The California Resilience Challenge is a statewide effort, led by businesses, utilities, and a diverse range of partners, to build local and regional climate resilience and to support a shared vision for a resilient California in the face of increasing climate threats. The Challenge is providing grants for diverse, replicable and innovative climate change adaptation planning projects across California. These projects will reflect California’s diverse geography and showcase leadership in climate change adaptation.
The California Resilience Challenge is an initiative of the Bay Area Council Foundation, a nonprofit corporation, qualified as a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Challenge is administered by the Bay Area Council, a business-sponsored public policy advocacy organization for the nine-county Bay Area that was founded in 1945. Learn more at bayareacouncil.org.
The California Resilience Challenge has a Grant Fund of approximately $1 million. The sources of the Grant Fund include businesses, utilities, nongovernmental organizations, and foundations. Donors to the Grant Fund are identified at ResilientCal.org/leadership.
California Resilience Challenge (CRC) is pleased to invite eligible local California public entities to respond to this Request for Proposals (RFP) for grants in support of climate resilience planning projects, with a preference for projects that will lead to implementation of resiliency infrastructure. (See definitions in Section 6.) Selected proposals will be for specific planning projects that will commence on or before July 31, 2024. and are to be completed by July 31, 2026. It is CRC’s expectation that individual grants will be awarded for between $100,000 and $200,000, but CRC reserves the right to make smaller or larger grants, and the right to award less than the maximum amount of its Grant Fund.
Local California public entities are eligible to apply for a CRC grant. Eligible entities consist of the following: • California incorporated cities, whether or not charter 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, Utility Districts and others 5
• California Native American Tribes
• Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)
• Councils of Governments (COGs)
Collaborations between public entities and non-profits are welcomed, but a lead agency should be clearly identified. State-level entities, including the State of California and its departments, commissions and agencies, interstate compact entities, are not eligible for this program focused on local efforts.
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