Capacity Building Grant Application | California Council of Land Trusts

Applicants will apply using the online application form below. A completed application form, Work Plan, Budget Worksheet A, and Worksheet B must be submitted with the application. Please download the Work Plan and Budget Worksheets in your preferred file format (File >> Download). When you are ready to submit, simply save it as a PDF and upload your final file to the application where prompted.

Preview the Application

Consultation with Program Staff
The CA Onward Program Director is available for consultation with potential applicants prior to submittal. It is strongly recommended that prospective applicants schedule time via this link.

Staff is also available to assist applicants complete the Application as needed.

Review Process
Applications will go through an administrative review for eligibility.

Eligible applications will then be reviewed by a Grant Review Committee (GRC) composed of representatives from CCLT and other key partners and peers with relevant expertise and experiences. The GRC may request applicants revise and resubmit applications, as necessary. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with the CA Onward Program Director prior to submitting applications to minimize necessary revisions.

The grant proposals will be scored in accordance with the breakdown per prompt outlined below and as listed in the grant evaluation criteria. However, scores will be one of many aspects used to determine final grant decisions, including geography and focus areas, and impact on Native and/or under-resourced, underserved, disadvantaged, and severely disadvantaged communities. The GRC may recommend modifications, including recommending partial funding, to meet program priorities, funding targets, and available funding limitations. Final funding decisions rest solely with CCLT.

CCLT will notify all applicants of final decisions.

Grant Application

Project Overview

Applicant Name(Required)

First Last

Project Name(Required)

Total Cost(Required)

Amount requested from CA Onward Grant Program:(Required)

Start Date(Required)

End Date(Required)

Project Location

Primary County(Required)

Specific location (Assessor Parcel Number or address if available)(Required)

Nearest City (distance and direction)(Required)

Latitude (decimal degrees)(Required)

Longitude (decimal degrees)(Required)

Landowner (if applicable)

State Senate District(s)(Required)

State Assembly District(s)(Required)

Applicant

Organization Name(Required)

EIN #(Required)

Organization Purpose/Mission(Required)

Primary Contact Name and Title(Required)

Primary Contact Email(Required)

Primary Contact Phone(Required)

Primary Contact Mailing Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

Project

Project Summary(Required)

Please provide a summary of the project in one or two sentences.

Purpose, Need, and Impact (word limit: 500) (20 points)(Required)

1) Describe the proposed project, why it’s necessary, and how your project will advance the pace and scale of conservation and/or stewardship in your community and/or California.

2) Describe the specific problems (current conditions, limiting factors, etc.), issues, or unserved needs the project will address.

Advancing California Conservation (word limit: 250) (10 points)(Required)

Describe how this project will increase the pace of land conservation in California and how it quantitatively and qualitatively supports statewide environmental priorities, Pathways to 30x30, and/or the Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy (NWLCSS).

Advancing Objectives of California Onward Program for Land Trusts (word limit: 250) (10 points)(Required)

Describe how the proposed project will quantitatively and qualitatively advance the following objectives of the California Onward Capacity Building Program for Land Trusts:
- Build a pipeline of 1 million new acres toward the goal of 30x30 and NWLCSS.
- Leverage $20 million in local, state, federal, and private funding toward the goals of Pathways to 30x30, and/or the Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy (NWLCSS).

Project Readiness and Defining Success (word limit: 400) (20 points)(Required)

1) Describe the project status feasibility and the preparations undertaken to ensure prompt project completion.

2) What does success in this project look like one year after completion? How will you measure success, and what are distinct benchmarks for short-term and long-term success?

Community Support (word limit: 150) (5 points)(Required)

Describe the public and institutional supports for the project and any efforts to include the local community and/or Native Tribe or Tribal organization or stakeholders. (Please do not include any support letters unless this is a partnership project.)

Will you be working with a Partner Organization?

Yes

Partner Organization Name

Partner Organization Leader Title

Native Tribe or Native-led organization (word limit: 250) (5 point bonus) (if applicable)

If applying with a Native Tribe or Native-led organization, describe and provide evidence that this project is engaging authentically with or directly benefiting Native communities, Tribal Nations, Native Tribes (does not need to be federally recognized), or Native-led organizations through an MOU, MOA, or letter of support.

Community Support, Collaboration, and Engagement (word limit: 250) (5 point bonus) (if applicable)

If applying with a community partner, please explain how the organizations will work together, how grant resources will help strengthen and/or formalize the partnership, and how the resources will be allocated between partners. If the project benefits or serves a historically underserved or California Disadvantaged/Severely Disadvantaged Community (DAC/SDAC), please provide the location of the project and documentation demonstrating that it is located within or providing direct benefit and describe the services and/or benefits provided. Please document by using one of the following tools:

- Department of Water Resources Disadvantaged Community Mapping Tool
- Cal Enviro Screen 4.0
- Climate and Economic Justice mapping tool
- Additional demographic data defined in the BLM EJ mapping tool

Project Team and Capacity (word limit: 200) (5 points)(Required)

Describe the project team and their roles for this project, and describe your organizational capacity and commitment to complete and sustain the proposed activities.

Grant Activities (word limit: 400) (15 points)(Required)

List and describe the grant activities by task. Please include no more than five (5) tasks. Tasks should align with the Project Work Plan and Budget task lists.

Project Work Plan (5 points)(Required)

Provide a realistic timeline for project activities over the course of the grant period. (Upload completed Project Work Plan PDF.)

Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 100 MB.

Budget (10 points)(Required)

Upload completed Budget Worksheet A and Worksheet B saved as PDFs.

Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 100 MB.

Comments

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Contact Information
Karin Winters, Program Director
E-mail: grants@calandtrusts.org
Phone: 916-497-0272 x2
Book a meeting with Karin

Grant Guidelines

Resources and FAQs - updated

Webinar Recording & Slides
Download a PDF of the Webinar Slides.

Grant Timeline

June 20, 2024	Grant Applications Open
July 9-Sep 20, 2024	CA Onward Program Director available for consultations
July 24 from 12:00pm-1:00pm	Virtual Information Webinar
*Sep 20, 2024*	Applications Due*
Oct 18, 2024	Grant Decisions (est.)
Oct 31, 2024 – Oct 1, 2026	Potential Grant Period

*Applications from Native-led land trusts, or applications that include partnerships with underserved community organizations and/or Tribes or Native-led organizations may be submitted at any time. Please contact the CA Onward Program Director by September 20, 2024 to inform us of your intent to apply. For projects submitted after September 20, 2024, Funding is limited and will be provided as applications are received and evaluated.