GRANTS FOR
CALIFORNIA PARKS
PHOTO: GROVER HOT SPRINGS STATE PARK
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Parks California manages several grant programs to support park, park partners, and local nonprofits in connecting community to California State Parks. Read below to learn more about grant opportunities available.
Are you a current or past Parks California Grantee? You can access information related to current or past grants made to your organization on our grant portal here.
Parks California, in partnership with California State Parks, launched the Adventure Pass Grants Program to support transportation, programs and activities needed for California’s fourth graders and their families to explore California State Parks.
Studies¹ indicate that access to parks and greenspace can lead to improvements in children’s physical well-being, social/emotional learning, and academic outcomes, with children experiencing reduced stress² and demonstrating more enthusiasm³ for school. Every child should have easy access to parks. This program is one way we all can make that possible.
Grant funding is available for your community group! In response to natural disasters including 2023 storm damage at Seacliff and New Brighton State Beaches and the 2020 CZU fire that burned Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Parks California is seeking representatives to coordinate community engagement events to inform ongoing planning efforts. State Parks has been working collaboratively to reimagine and plan renewed parks focused on equitable access and resiliency to future climate conditions.
The goal of this community grant program is to include a diverse range of perspectives, experiences, backgrounds, and expertise in the public planning process by prioritizing historically underrepresented groups and communities that have been less frequent visitors of the parks and have been less involved in park planning.
Particularly, Parks California is prioritizing grants to groups connected to lower income communities and people of color. Funds will be awarded to individuals and/or community groups, with the selection being based on maximizing the participation of communities that could best help determine strategies to increase equity in access to the parks. By bringing a diverse range of voices into the project as stakeholders, we hope to help identify ways to plan more equitable and accessible parks.
Learn more about the Big Basin, Seacliff, & New Brighton Community Grant Program (PDF here) and click here to apply on Parks California’s grant portal.
The Candlestick Park Activities Grants Program aims to bring together community at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area. A growing body of research suggests that nature provides a multitude of benefits from disease prevention, community resilience, social ties among neighbors, and more. Through funding from Parks California, this grants program will support local organizations to host gatherings and activities for Bayview Hunters Point youth and adults at Candlestick Point.
This funding opportunity is designed to help ensure Bayview Hunters Point youth and adults have a natural and public space to gather in community and have resources available to promote connection and healing. Grants will be awarded to nonprofits, schools, religious organizations that support youth, adults, and families in Bayview Hunters Point.
Learn more about the Candlestick Park Activities Grant Program here.
California’s State Parks will be best prepared to address climate change with a talented and diverse workforce, equipped to lead the care of our landscapes. Historically, park career paths have not been inclusive to all. Bringing diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and Indigenous knowledge into stewardship builds resilience and broader support for our parks.
Parks California launched its Career Pathways Grant Program to expand career pathways to California State Parks jobs for underrepresented communities. This program supports workforce development partnerships between State Parks and local organizations that meaningfully address key access barriers and prepare participants for park careers. The program aims to not only prepare the next generation workforce with necessary skills but also expand awareness about the diversity of careers in parks and public lands, connect participants to mentors and professional networks to support them in their career journey, and help participants navigate state hiring processes.
At Parks California, we believe that everyone deserves a world-class park experience that can lead to a lifelong connection with nature. However, documented disparities, such as the lack of transportation or public transit options can be a barrier to fostering personal connections with the outdoors.
To help ensure that all communities, including people who have been historically marginalized, have an opportunity to visit and enjoy California State Parks, Parks California launched the Route to Parks grants program in 2020 to support local organizations that are best able to address transportation and other obstacles faced by these communities.
30 days
of giving
30 days of giving
Make an enduring, positive difference for California’s State Parks with a tax-deductible gift today! Help us raise $100,000 to support the Career Pathways program, preparing youth and adults for stewardship careers in parks and public lands.
