Capacity Building Programs for Land Trusts
California Council of Land Trusts launched two grant opportunities for land trusts and their partners to help the state of California meet its goals in Pathways to 30x30 and the Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy:
- Capacity Building Grants (Closed as of September 20, 2024)
- Project Advancement Grants (Second Round Now Open for Applications until August 1, 2025. First Round closed as of October 18, 2024)
We are grateful for the funding we have received through the following programs:
Climate Smart Land Management Program: Capacity Building and Technical Assistance
Pathways to Climate Success:
Information about Capacity Building Grant Program for Land Trusts availbale here >>
Closed as of September 20, 2024
Project Advancement and Grant Program:
Building a pipeline of climate-smart projects, helping land trusts leverage funding and increase shovel-ready projects.
Project Advancement Grants >>
Second Round Now Open for Applications until August 1, 2025. First Round closed as of October 18, 2024
Each program includes capacity building for land trusts in the form of direct block grants, as well as technical training and assistance, with a focus on building equity and partnerships with Native Tribes, Native organizations, and disadvantaged or underserved communities.
The second round of Project Advancement block grant funding for land trusts and their partners is now open for new applications. In this second round, CCLT will award approximately $1.7 million in three grant categories:
- Transaction, Project Development, and Permitting
- Organizational Capacity Building
- Building and Sustaining Partnership Projects
Eligible organizations for the Project Advancement Grant Program include:
- Conservation land trusts located in and serving California that are tax-exempt organizations under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
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Conservation land trusts in partnership with Native Tribes, Native-led organizations, or organizations representing underserved or disadvantaged communities.
Technical training and assistance programs for land trusts are now available and will be ongoing through 2026. Please note that these training programs are only available for land trust staff, Board members, and volunteers.
Upcoming Technical Assistance Programs for Land Trusts
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Technical Assistance/Training |
Developed and delivered by |
Date |
Application Link |
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Preparing your Land Trust to Access Public Funding |
First workshop held April 25, 2025 Second workshop July 2025 |
Closed Stay Tuned! |
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First workshop May 30, 2025 |
Registration Closed |
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Training for Certified Real Estate Appraisers on State Appraisal Specifications for Conservation |
June 25, 2025 from 8am - 5pm in Sacramento |
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Land Protection Academy |
October 2025 |
Stay Tuned! |
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Best Practices in GIS for Land Trusts |
Fall 2025 |
Stay Tuned! |
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State Appraisal Basics for Land Trusts |
Fall 2025 |
Stay Tuned! |
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Empowering Land Trusts to Engage Online Audiences: Content Creation for Nature (includes online training modules and live zoom sessions) |
August – December 2025 |
If you have ideas for other training or technical assistance for land trusts, please let us know by emailing grants@calandtrusts.org.
Please bookmark and check back at this page often and watch our social media channels for updated announcements.