Regional Conservation Investment Strategies
🏛 Wildlife Conservation Board (California)
✓ Free, no account · Source: California Grants Portal · Last verified Jul 10, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations in California that provide workforce development, evaluation, and technical assistance to young adults.
Eligible applicants include community colleges, adult education providers, education and training providers, community-based organizations, nonprofits, labor organizations, and workforce intermediaries. Organizations must demonstrate capacity, relationships, and expertise to deliver technical assistance and evaluation services across California.
The grant supports evaluation and technical assistance for the Opportunity Young Adults Career Pathway Program. Funding focuses on expanding registered apprenticeships, work-based learning, and career pathways in health, infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, and public sector jobs.
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Program description
An Regional Conservation Investment Strategy (RCIS) is a voluntary, non-regulatory document that provides guidance on actions that, if implemented, would result in effective regional conservation. And public agency may propose an RCIS that is developed in consultation with local agencies that have land use authority within the RCIS area. The RCIS Grant Program (Program) supports the following priorities: • Geographic areas lacking an NCCP or regional HCP (i.e., HCP’s that focus on regional conservation with large and interconnected reserve systems) • Geographic areas with a local (non-regulatory) conservation plan or strategy approved or adopted by a public agency • Proposals with matching funds (including in-kind match) • Proposals that demonstrate readiness and qualifications
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- Adult Learning Center
- Community College
- Individuals
- Nonprofits
- Public Authority
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Tribal Nation
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Completed application package (format specified on EDD website)
- Notice of Intent (encouraged but not mandatory)
- Proposal narrative addressing evaluation and technical assistance scope
- Organization capacity and experience documentation
- Timeline and budget (if required format not specified in summary)
Program contact
- 📧 shannon.lucas@wildlife.ca.gov
- 📞 1-916-247-7065
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 | 1 | — | 0% |
| 2025-2026 | 1 | — | 0% |
Source: California Grants Portal
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Community colleges, adult education providers, CBOs, nonprofits, labor organizations, and workforce intermediaries. You must have statewide capacity and expertise in workforce development.
What is the deadline?
Applications are due November 15, 2024, by 3 p.m. PST. Notice of Intent is encouraged by November 6, 2024.
What activities does this fund?
Evaluation and technical assistance for young adult career programs. Emphasis on apprenticeships, work-based learning, and career pathways in targeted industries.
What makes a competitive proposal?
Strong focus on trauma-informed services, wrap-around support, and sustainable career advancement. Innovation in connecting young adults to family-sustaining jobs.
How much funding is available?
Up to $1.7 million total for the entire grant. Specific award amounts to individual awardees are not specified in the solicitation.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Submit a Notice of Intent by November 6 to signal your interest early. This helps the funder plan review capacity.
- Emphasize your statewide partnerships and existing relationships with community colleges, CBOs, and industry partners. Reviewers prioritize demonstrated network capacity.
- Center trauma-informed service delivery and comprehensive case management in your approach. The RFP explicitly requires this lens.
- Propose concrete metrics for tracking employment outcomes and program participant completion rates. Evaluation rigor is a core funding priority.
- Highlight experience with registered apprenticeships and work-based learning models. The funder explicitly emphasizes these alternatives to traditional degrees.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Failing to demonstrate statewide capacity and existing relationships with multiple OYACPP programs. Proposing evaluation frameworks without trauma-informed or participant-centered approaches. Underestimating the complexity of supporting multiple programs across diverse industries and regions simultaneously.
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