The Connecting California Grants is designed to support public activities and events that are new & innovative as well as tried & true ways of building social connection, understanding, empathy, and trust across.
Donor Name: California Humanities
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/13/2026
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Connecting California supports publicly accessible activities and events that strengthen social connection and cohesion across California’s diverse communities. Funded projects help foster understanding, empathy, and trust by creating opportunities for people to come together across difference and discover shared values, experiences, and aspirations.
Social connection is essential to being human. It’s how theyget to understand who theyare—the role in the family, the community, and the place in the world. Connection is how they build trust, empathy, and respect for each other. Connection is what they need to feel they belong.
In a state as diverse as California, in all its different ways, it is both a gift and a challenge to create the connections they need to live together well. Differences can be inspiring and spark curiosity, but they can also spark fear or distrust.
At California Humanities, they have long been committed to lifting up the range of the diversity as the superpower. They believe the richness and breadth of California’s many cultures are the state’s greatest assets. The variety of perspectives and approaches, backgrounds and skills, and experiences and wisdoms is an underexplored treasure they all hold. Connecting across differences is the key to unlocking the potential of cocreating a vital and just shared future. they invite curiosity about who they are and what they can do together.
The Foundation Funds
Grants support publicly accessible connection activities that bring people together:
- Across difference (such as age, culture, geography, race, gender, faith, politics, values, or lived experience), and
- To discover what they have in common as people who want to live full and rewarding lives.
Funding Information
Grants range from $1,000 to $5,000.
Grant Period
12 months
Uses of Funds
Grant funds may be used for project-related activities, such as staff time, speaker/presenter fees, venue rental, refreshments (no alcohol), promotion/outreach, stipends, and equipment. No more than 10% of grant funds may be used for administrative overhead or fiscal sponsorship fees. Funds may not be used to advance political or legislative agendas or candidates.
Eligibility Criteria
- California-based nonprofit organizations, including fiscally sponsored entities
- California-based public agencies, including libraries, municipal arts councils, schools, colleges, universities, and tribal governments.
For more information, visit California Humanities.
