2021 AB 617 Community Air Grants Program

Community Air Grant Project priorities include projects that: foster workforce development, prioritize equitable public participation and demonstrate local partnership building and coordination, leveraging, in-kind support, or other forms of collaboration and advance environmental justice within the context of California’s air quality policies. The following are eligible to apply for a Community Air Grants project: 1) A California community-based organization holding a current tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code 2) A California organization, not affiliated with a local, municipal, city, county, or state governmental agency or entity, and holding a tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as the Grantee, in partnership with a California community-based organization without Section 501(c)(3) status designated as a sub-grantee and 3) A California Native American Tribe.  For the purposes of this grant, this includes all Federally Recognized Tribes, and other California Native Americans, as defined by Governor’s Executive Order B-10-11. Educational Grant elements include: Community engagement and education supporting CARB’s Blueprint document; Conducting air quality education; Developing partnerships and coalition building for the purposes of AB 617; Facilitating community interaction and cultivating working relationships with government agencies; Education and support on specific Community Emission Reduction Programs; Education on other AB 617 statewide strategies; Education on Best Available Control Technologies (BACT), Best Available Retrofit Control Technologies (BARCT), and implementation; Education on air quality enforcement concepts; Education on data reporting and communication; and any other elements of AB 617 or the Blueprint. Technical Grant elements are: Community technology assessments; Community technical training (monitoring and technical education including data collection and analysis); Community led community air protection efforts; and Community air monitoring support. Targeted grant elements are: Community Capacity Building; Model Emissions REduction Strategu Identificaion/Development/Expansion; and Community Air Monitoring Plan Development. Projects must be wholly located in and benefit disadvantaged and/or low-income communities, as identified pursuant to California Health and Safety Code sections 39711 and 39713 (added and amended by Senate Bill 535 and AB 1550), or on Tribal lands.  Matching funds or in-kind support are not required but are encouraged where applicable.  Any leveraged funds, in-kind support or other resources may take various forms, and must be identified in the application and budget (Section 4 of the application text) narrative, but will not count toward the maximum funding amounts you may request through the Community Air Grants.  Partnership-building and coordination, along with workforce development, is also strongly encouraged.  Community Air Grants should be used to complement an organization’s partnership-building and coordination for project implementation.