California Grants

Top California grants right now

• FEMA Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Grant Program for AI-Enabled Drone Detection

  Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) / Department of Homeland SecurityUp to $250Mopen

  The FEMA Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grant Program, established under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, provides $500 million to e...

  counter_dronehomeland_securityai_detectionpublic_safetyuas_defense

• DHS Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Counter-UAS) Grant Program FY2026 for AI-Enabled Drone Defense at FIFA World Cup and National Capital Region

  U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)Up to $30Mopen

  The DHS Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Counter-UAS) Grant Program was established to support state and local law enforcement, critical infrastruct...

  counter_uasai_drone_defensecomputer_visionsensor_fusionpublic_safety_ai

• Knight Foundation and USC Marshall Purpose-Driven AI Research Initiative

  John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (with USC Marshall School of Business)Up to $500Kopen

  The Knight Foundation has committed $4 million to USC Marshall School of Business, matched by USC Marshall, to support a Purpose-Driven AI Research in...

  purpose_driven_aiai_democracyai_journalismai_businessknight_foundation

• Native American Preparedness Tribal Grant

  Department of Fish and Wildlifeopen

  The Tribal Preparedness Grant is part of the Office of Spill Prevention and Response Program and supports California Native American tribes in prepari...

• CHFFA Commercial Paper Program

  State Treasurer's Officeopen

  Eligibility General Requirements -Must be a health facility as defined in the Authority's Act (Section 15432(d) of the California Government Code) -Mu...

• Wildlife Corridors – Nature Based Solutions

  Department of Fish and Wildlifeopen

  For connectivity planning and implementation projects consistent with the State Wildlife Action Plan, the state’s efforts on connectivity, and the Fis...

• California Forest Improvement Program

  Department of Forestry and Fire Protectionopen

  The program scope includes the improvement of all forest resources including fish and wildlife habitat, and soil and water quality. Cost-share assista...

• Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) Program

  State Water Resources Control Boardopen

  Eligible Applicants: Any city, town, district, or other public body created under state law, including state agencies A Native American tribal governm...

• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Construction

  State Water Resources Control Boardopen

  The Division of Financial Assistant (DFA), State Water Board manages the DWSRF program and prioritizes financing for projects that address the most se...

• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Planning

  State Water Resources Control Boardopen

  The Division of Financial Assistant (DFA), State Water Board manages the DWSRF program and prioritizes financing for projects that address the most se...

• Greenhouse Gas Reduction Loan Program

  Department of Resources Recycling and Recoveryopen

  The purpose of this investment is to further the purposes of the California Global Warming Solutions Act (Assembly Bill 32), reduce methane emissions ...

• Charter School Facilities Program (CSFP)

  State Treasurer's Officeopen

  Through the passage of Propositions 47, 55, 1D, and most recently, 51, $1.4 billion has been made available to charter schools for construction of new...

• Senate Bill 1 Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Grant Program

  Ocean Protection Councilopen

  The SB 1 Grant Program aims to provide funding for sea level rise (SLR) adaptation planning to help prepare communities for the impacts of climate cha...

Where California grants come from

• Federal sources — Grants.gov, NIH RePORTER, and SAM.gov, filtered for opportunities that fund work in California.
• California state portal — state-administered grant programs, including pass-through federal dollars and state-only appropriations.
• Foundations — community foundations and private foundations active in California, drawn from IRS Form 990 filings and curated foundation directories.
• Corporate giving — a curated set of corporate philanthropy programs that explicitly fund California-based work.

Listings are refreshed daily and stale data is flagged. Local funders missing from your area? You can request ZIP-level coverage after creating a free account.

Qualify California grants before you write

Most of the time it takes to win a grant isn't writing — it's research and qualifying. Before you commit a week to a full proposal, qualify the opportunity with a 1–2 page Letter of Inquiry. Our guide walks through the structure that gets a yes: