2025–26 After School Education and Safety grant program (Round 2)
🏛 CA Department of Education (California)
✓ Free, no account · Source: California Grants Portal · Last verified Sep 13, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations implementing on-the-ground wildfire prevention and forest resilience projects in California's Sierra-Cascade Region. Eligible applicants must be implementing projects that have completed environmental compliance under the state's Fuels Reduction Environmental Protection Plan. Projects must be implementation-focused with clear public benefits, consistent with Sierra Nevada Conservancy mission areas, and must commence work by October 15, 2026.
Activities must include hazardous tree removal, vegetation removal for fuel breaks or defensible space, roadside vegetation management, cultural burning/prescribed fire, or improvements to existing fuel-break projects. The program favors projects involving California Native American tribes, workforce development efforts, or those benefiting sensitive populations.
Funding comes from California's Proposition 4 via Assembly Bill 100. No cost-sharing is required.
⚖️ Cost sharing / matching required — applicants must contribute their own funds.
Not the right fit? Find grants for your organization in 5 questions →
Program description
The After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program is the result of the 2002 voter-approved initiative, Proposition 49. These programs are created through partnerships between schools and local community resources to provide literacy, academic enrichment and safe, constructive alternatives for students in kindergarten through ninth grade. Funding is designed to: (1) maintain existing before and after school program funding; and (2) provide eligibility to all elementary and middle schools that submit quality applications throughout California. This is round 2 of the 2025-26 ASES Request for Applications.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Project proposal with completed environmental compliance documentation
- Description of on-the-ground improvements and public benefits
- Project timeline with work commencement by October 15, 2026
- Budget (funding amounts not specified in program guidelines)
Program contact
- 📧 ExpandedLearning@cde.ca.gov
- 📞 1-916-319-0923
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 | 164 | 10 | 6% |
Source: California Grants Portal
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Organizations with implementation projects in the Sierra-Cascade Region that have completed environmental compliance under the state's Fuels Reduction Environmental Protection Plan. Projects must align with Sierra Nevada Conservancy mission areas.
What activities does this grant support?
Hazardous tree removal, vegetation removal for fuel breaks and defensible space, roadside vegetation management, cultural burning, prescribed fire treatments, and improvements to existing fuel-modification projects.
When is the deadline?
January 31, 2026 for proposals in development. New applications are not being accepted due to limited remaining funds.
Do I need to provide cost-sharing?
No. This grant does not require cost-sharing from applicants.
How often are awards recommended?
The Sierra Nevada Conservancy may make award recommendations to its Governing Board on a quarterly basis.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Complete environmental compliance under the Fuels Reduction Environmental Protection Plan before submitting. This is a hard requirement.
- Ensure your project commences on-the-ground work no later than October 15, 2026, or it will be ineligible.
- Highlight workforce development components if present. SNC gives favorable consideration to projects with workforce-development efforts.
- Partner with California Native American tribes if possible. SNC prioritizes projects involving tribal involvement.
- Document clear, measurable, and enduring public benefits. Focus on specific outcomes like acres treated or community defensible space created.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Submitting projects without completed environmental compliance under the Fuels Reduction Environmental Protection Plan. Proposing projects outside the Sierra-Cascade Region. Failing to demonstrate clear, measurable public benefits or on-the-ground improvements.
Similar grants
- OPEN 2025–26 After School Education and Safety grant program (Round 2) — CA Department of Education (California)
- ROLLING Watershed Resilience Conservation Implementation — Department of Water Resources (California)
- ROLLING Wildfire Prevention Grant Program — San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (California)
- ROLLING Proposition 4 Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 — San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (California)
- ROLLING Forest Legacy Program Capacity and Project Development 2026 — Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (California)