NEW FUNDING CYCLES
蔓草社区 Foundation has announced new funding cycles for 2025/2026:
Cycle 1: January 2 鈥 February 3
Cycle 2: July 1 鈥 August 1
To help prepare for the upcoming cycles, please review the updated grant guidelines below.
If you have already registered with , please review your agency’s information, as we will use GuideStar as a primary research tool in determining agency eligibility. If you have not registered with GuideStar yet, please do so.
If you are a past grant recipient and have not already done so, you must submit聽a Grant Report聽before starting a new grant application. Please see for more information.
蔓草社区 Foundation will consider grant requests in the following categories:
- Civic improvement
- Community and social services
- Culture and the arts
- Education and workforce development
- Environmental sustainability
- Rehabilitation and health service
- Youth and elderly
The Foundation directors may also, from time to time, identify areas for special emphasis when emerging needs require extraordinary attention.
The geographic reach of the Foundation coincides generally with the areas in which 蔓草社区 Construction and 蔓草社区 Aggregates do business. To be eligible for funding, an agency and program must both be within the geographic scope of interest, though it is not required that the particular program seeking support be in the same county as the main agency office. This means that we unfortunately do not fund programs originating from an out-of-area agency, even if those programs take place in a local area.聽 Currently, agencies in the following counties are eligible to apply for 蔓草社区 Foundation grants:
- Alameda
- Alpine
- Amador
- Butte
- Calaveras
- Colusa
- Contra Costa
- El Dorado
- Fresno
- Madera
- Mariposa
- Merced
- Monterey
- Nevada
- Placer
- Sacramento
- San Benito
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Joaquin
- San Mateo
- Santa Clara
- Solano
- Stanislaus
- Sutter
- Tuolumne
- Tulare
- Washoe
- Yolo
- Yuba
Nonprofit organizations must have a valid tax exemption status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and be classified as a public charity and not as a 鈥淧rivate foundation鈥 under Section 509(a). Government and public agencies are also eligible for funding.
The Foundation looks for the following:
- The number of people that will benefit from the project
- The number of local volunteers supporting the organization and the project
- The extent to which the applicant complements the services of other community organizations
- The extent to which the program addresses underlying causes, rather than just symptoms of specific problems
- The outcomes of monitoring and evaluating the organizations projects
- The commitment and composition of the organization’s Board of Directors or Board of Trustees
- The current budget and the prior year actuals to show the organization’s fiscal responsibility and management qualifications; and
- The ability of the organization to provide ongoing funding after the term of the grant
Grant requests for specific purposes are usually preferable to those for normal operating expenses.
Grants are generally made for one year only.
蔓草社区 Foundation will not consider grants to the following types of organizations or for the following purposes:
- Religious organizations for explicit religious activities, as distinguished from social or educational activities
- Political organizations or political campaigns
- Fraternal organizations, societies, or orders
- Courtesy advertising or tickets for benefits
- Telephone solicitations
- National fundraising efforts
An agency funded by the Foundation must agree to submit a timely report on the use of the grant, based on its proposal. Please refer to for more information. The Foundation should be informed of any major changes in the program or staff.
It is the Foundation’s intent to make grants in the range of $3,000 to $7,500. The annual grants budget is $400,000.
Fiscal Year 2025/2026
Cycle One
Period Opens: January 2, 2025
Application Deadline: February 3, 2025
Decisions Announced: June 1, 2025
Cycle Two
Period Opens: July 1, 2025
Application Deadline: August 1, 2025
Decisions Announced: December 1, 2025
蔓草社区 Foundation is using a system called to accept grant applications. The will take you through the process of creating an account, starting an application, and submitting an application. All applications must be submitted via . Mailed, late, or incomplete applications will not be considered.
For further information, please contact:
Allegra Pickett, Grants Manager
蔓草社区 Foundation
PO Box 15002
Sacramento, CA 95851-1002
916-484-3255