Grants to California Nonprofits, Agencies, and School Districts for Projects to Improve and Maintain Outdoor Recreational Spaces

Field-of-Interest Funds - Environmental Fund - Fund for Trails and Open Space

Agency

Foundation

GrantWatch ID#

184733

Funding Source

THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MENDOCINO COUNTY

Geographic Focus

USA: California: Mendocino County

Important Dates

Deadline: 09/18/23 5:00 PM

Grant Description

Grants of up to $7,500 California nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and school districts in eligible regions for projects to improve and maintain outdoor recreational spaces. Funding is intended for the restoration, acquisition, and preservation of trails, parks, and other open public spaces. Eligible projects are those that take place in Mendocino County.

The Fund was created with an appreciation of the natural beauty of Mendocino County and a belief that activities in the natural world contribute significantly to mental, physical, and spiritual health and well-being. The Fund supports the acquisition, preservation, and restoration of parks, trails and open space areas that are free and open to the public for low-impact recreational uses. Low-impact is defined as resource-oriented outdoor recreation that complements the unique and natural features of a site without harming the environment.

Purpose: The goal of the fund is to provide grants to nonprofit organizations for projects with strong volunteer involvement to acquire, preserve, or restore parks, trails, and open space areas.

Projects may include:

Equipment for preservation and restoration projects;
Improvements to existing facilities or construction of new facilities, including but are not limited to, trails, trailheads, restrooms, parking areas, informational/interpretive kiosks, and directional signage; or
Planning for development or acquisition of new parks, trails or other public open spaces.

Recipient

Additional Eligibility Criteria

City and county entities will be considered on a request-by-request basis. All other applicant organizations must:
- Serve residents of Mendocino County. Applicants not headquartered in Mendocino County must ensure that all grant dollars requested are spent within the County;
- Be legally chartered in California and in possession of determination letter from the IRS declaring the organization a public charity that is exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3); or be a school district, tribe, or special district (e.g. community services, recreation, fire protection); or have an aligned mission with a fiscal sponsor;
- Have two years of operational history;
- Conduct business without discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, or religious affiliation.

Ineligible

Applicants may not use grants for:
- Political contributions or to support political campaigns or lobbying;
- Influencing the outcome of or participate in any public election or to carry on, directly or indirectly, any voter registration drive;
- Purposes other than those which are religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational within the meaning of Section 170 (c)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code;
- Purposes other than those stated in the grant award.

Pre-Proposal Conference

This year the Community Foundation will also hold it's Lunch and Learn Nonprofit Training Series. The first one will cover, “The How, When, and Why of Grant Seeking and Proposal Writing” on September 7, 2023 from 11:30 AM-1:30 PM at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center and September 8, 2023 from 11:30 AM-1:30 PM at the Mendocino Coast Clinics.

Pre-Application Information

Deadline for submission: September 18, 2023 by 5:00 PM

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply at least 5 days in advance of the deadline to resolve any technical difficulties or unforeseen Internet connectivity issues.

If an applicant would like to receive feedback on their draft application, they must request an appointment and have the draft application available by September 8th.

Grants recipients will be notified of award by November 17, 2023.

Checks will be processed and mailed out by the new calendar year.

Additional Funding Information

Estimated Total Program Funding:

$1,000

Estimated Size of Grant

Grant range $1,000-$7,500

Term of Contract

Projects and/or activities supported by a Field-of-Interest grant should be concluded by November 1, 2024.

Contact Information

Apply online: https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=mendocinocountygrants

For questions about the guidelines or to receive feedback on individual proposals applicants may call Meredith DeLucia at (707) 468-9882 ext. 103 or email meredith@communityfound.org.

For technical assistance questions, contact Hayley Moore at (707) 468-9882 ext. 110 or email
hayley@communityfound.org.

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County
204 South Oak Street
Ukiah, CA 95482
Phone: (707) 468-9882

Grants to California Nonprofits, Agencies, and School Districts for Projects to Improve and Maintain Outdoor Recreational Spaces

Field-of-Interest Funds - Environmental Fund - Fund for Trails and Open Space

We have foundations for

We have grants for

Cookies