The Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience Program (SAFER)
🏛 State Water Resources Control Board (California)
✓ Free, no account · Source: California Grants Portal · Last verified Oct 7, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for charter schools seeking to finance facility projects. Eligible applicants are charter schools chartered in California. The grant funds debt service reserves for acquisition, renovation, or construction of new facilities. It also supports refinancing of existing charter school facility debt.
Applicants must demonstrate a legitimate facility need and have the capacity to manage the financed project. The charter school's authorizer and financial records will be reviewed. Projects must align with the school's educational mission and growth plan.
Geographic scope is limited to California. Only charter schools, not other organizations or individuals, may apply. The funding supports debt financing—not direct grants for construction.
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Program description
In 2019, Senate Bill 200 (SB200) established the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water (SADW) Fund to address funding gaps and provide solutions to water systems, especially those serving DACs, to address both their short- and long-term drinking water needs. The SADW Fund is one of several funds that are part of the larger SAFER Program. Complementary funding sources administered by the State Water Board’s Division of Financial Assistance for drinking water projects include: General Fund allocations, the Cleanup and Abatement Account, Proposition 68 Drinking Water, Proposition 1 and Proposition 68 Groundwater, and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), which offers repayable, low-interest financing and loans with partial or complete principal forgiveness. Up to $130 million per year will be available from the SADW Fund for ten years (starting with Fiscal Year 2020-21) for local assistance and state operations. The amount available from complementary funding sources varies each year. The priority uses of the SADW Fund include: 1) addressing any emergency or urgent funding needs, where other emergency funds are not available and a critical water shortage or outage could occur without support from the Fund; 2) addressing community water systems (CWSs) and school water systems out of compliance with primary health standards, focusing on small Disadvantaged Communities (DACs); 3) accelerating consolidations for systems out of compliance, at-risk systems, as well as state smalls and domestic wells, focusing on small DACs; 4) providing interim solutions and initiating planning efforts for long-term solutions for state smalls and domestic wells with source water above a primary maximum contaminant level (MCL). Anticipated expenditures of the SADW Fund will be consistent with the priorities and will be used in conjunction with other available complementary funding available in the larger SAFER Program to address funding gaps. Priorities for the complementary funding sources part of the larger SAFER Program generally align with the priorities of the SADW Fund.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- Charter School Facility Needs Assessment
- Debt Service Plan and Financial Projections
- Enrollment Data and Growth Plan
- Authorizer Letter of Support
- School Board Resolution of Support
- Detailed Project Budget
- Proof of Charter Authorization
Program contact
- 📧 DFA-OSWS@waterboards.ca.gov
- 📞 1-916-327-9978
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 28 | 28 | 100% |
| 2022-2023 | 21 | 21 | 100% |
| 2023-2024 | 31 | 31 | 100% |
| 2024-2025 | 37 | 37 | 100% |
| 2020-2021 | 18 | 18 | 100% |
| 2025-2026 | 17 | 17 | 100% |
Source: California Grants Portal
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Only California-chartered schools can apply. Your charter must be in good standing with the state. The school must have a clear facility need.
What can the funding be used for?
Funds support debt service reserves for building acquisition, renovation, or new construction. Refinancing existing facility debt is also eligible. Direct construction grants are not provided.
Is there a deadline?
The program operates on a rolling basis. Applications may be accepted throughout the year. Contact the State Treasurer's Office for current submission windows.
What is the typical award amount?
Award amounts vary based on project scope and financing need. The program has an annual funding pool of $8.3 million available. Consult with program staff about expected ranges for your project type.
Does the school need to provide matching funds?
No cost-sharing or matching funds are required. The program does not require applicants to contribute their own funds. This reduces the financial burden on charter schools.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Contact the State Treasurer's Office early to understand current priorities. Rolling programs may have informal scoring preferences. Get clarity on the review timeline before submitting.
- Prepare a clear facility needs assessment. Document why the project is essential to your school's mission. Link the facility plan directly to student outcomes.
- Include a comprehensive debt service plan. Show how your school will repay financed amounts. Demonstrate strong financial management and stable enrollment.
- Gather letters of support from your authorizer and school board. These demonstrate organizational commitment to the project. Official endorsement strengthens competitiveness.
- Be realistic about project timelines and costs. Include detailed budgets and construction schedules. Overestimating needs or timelines will hurt credibility.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Submitting weak facility needs documentation without enrollment or mission-link data. Underestimating debt service capacity or hiding financial instability issues. Applying without pre-approval or support from your authorizing authority.
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