Capacity Building and Community Engagement Grant Program
🏛 Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (California)
Can you apply?
This grant is for nonprofit organizations and community-based organizations (CBOs) serving vulnerable or hard-to-reach communities in California. Applicants should have strong local networks, cultural competency, and the ability to build trust with their target communities. The awardee will develop a network of CBOs and provide capacity-building technical assistance to strengthen their organizational effectiveness.
Eligible activities include forming collaborative networks, providing training on state program engagement, leveraging resources, and strengthening organizational capacity. Priority focus areas include serving hard-to-reach communities through trusted messengers, building local relational connections, and engaging communities on resilience for current priority issues.
Geographic scope is limited to California. Organizations must demonstrate ability to work with vulnerable populations and reflect the language and culture of the communities they serve.
Program description
As outlined in Government Code 65052, the objective of the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC) is to coordinate California’s most important statewide public awareness and community outreach campaigns so the state can realize more inclusive and effective outcomes while preventing equity gaps in statewide outreach. OCPSC is also expected to strengthen the ability of local organizations to serve vulnerable communities across California. Using the best practices identified through prior work, OCPSC has partnered with community- based organizations throughout the state that can build trust with communities through on-the- ground engagement. OCPSC has also partnered with intermediary, nonprofit organizations that have the capacity and local networks to strengthen civic engagement across sectors. These partnerships have been made up of community-based organizations (CBOs) and other nonprofit organizations who reflect the language and culture of the community they serve and can have authentic interactions with their communities and provide accurate information and resources on critical issues. The Capacity Building and Community Engagement (CBCE) Grant Program is designed to build strengthening capacity for CBOs. It will result in a network of funded partners who can support local, community-based organizations to thrive in an environment characterized by change and uncertainty. The Awardee for this RFA will be responsible for building a network of CBOs and a program that can enhance their capacity building training to enable organizations to be better equipped for engagement with the state and future challenges their communities may encounter. As part of this grant program, the awardee will 1) develop a local and/or collaborative network of community-based organizations and other entities, and 2) strengthen the capacity of CBOs and provide them with technical assistance on effective response to state programs. Activities of the program may include the ability to form collaborative networks, leverage resources, and strengthen organizational capacity. These CBOs will also tie their work back to OCPSC’s ongoing priorities including: 1. Hard-to-reach, vulnerable communities and people otherwise missed by larger community- based efforts will be served by “trusted messengers”. OCPSC learned during Census 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic that, when funded, small CBOs can effectively conduct awareness and outreach. 2. The activities and shared learning opportunities with this grant’s support will strengthen local capacity and relational connection between all partners, providing pathways for relief to impacted communities. 3. OCPSC will learn and engage with communities regarding their unique community resilience for current and future priority issue areas.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Project narrative describing network development and capacity-building plan
- Organizational capacity statement
- Letters of support from partner CBOs or collaborating organizations
- Budget and budget narrative
- Proof of nonprofit status (501(c)(3) documentation)
Program contact
- 📧 OCPSC.Procurement@opr.ca.gov
- 📞 1-916-322-2318
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025 | 16 | 1 | 6% |
Source: California Grants Portal
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Nonprofit organizations and community-based organizations (CBOs) with established networks in California. Your organization should serve vulnerable or hard-to-reach communities and have cultural competency in those communities.
What activities does this grant fund?
Capacity building, technical assistance, forming collaborative networks, resource leveraging, and strengthening organizational capacity of CBOs. Priority includes trusted messenger outreach to vulnerable populations.
What is the funding amount?
The total program pool is $800,000. The exact award amount per awardee is not specified in the guidelines.
Is cost sharing required?
No cost sharing is required for this grant.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is May 19, 2025. Check with California's Governor's Office for any deadline updates or extensions.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize your organization's authentic connections and trust-building relationships with hard-to-reach communities in your application.
- Demonstrate experience serving vulnerable populations and highlight cultural competency and language accessibility.
- Clearly describe the network of CBOs you will serve and how you'll provide meaningful capacity-building support.
- Show how your activities align with OCPSC's priorities: trusted messengers, local capacity strengthening, and community resilience.
- Include concrete examples of successful prior community engagement work and partnerships that show you can scale impact.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applying without demonstrated relationships and trust with vulnerable communities. Overestimating capacity to serve CBOs without a clear infrastructure or technical assistance plan. Failing to align proposed activities with OCPSC's stated priorities around trusted messengers and community resilience.
Similar grants
- OPEN Rural Community Health Integration2026 — New York State Department of Health
- OPEN FY26 Bureau of Land Management Rangeland Resource Management – Bureau wide — Bureau of Land Management
- OPEN FY26 Bureau of Land Management Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management – Bureau wide — Bureau of Land Management
- OPEN FY26 Bureau of Land Management Youth Conservation Corps – Bureau wide — Bureau of Land Management
- OPEN Infertility Training Center — Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health