FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

UPCOMING AND OPEN FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES:

CalAgPlate Program – The CalAgPlate program funds projects that support agricultural education, agricultural career awareness and development, agriculture career training, and agriculture leadership development to assist students at the kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12), post-secondary, and adult education levels. Supporting these educational and training areas will provide participants with further agricultural opportunities. Applications due: November 2, 2026. Click here to learn more. 

Youth Community Access (YCA) Grants will fund projects that serve youth from low-income and disadvantaged communities and provide immersive and meaningful experiences with natural or cultural resources within California that participants otherwise would not have. Low income and disadvantaged communities are defined in the program guidelines as those that disproportionately lack access to natural and cultural resources. Deadline: November 4, 2026 Click here to learn more. 

Military Outdoor Connections Grant – Offered through the National Park Trust. Nonprofits can apply for up to $5,000 to connect service members, veterans, and military families with public parks, lands, and waters. National Park Trust recognizes that military-connected individuals and families can face a variety of barriers to accessing outdoor recreation and public lands, including transportation, equipment, cost, and lack of familiarity with nearby outdoor opportunities. Public parks, lands, and waters provide an ideal setting for recreation, wellness, education, conservation, and building meaningful connections with family and community. Facilitating these experiences helps foster a lasting appreciation for America's outdoor heritage within the military community while encouraging participants to explore, enjoy, and help protect the places that belong to all of us. Applications due: November 20, 2026. Click here to learn more. 

Kids to Parks – Title I schools nationwide can apply for up to $1,000 per classroom for a student-led park field trip in honor of Kids to Parks Day. Funding can be used towards program fees, transportation costs, stewardship supplies, and any other materials needed for a robust learning experience. This grant is designed to be student-driven, and student-teacher collaboration is a must. In addition, all applications must include a stewardship element and a park-themed educational component that focuses on either outdoor recreation and healthy lifestyles, environmental education/science, or history.Applications due: January 29, 2027. Click here to learn more. 

Other grants to track that are available statewide:

• Adventure Pass Grant, Parks California and California State Parks
• Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Grant, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• California Grant Portal - subscribe to receive notifications
• California Marine Protected Areas Outreach and Education Small Grants Program, Coastal Quest/Ocean Protection Council
• Career Pathways, Parks California
• Environmental Education Grant, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Environmental Justice Small Grant, California Environmental Protection Agency
• Explore the Coast Grant, State Coastal Conservancy
• Liberated Paths, Justice Outside
• NOAA Ocean Guardian Schools (to open in April 2027)
• Outdoor Equity Grant, California State Parks
• Route to Parks, Parks California
• Youth Access to Nature Fund, Justice Outside
• Youth Community Access Grant, California Natural Resources Agency
• Whale Tail Grant, California Coastal Commission

Please contact info@aeoe.org if you are aware of additional funding opportunities to share with our community.