The Local Community Benefits Fund supports community-driven projects that reduce air pollution, improve health outcomes, and build economic resilience for a just transition away from the harmful effects of a fossil-fuel economy.
Donor Name: Bay Area Air Quality Management District
State: California
County: Alameda County (CA), Contra Costa County (CA), Marin County (CA), Napa County (CA), San Francisco County (CA), San Mateo County (CA), Santa Clara County (CA), Solano County (CA), Sonoma County (CA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 05/01/2026
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The Local Community Benefits Fund reinvests penalties and mitigation funds in the specific communities affected by the air quality violations associated with those funds. The Local Community Benefits Fund Program Goals are to:
- Reduce air pollution or mitigate its impacts, improve public health outcomes, and build economic resilience for a just transition away from the harmful effects of a fossil fuel-based economy;
- Advance integrated projects to holistically meet community needs;
- Strengthen community-driven and collaborative solutions.
Grant Types
- Seed Grants funds smaller-scale projects between $100,000 – $200,000 led by non-profit organizations
- Opportunity Grants funds multi-stakeholder collaboration over one project or multiple projects. Grant size ranges between $500,000 – $5 million.
- Catalyst Grants funds multi-stakeholder collaboration over multiple projects. Grant size ranges between $10 – $40 million;
- Grant terms up to two years.
Eligibility Criteria
The Local Community Benefits Fund seeks to strengthen community-led and collaborative solutions. Successful implementation of complex projects that meet multiple community needs requires strong partnerships. Partners should collaborate across multiple sectors, as relevant, to systematically address multiple community needs: For Opportunity and Catalyst Grants, Lead Applicants must partner with Co-Applicant(s) to carry out their grant activities and deliverables.
- Opportunity Grant: Lead Applicant must partner with at least one Co-Applicant. Partners should collaborate on one or more projects to ensure robust and community-driven implementation outcomes.
- Catalyst Grant: Lead Applicant must partner with multiple Co-Applicants. Partners should collaborate on an application that includes multiple coordinated projects to address diverse community needs.
Eligible Lead Applicants
Entities eligible to apply as Lead Applicants include:
- Nonprofit organizations holding a current tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code, including community-based organizations, philanthropic organizations and foundations, faith-based organizations, and community development finance institutions.
- Local government agencies, including cities, counties, joint powers authority, special districts, councils of governments, and other public agencies.
- Public schools, school districts, public universities and colleges.
- Unions holding a current tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(5) of the federal Internal Revenue Code.
- California Native American Tribes. For the purposes of this grant, this includes all Federally Recognized Tribes on the most recent notice of the Federal register, or a non-federally recognized California Tribal government on the California Tribal Consultation List maintained by the California Native American Heritage Commission.
For more information, visit BAAQMD.
