Funding Opportunities

The Venable Foundation envisions that its philanthropic investments provide essential resources to nonprofit organizations in communities across the country. Guided by the belief that everyone has the right to equitable employment opportunities, healthcare, housing, food, and a vibrant cultural community, Venable grantees ensure that economically disadvantaged people are given the tools they need to thrive.

Grant support is provided to assist with general operations and projects. Currently, the Venable Foundation’s funding priorities include:

Human Services
Legal Services
Education
Workforce Development
Youth Impact
Health
Environment
Arts and Culture
You can learn more about each of these funding priorities below:

Human Services – The Foundation has a strong track record of supporting a breadth of essential human services, including programs that impact people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity, incarcerated and returning citizens, LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities, and those affected by domestic violence and housing insecurity.

Legal Services – We support the delivery of free or affordable legal services in our communities. Pro bono consulting and representation focus on a variety of issues, including domestic violence, housing, immigration, public benefits, and discrimination, among other areas. Legal service nonprofits providing “know your rights” training and other activities are also supported. The Foundation also supports training for youth and adults to ensure diversity and access to careers in the legal profession.

Education – The Foundation supports a wide array of early childhood, in-school, and out-of-school time initiatives that provide in-depth opportunities for learning and engagement to position children for success and level the playing field for economically disadvantaged youth.

Workforce Development – We believe that every individual deserves the opportunity to pursue gainful employment. Thus, we support organizations with the goal of developing the workforce of today and tomorrow. Successful programs recruit and train individuals and place them in relevant jobs so that they can earn a sustainable living wage for themselves and their families. Skill development is focused on low-income, underemployed, and unemployed community members, and on preparing youth for careers after their schooling is complete.

Youth Impact – The Foundation invests in services that impact children in each of our communities. These initiatives ensure economically disadvantaged youth are healthy and safe and have opportunities to thrive.

Health – The Foundation is committed to improving wellness and increasing access to care for economically disadvantaged individuals in the region. Successful organizations and programs work to eliminate barriers to healthcare for all ages and provide accessible and no-stigma testing for a variety of diseases. We support pediatric to geriatric services that address a variety of health concerns.

Environment – We support organizations involved in the preservation of our natural resources and those that are addressing natural or man-made disasters in our target regions. Programs educate communities and work for change on a variety of environmental issues, from wildfires to pollution.

Arts and Culture – The Foundation supports initiatives in the arts that promote deeper public engagement and build up the creative economy, with an emphasis on low-income and underserved communities.

Purpose:
The Natural Community Conservation Planning Local Assistance Grant (NCCP LAG) Program is intended to assist local public agencies, tribes, and non-profit organizations with the highest priority tasks needed to implement NCCPs.

Description:
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife seeks proposals for highest priority projects associated with the implementation of an NCCP. The intention of this Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP) is to solicit proposals of the highest quality that are consistent with the goals of the NCCP Program. To help achieve this intention, the PSP provides guidance on Applicant eligibility, the grant process and deadlines, and application and submission procedures.

Proposals must address the highest priority tasks associated with the implementation of an NCCP such as:

Management Activities: Immediate management actions on newly acquired NCCP reserve lands.
Restoration/Enhancement: Restoration or enhancement of habitats or species populations on NCCP reserve lands.
Monitoring: Design and implementation of biological monitoring programs identified in an NCCP, including the establishment of sampling methods, monitoring plots, data collection, management, and analysis.
Reserve Management Plans: Development and implementation of individual reserve management plans.
Mapping: New or updated mapping in support of NCCP management or monitoring activities, such as vegetation community mapping.
Targeted Studies for Adaptive Management: Studies to evaluate management actions for covered habitats or species, and whether such actions are meeting stated goals or require adjustments through adaptive management.
Other: Other non-land acquisition priority tasks, identified by the applicant and implementing partners, which are needed to ensure effective implementation of the NCCP.

Purpose:
The purposes of this solicitation are to support the adoption of clean, dispatchable generation in California and reduce the reliance on fossil-based technologies while providing reliable power for critical infrastructure. By deploying clean, dispatchable generation technologies and producing hydrogen for electricity generation, this solicitation can benefit California's communities, workforce, air quality, and natural environments.

