The California Coastal Commission’s Whale Tail Grants Program funds projects that connect people to the California Coast and its watersheds through education, stewardship, and outdoor experiences.
Donor Name: California Coastal Commission
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/15/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Education and stewardship projects relating to climate change as it impacts the coast and ocean are eligible and encouraged. Adopt-A-Beach® programs, as well as other beach stewardship and coastal habitat restoration projects that have an educational component, are also eligible. WHALE TAIL® Grants focus on reaching communities all over California that face barriers accessing marine education and stewardship opportunities.
In 2020, OPC adopted its Strategic Plan to Protect California’s Coast and Ocean, which outlined OPC’s goals and priorities through 2025. OPC is currently developing its Strategic Plan for 2026– 2030, which will provide an ambitious, science-based roadmap for protecting California’s coast and ocean through the end of this decade.
Funding Information
- Approximately $2,000,000 will be awarded in total, with approximately $1,000,000
- You can request any amount up to $50,000. At least 25% of funded projects outside of the tribal set-aside will be small grants of up to $25,000.
Eligible Projects
- California Coastal Commission: strongly encourage projects engaging communities that face barriers accessing coastal and marine education and stewardship. they also look for applicant organizations based in and composed of the communities they are engaging. they strive for a broad geographic distribution of projects across California. Projects must engage communities in California and include education about coastal and marine environments. This may include classroom-based programs, field trips, climate change education and stewardship, coastal habitat restoration or shoreline cleanup programs with community involvement, community or participatory science, cultural and ancestral practice preservation, workforce development, and much more. Projects can engage participants of any age.
- If a project will take place in an inland area or on a bay, the proposal should address how the project includes coastal and marine educational content, including how the connection to the coast and ocean will be emphasized.
Eligibility Criteria
- Non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations
- Projects of a non-profit fiscal sponsor
- Public schools or districts
- Government entities
- California Native American tribes as defined by Governor’s Executive Order B-10-11.
For more information, visit California Coastal Commission.
