General Operating Support
🏛 CA Arts Council (California)
✓ Free, no account · Source: California Grants Portal · Last verified Aug 23, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations working on wildfire resilience, forest protection, open space, and habitat restoration in the San Gabriel and Los Angeles River watersheds, Dominguez Channel, and Catalina Island area.
Eligible applicants include nonprofits, government agencies, tribal organizations, and other entities that can demonstrate capacity to implement multi-benefit projects. Projects must serve the geographic area and address one or more priorities: watershed protection, green space expansion, habitat restoration, or climate resilience.
The RMC prioritizes projects with strong community engagement, environmental justice benefits for disadvantaged communities, and those leveraging multiple funding sources. Projects may include park development, trail construction, watershed restoration, and workforce development activities.
Geographic scope is limited to southern California, primarily Los Angeles County and Orange County areas within the RMC's jurisdiction.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
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Program description
This grant supports the well-being of California’s cultural vitality by helping sustain a robust and diverse arts workforce and infrastructure. Funds may be used to support any eligible expenses associated with the general operations of an arts or cultural organization, including but not limited to rent, utilities, and staff salaries. Applying for this grant does not restrict an organization from applying for other CAC project-based grants. General Operating grants are intended to support the applicant organization in carrying out its mission. Funding is not intended to support a specific project. Organizations eligible to apply include: Nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), California organizations Units of municipal, county or Tribal governments Fiscally sponsored organizations Arts service/network organizations with total revenue of $5 million or below Arts producing or presenting organizations with total revenue (TR) of $1.5 million or below Applicant organizations and fiscal sponsors must meet the requirements below: Have a principal place of business in California and a California address. Have a minimum two-year history of consistent arts programming and/or services prior to the application deadline. Demonstrate proof of nonprofit status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or section 23701d of the California Revenue and Taxation Code. Eligible applicant organizations without non-profit status, please see Fiscal Sponsor Requirements in the 2026 Grants Manual. Have “active status” with the California Secretary of State (SOS) showing evidence of “good standing” at the time of application. Eligible Request Amounts Applicant organizations can request up to $30,000 for a one-year funding cycle Funding Restrictions: Organizations who have applied for the 2026 cycle of State-Local Partners are not eligible for General Operating Support. The CAC’s definition of Total Revenue is the total cash inflow from your organization’s most recently completed fiscal year. Cash inflow/income includes all earned income (ex: ticket sales) and contributed income (ex: grants, donations/contributions, one-time organizational funding, operational grants). Regranting, pass-through, and restricted capital improvement funding are excluded from the organization’s total revenue calculation. Matching Funds A one-to-one match is required for this grant for organizations with a total revenue above $250k. See the 2026 Grants Manual for clarification on eligible match sources. 2026/27 Funding Priorities: Every eligible application will be adjudicated by peer review panels and receive a final rank (see 2026 Grants Manual). All applications that receive final ranks of 6 through panel adjudication will be funded regardless of whether they meet any of the funding priorities. Applications receiving ranks of 4 and above through the adjudication process will then receive added weighting for meeting the priorities as outlined in the Guidelines. Allocations for final ranks below 6 will be made in order of weighted ranks as funding availability permits.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- Individuals
- Nonprofits
- Public Authority
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Project narrative
- Budget and budget narrative
- Community engagement plan
- Map showing project location within RMC jurisdiction
- Letters of support from community partners
- Proof of organizational capacity and relevant experience
Program contact
- 📧 genopsgrant@arts.ca.gov
- 📞 1-916-322-6555
Funding track record
Past applications & awards under this program (California Grants Portal) — how competitive it is.
By fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Applications | Awarded | Award rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-2026 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
Source: California Grants Portal
FAQ
What geographic area does this grant cover?
The grant serves the San Gabriel and Los Angeles River watersheds, Dominguez Channel, and Catalina Island. This includes coastal areas, wetlands, forests, and urban communities in southern California.
What types of projects does RMC fund?
RMC funds open space creation, habitat restoration, park development, trail construction, watershed protection, wildfire resilience projects, and green workforce development.
Is community engagement required?
Yes, RMC strongly encourages robust community engagement throughout project development and implementation. The RMC provides a Community Engagement Toolkit to help applicants.
What is the typical award range?
Awards range from $50,000 to $2,000,000. The total funding pool is $30.9 million available.
Are there application deadlines?
The deadline appears to be rolling, meaning applications may be accepted on an ongoing basis. Check the RMC website for current submission windows.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize multi-benefit outcomes addressing multiple regional priorities like water quality, flood control, and climate resilience simultaneously.
- Demonstrate meaningful community engagement plans, especially if serving disadvantaged communities. Use the RMC Community Engagement Toolkit.
- Show how your project leverages additional funding sources beyond this grant to strengthen impact and sustainability.
- Clearly align your project with RMC's watershed protection and open space priorities for your specific geographic area.
- Include strong environmental justice components if your project serves underserved communities lacking equitable access to open space.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications fail when they lack genuine community engagement or treat it as an afterthought rather than central to project design. Projects that address only single benefits without demonstrating multiple co-benefits often score lower. Applicants sometimes underestimate the importance of leveraging diverse funding sources and partnerships to strengthen project viability.
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