Description:
This solicitation presents an opportunity to shift towards on-site clean, dispatchable generation technologies, addressing the evolving generation mix and ensuring an ample supply of resources to meet the demands of critical facilities during the net peak period while maintaining system reliability. These technologies are well-suited to ensure a reliable and resilient energy supply for critical infrastructure on-site, including communications, healthcare, government offices, and many more, to provide on-demand load and peak matching. As such, this solicitation will focus on advancing emerging clean, dispatchable generation technologies, such as fuel cells or linear generators, using 100 percent renewable fuels, especially for critical sectors like industrial and commercial that have operational needs during peak hours. The projects from this solicitation will be deployed in these critical sectors and will reduce their demand on the grid, thereby decreasing the reliance from fossil-gas power plants during times of high electricity demand. Expected outcomes include on-site pilot-scale deployment of cost-effective and highly efficient clean, dispatchable generation technologies that will support energy demand of critical facilities and reduce the strain from the state’s electric grid while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and criteria pollutants by curbing fossil-based generation. Ultimately, these projects will contribute to supporting the state's decarbonization goals, enhancing the reliability and strengthening the resilience of the state’s electric grid by increasing the availability of on-site clean, dispatchable generation technologies.

The objective of this NOFO is to invite states, Indian Tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, local governmental entities, non-profit organizations, Existing Watershed Groups, and local and special districts (e.g., irrigation and water districts, conservation districts, natural resource districts) to submit proposals for Phase I activities to develop a watershed group, complete watershed restoration planning activities, and design watershed management projects. See Section C.4. Eligible Projects for a more comprehensive description of eligible activities.A “watershed group,” as defined in Section 6001(6) of the Cooperative Watershed Management Act (see Section A.1. Authority for full citation) is a grassroots, non-regulatory entity that addresses water availability and quality issues within the relevant watershed, is capable of promoting the sustainable use of water resources in the watershed, makes decisions on a consensus basis, and represents a diverse group of stakeholders, including hydroelectric producers, livestock grazing, timber production, land development, recreation or tourism, irrigated agriculture, the environment, municipal water supplies, private property owners, Federal, state and local governments, Tribes, and disadvantaged communities.

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s (Department) WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) Program provides a framework for Federal leadership and assistance to stretch and secure water supplies for future generations in support of the Department’s priorities. Through WaterSMART, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) leverages Federal and non-Federal funding to support stakeholder efforts to stretch scarce water supplies and avoid conflicts over water.

Through the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program (Title XVI), authorized by P.L. 102-575 in 1992, Reclamation provides financial and technical assistance to local water agencies for the planning, design, and construction of water reclamation and reuse projects. Water recycling is a tool in stretching the limited water supplies in the Western United States. Title XVI projects develop and supplement urban and irrigation water supplies through water reuse, thereby improving efficiency, providing flexibility during water shortages, and diversifying the water supply. These projects provide growing communities with new sources of clean water which increases water management flexibility and makes our water supply more reliable.

Through the Large-Scale Water Recycling Program, Reclamation will provide up to 25 percent (%) Federal cost share, with no per-project Federal funding maximum, to water recycling projects that have a total project cost greater than or equal to $500 million. Large-scale water recycling projects will play an important role in helping communities develop local, drought-resistant sources of water supply by turning currently unusable water sources into a new source of water supply that is less vulnerable to drought and climate change. The Large-Scale Water Recycling Projects funding opportunity provides support for priorities identified in Presidential Executive Order (E.O.) 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad and is aligned with other priorities, such as those identified in E.O. 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. In particular, the Large-Scale Water Recycling Projects funding opportunity advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative. Established by E.O. 14008, the Justice40 Initiative has made it a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments, such as climate, clean energy, and other areas, flow to disadvantaged communities.

Purpose:
RUST grants may be used to finance up to 100 percent of the costs necessary to upgrade, remove, or replace UST project tanks to comply with the requirements of Health and Safety Code sections 25284.1, 25292.05, 25292.4, 25292.5, or 41954.

Description:
Replacing, Removing, or Upgrading Underground Storage Tanks (RUST) grants are available to assist small business underground storage tank (UST) owners and operators in financing up to 100 percent of the costs necessary to upgrade, remove, or replace project tanks to comply with the requirements of Health and Safety Code section 25284.1, 25292.05, 25292.4, 25292.5, or 41954. Please note that removal-only projects are now eligible for RUST grants.

Grants are available for between $3,000 and $70,000 to eligible UST owners/operators. An additional $140,000 in RUST grant moneys above the $70,000 maximum is available for remote public fueling stations for the purpose of removing and replacing a single-walled UST. (See Health and Safety Code § 25299.107(e) for more information.)

