit Brownfield Technical Assistance Program (rolling) supports community-led efforts to advance equitable brownfield projects that transform underutilized spaces into parks, trails, urban farms, and other community assets.
• The Headwaters Economics, Inc. Community Planning and Assistance for Wildfires Program (rolling) helps communities adapt to living with the risk of wildfires through interdisciplinary technical assistance teams that provide site-specific recommendations on integrating wildfire-risk-reduction measures into design and development.
• The CA Department of Parks and Recreation Boat Launching Facilities Grant (rolling) supports the development and improvement of public motorized and non-motorized boat launching facilities, including parking lots and restrooms.
• The CA Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Wildlife Conservation Board California Riparian Habitat Conservation Program (rolling) supports riparian restoration projects that further biodiversity, promote climate resilience, or help achieve other state priorities.
• The CA Wildlife Conservation Board Proposition 1 Streamflow Enhancement Program (rolling) supports projects that enhance stream flows with the focus on streams that support anadromous fish; support special-status, threatened, endangered, or at-risk species; or provide resilience to climate change.
• The CA Wildlife Conservation Board Forest Conservation Program ((rolling) advances the protection, restoration, and improvement of upper watershed lands in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains, including forest lands, meadows, wetlands, chaparral, and riparian habitat, in order to protect and improve water supply and water quality, improve forest health, reduce wildfire danger, mitigate the effects of wildfires on water quality and supply, increase flood protection, or protect or restore riparian or aquatic resources.
• The CA Wildlife Conservation Board Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Rescue Program (rolling) supports the restoration or enhancement of critical monarch habitat on public and private lands.
• The CA Department of Conservation California Farmland Conservancy Program (CFCP): Land Improvement Projects and Agricultural Conservation Easement Grants (rolling) support the voluntary acquisition of conservation easements and restoration of and improvements to agricultural land.
• The US Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 Targeted Brownfields Assessment Program (rolling) provides no-cost phase I and II environmental site assessments, which give applicants a better understanding of potential contamination issues at brownfields in their communities and assist them in redevelopment planning.
• The US Department of Agriculture Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (rolling until funds are depleted) provides loan guarantees to establish, reopen, expand, or improve sawmills and other wood-processing facilities.