The Growing Green Spaces 2026 Grant Program provides funding for community-led initiatives that support community health and climate resilience by growing green spaces.
Donor Name: San Diego Foundation
State: California
County: San Diego County (CA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/30/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Growing Green Spaces Grant Program provides funding for community-led initiatives that support community health and climate resilience by growing green spaces. This includes trees, gardens, parks and green infrastructure. Funding will expand access to urban green spaces and promote climate resilience, public health and community well-being.
GGS supports community-driven climate solutions that protect, restore and reimagine shared spaces as essential infrastructure for climate resilience, public health and local economic vitality. GGS prioritizes projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen climate adaptation and deliver.
Objectives
- Expand and improve access to green spaces and infrastructure in communities furthest from opportunities.
- Advance climate mitigation and adaptation through nature-based and community-scale solutions.
- Build long-term local capacity for climate planning, implementation and stewardship.
Funding Priorities
Funded projects must demonstrate clear climate benefits through community-driven greening efforts including, but not limited, to:
- Increase urban tree canopy, native vegetation, or green space
- Reduce urban heat island effects
- Improve stormwater management and reduce flooding
- Enhance carbon sequestration
- Improve air quality and local environmental health
- Support biodiversity and habitat restoration
Funding Information
Grants range from $15,000 to $40,000.
Grant Period
Projects must be completed within 12 months.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to apply for grant funding, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Applications must be led by a nonprofit with 501(c)(3) public charity status or an equivalent tax-exempt status, located in and serving San Diego County communities.
- Entities eligible to receive a grant with equivalent tax-exempt status can include government entities such as State, County, tribal or municipal governmental units, churches providing charitable programs, and educational institutions such as public schools (districts), colleges and universities that are considered government.
- A 501(c)(3) public charity may serve as a fiscal sponsor for another applicant to administer the grant.
- Applicants must demonstrate how the community in which the application is proposed meets unique environmental justice community criteria.
- Applicants and/or their partners must have relevant experience serving the community identified in their
application.
To be eligible to apply for the grant funding, proposals must meet the following criteria:
- Proposals must aim to accelerate implementation of community-driven climate projects with a focus on growing green spaces that include trees, gardens, parks and green infrastructure in the San Diego region and advance one or more of the following focus areas:
- Community-Driven Leadership and Design: Projects are developed and led by community members, community-based organizations, or trusted local partners, with residents meaningfully involved in shaping, guiding, and caring for green spaces that reflect community needs, culture, and priorities.
- Expansion or Enhancement of Urban Green Spaces: Projects support the creation, expansion, or improvement of urban green spaces—such as trees, gardens, parks, or green infrastructure—and focus on delivering visible, on-the-ground results.
- Climate Resilience and Environmental Benefit: Projects contribute to climate resilience through nature-based or green infrastructure approaches that help address challenges like extreme heat, flooding, air quality, or carbon reduction while providing environmental benefits.
For more information, visit SDF.
