Grants for Nonprofits in California: 501(c)(3), Federal & Foundation Funding (2026)
195 open grants name nonprofits as an eligible applicant and are open to applicants in California. Grants open to all nonprofits, or to any applicant, are listed only when they also name nonprofits. Nonprofit organizations — including 501(c)(3) public charities, community foundations, and fiscal sponsors — are eligible for the largest share of federal and foundation grants. GrantSonar tracks these opportunities and sends alerts when new funding opens for nonprofits in CA.
501(c)(3) organizations can access federal program grants, state-administered pass-throughs, regional community foundations, and corporate giving programs. Common categories include community services, capacity building, advocacy, and program-specific funding.
Tips for Nonprofits in California
- 1
Maintain your SAM.gov registration and UEI number — most federal grants require it, and lapsed registrations are the #1 cause of rejected applications.
- 2
Build a grant readiness toolkit: audited financials, board list, organizational chart, and 2–3 boilerplate capability statements ready to attach.
- 3
Start with smaller foundation grants ($5K–$25K) to build a track record before pursuing large federal awards. Funders want to see you can manage money well.
Open Grants for Nonprofits in California
Early Infrastructure Projects fund heat-related infrastructure planning and a demonstration project that tests proposed approaches. Awards range from…
Tire-Derived Aggregate (TDA) is made from shredded tires as an alternative to conventional lightweight aggregates that is: Lightweight Free-draining L…
This grant opportunity will result in funding organizations to train Registered Nurse trainees to work in underserved communities. Such strategies sha…
192 more open grants
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Grants for California nonprofits: common questions
How many grants for California nonprofits are available right now?
GrantSonar is tracking 195 open grants for California nonprofits as of today. That count reflects opportunities that are currently accepting applications — closed rounds and award announcements are excluded, which is why it is smaller than the headline figures some directories advertise. Federal, state and foundation sources are re-ingested daily.
Who funds grants for California nonprofits?
The most active funders behind the 195 open grants for California nonprofits on this page are Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery and Department of Health Care Access and Information. Foundation funders are profiled from public IRS Form 990 / 990-PF filings, so you can see a funder's actual past giving rather than only its stated priorities.
Who is eligible for grants for California nonprofits?
Eligibility for grants for California nonprofits varies by opportunity, but the listings on this page are open to nonprofits. Each listing states its own eligible applicant types, and GrantSonar filters your matches against your organization type, geography and programs so ineligible opportunities are demoted rather than surfaced.
Can an organization outside California apply for these grants?
It depends on the opportunity. 141 of the 195 listings here are limited to California, alone or with other named states; the other 54 list no eligible states (federal notices, or programs marked nationwide). A notice that lists no eligible states can still limit where applicants are or where the funded work happens, so check each listing's geographic eligibility before applying.
When are the deadlines for grants for California nonprofits?
Deadlines differ per opportunity and some are rolling with no fixed close date. Every listing on this page shows its own close date where the funder publishes one, and GrantSonar re-checks source pages so a deadline that moves is picked up rather than left stale.
Is there a free way to search grants for California nonprofits?
Yes. This page is free to browse with no account. A free GrantSonar account additionally matches these grants for California nonprofits against your organization's profile and eligibility, so you get a ranked shortlist rather than a list you filter by hand.
How often is this list of grants for California nonprofits updated?
Daily. Federal, state and foundation sources are re-ingested every day, duplicate listings are collapsed onto a canonical record, and listing URLs are checked for rot — a stale catalogue is worse than a smaller current one, so dead links are flagged rather than left to look live.