Eligibility Requirements

Grant applicants must be a UST owner and/or operator and meet all of the following requirements:

• The applicant is a small business that employs fewer than 20 full-time and part-time employees, is independently owned and operated, and is not dominant in its field of operation;

• The grant applicant’s principal office and its officers must be domiciled in California;

• The facility where the project tank is located was legally in business retailing gasoline after January 1, 1999.

• All of the tanks owned and operated by the grant applicant are subject to compliance with

Health and Safety Code chapter 6.7 and implementing regulations;

• The facility where the subject tank is located has sold, at retail, less than 900,000 gallons of gasoline annually for each of the two years preceding the submission of the grant application; (Gallonage is based upon taxable sales figures provided to the State Board of Equalization (BOE) on the grant applicant’s BOE 401 GS including Schedule G.)

• The grant applicant meets either of the following:

The grant applicant is in compliance with Health and Safety Code sections 41954 and 25290.1, 25290.2, 25291, or subdivisions (d) and (e) of section 25292; (The facility must provide a current UST permit, a current Permit to Operate, and proof of EVR compliance as evidence of compliance with the permit compliance requirements.) or

Revised 1/2020

The grant applicant meets the requirements for a waiver from the RUST grant permit compliance requirements. (The project is for removal-only and the grant applicant does not qualify for a RUST loan.)

This is not a reimbursement program. Work cannot begin until you have an agreement executed by the State Water Board.

Purpose:
To protect critical agricultural lands, to support infill & compact development, and to avoid increases in the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses. Planning grants support the development of local and regional land use policies and economic development strategies to protect these agricultural lands.

Note: pre-proposals are required, deadline for submittal is January 31, 2025.

Description:
The Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program supports the state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission goals by making strategic investments to protect agricultural lands. Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Planning Grants support the development and implementation of plans for the protection of agricultural land at risk of conversion to non-agricultural uses, maintaining the economic viability of the region’s agricultural lands, and developing the economic viability of regional food systems and infrastructure to support the production, aggregation, processing and distribution of agricultural products.

Purpose:
Permanently protect croplands, rangelands, and lands utilized for the cultivation of traditional resources from conversion to non-agricultural uses.​ Protecting these lands promotes smart growth within existing jurisdictions, ensures open space remains available, and supports healthy agricultural and tribal food systems, and resulting food security.

Please note: pre-proposals are required, deadline for submittal is January 31, 2025.

Description:
The Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC) supports the state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission goals by making strategic investments to protect agricultural lands. Agricultural Conservation Acquisitions provide funding to leverage the protection of strategically located, highly productive, and critically threatened agricultural land, via the purchase of permanent agricultural conservation easements and fee title purchases.

Purpose:
Permanently protect croplands, rangelands, and lands utilized for the cultivation of traditional resources from conversion to non-agricultural uses.​ Protecting these lands promotes smart growth within existing jurisdictions, ensures open space remains available, and supports healthy agricultural and tribal food systems, and resulting food security.

Description:
The Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program supports the state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission goals by making strategic investments to protect agricultural lands. Capacity and Project Development grants expand organizational capacity to develop agricultural conservation acquisition projects.​

Purpose:
The Equity, Engagement, and Education (EEE) Grant Account Cycle 2 will award grants up to $200,000 for the purposes of building CBO, Tribal, and community capacity to understand and engage with CPUC decision-making processes. This will enable CBOs and Tribes to have more influence over clean energy programs and support making these programs more accessible to their served communities.

Description:
Applicants for the Equity, Engagement, and Education (EEE) Grant Account Cycle 2 must demonstrate a track record of advocating for their Tribe or community. The selected recipients of the EEE Grant Account will exhibit a history of promoting their Tribe or community. The EEE Grant Account will cover the following activities:

1. Community involvement and outreach related to CPUC proceedings.
2. Employing consultants and staff for tasks necessary for active involvement in CPUC decision-making processes.
3. Education, training, and curriculum development concerning CPUC processes, proceedings, and programs.
4. Partnership and coalition development to raise awareness of CPUC matters in underprivileged communities.

The activities are categorized as follows:
- Outreach: Educating their communities on CPUC policies, proceedings, and programs.
- Training: Developing internal staff capacity to serve their community.
- Advocacy: Advocating for their community before the CPUC with new legal or regulatory expertise.

The EEE Grant Account is a competitive grant. For the most current grant timelines, please refer to the E&A Grant Program webpage: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/capacitygrants.