California Resilience Challenge

Julian Lake
jlake@bayareacouncil.org

The California Resilience Challenge will provide funding for projects designed to adapt to climate change that will yield significant future benefits for public health, safety, infrastructure, the economy, and the environment in California.

Eligible projects will consist of planning and activities targeted at improving local or regional resilience to one or more of the following climate challenges and water/air quality impacts:

• Drought
• Flooding, including from sea level rise
• Extreme heat and increasing frequency of hot days
• Wildfire

Competitive grants will address as many of the following criteria as possible.

• Community support
• Benefit under-resourced communities
• Impact and sustainability
• Collaboration
• Co-benefits across multiple climate stressors
• Co-benefits across multiple sectors

Detailed lists of project examples and eligible activities/expenses are provided in the application instructions.

Eligible applicants include California-based non-government organizations (NGOs) that serve under-resourced communities as a principal mission.

Local California public entities applying for projects targeted at under-resourced communities must partner with an above-described community-based organization. Public entities may include:

• California incorporated cities
• California counties
• Local agencies and districts at the county level
• Joint Powers Authorities
• Special Districts such as, but not limited to, Geologic Hazard and Abatement Districts, Community Facilities Districts, and Utility Districts
• Native American tribes
• Metropolitan planning organizations
• Councils of governments

Eligible under-resourced communities include:

• Census tracts with median household incomes at or below 80% of the statewide median income or with median household incomes at or below the threshold designated as low income by the Department of Housing and Community Development's list of state income limits
• A community with a median household income less than 60% of the statewide average
• Frontline communities and underrepresented communities, which are those that experience continuing injustice including people of color, immigrants, people with lower incomes, those in rural areas, and indigenous people
• Climate vulnerable communities

Expected award amount: $100,000 - $200,000
Project period: 2 years
Estimated total program funding: $1,000,000

Links to additional guidance, application instructions, and the FAQs are available on the program website.

Submit using the online application form.