California ReLeaf Growing Green Communities Grantees planting trees

Growing Green Communities

Grant Program

Sponsored by Pacific Gas & Electric Company

About California ReLeaf

California ReLeaf is a nonprofit organization that works statewide to support grassroots efforts and build strategic partnerships that protect, enhance, and grow California’s urban and community forests. We have four main programs to help us fulfill our mission:

  1. ReLeaf Network—California ReLeaf supports and convenes a membership network of over 85+ urban tree-planting and urban greening nonprofit organizations. California ReLeaf provides peer-to-peer learning opportunities, networking opportunities, and educational support resources for urban and community forestry community groups.
  2. Grants—California ReLeaf provides pass-through grants to California-based community groups and nonprofit organizations.
  3. Education—California ReLeaf provides webinars, publications, workshops, and more to enhance, improve, and support nonprofits, community groups, and neighbors in stewarding California’s urban forests.
  4. Advocacy—California ReLeaf advocates for trees in state legislation and provides resources for community groups to advocate locally.

We encourage applicant organizations to become ReLeaf Network Members. Visit our Network Membership page to learn about the application process as well as many Network Membership organizational benefits like:

About the 2025 Growing Green Communities Small Grant Funding Opportunity

California ReLeaf is pleased to announce $65,000 in funding for the 2025 Growing Green Communities Grant Program, generously sponsored by Pacific Gas & Electric Company. Our grant program is also made possible through California ReLeaf’s ongoing support from the USDA Forest and CAL FIRE. The grant program encourages community-based organizations to plant trees and involve their local community in creating greener, stronger, and healthier neighborhoods. Hosting tree-planting celebrations during Arbor Week (March 7 -14), National Arbor Day, Earth Month, or other local events is a wonderful way to promote community engagement and educate people about the importance of trees in promoting community health and addressing climate change. Tree planting offers numerous benefits, including cleaner air, cooler temperatures, and stronger social connections.

The Growing Green Communities Small Grant Program is designed to help engage and support groups who may be new to tree planting. We do this by providing technical assistance and coaching for applicants and awarded grantees during project implementation. We encourage all interested applicants to review our grant guidelines below, attend our informational webinar, and register for upcoming technical assistance office hours.

Grant Guidelines

Available Funding
The 2025 Growing Green Communities Small Grant Program, sponsored by Pacific Gas & Electric Company, offers a total of $65,000 in grant funding to eligible community groups and nonprofits. To be eligible, projects must be located within Pacific Gas & Electric’s service area. California ReLeaf anticipates awarding between 13 and 20 grants, with individual grant amounts of either $2,500 or $5,000 per project.
Eligible Applicants

Growing Green Communities Small Grants are open to the following applicants:

  • California community-based organizations that are:
    • A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, OR
    • A community group that has a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, AND
    • The nonprofit 501(c)(3) applicant or fiscal sponsor MUST be current with all annual reporting requirements with the state and federal government.

Not sure about your nonprofit filing status?

Check your nonprofit’s filing status by visiting the California State Attorney General’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers Search Tool. If your organization is not in good standing with filing requirements at the state and federal level, you will not be eligible for this grant program. We encourage you to watch the California Association of Nonprofits webinar: That Nonprofit Deadline is More Important than You Thought— which reviews annual nonprofit filing requirements and viewing their Nonprofits Compliance Checklist Resource Page.

Eligible Project Locations

Eligible project locations must be within:

  • Pacific Gas & Electric Service Area (See PG&E Region Map below)
    • Region 1 – North Coast: This includes select areas in the following counties: Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Trinity
    • Region 2- North Valley Sierra: This includes select areas in the following counties: Butte, Eldorado, Glenn, Lassen, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, and Yuba.
    • Region 3 – Bay Area: This includes select areas in the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, and San Mateo.
    • Region 4 – South Bay and Central Coast: This includes select areas in the following counties: Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz
    • Region 5 – Central Valley – This includes select areas in the following counties: Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne

Eligible Land Types: Growing Green Communities Grants allow grant project activities to take place on private property, federally recognized tribal lands, or public land with the following requirements:

1. Events must be free and open to the general public

2. For projects on tribal lands or public property (parks, schools, government property, etc.), grant applicants must also upload a Permission to Plant Form within the application.

**Please note many government agencies require permits and up to 6+ months of advance notice to go through the public approval process. If you haven’t already initiated the approval process before applying for this grant, you may not be able to complete your grant project within the timeline of this grant program.**

Prioritized Communities and Locations: Growing Green Communities Small Grant Program prioritizes projects that serve:

  • Low tree-canopy communities
  • Low-income / disadvantaged communities
  • Communities impacted by redlining
  • Communities impacted by extreme weather or climate events (drought, wildfire, flood, etc.)

California ReLeaf staff highly recommends using data mapping tools like Tree Equity Score, California Schoolyard Tree Equity Study Map, and/or CalEnviro Screen and sharing how your tree planting project will serve a community need.

 

Pacific Gas & Electric Company Territory Map by Regions

An Image of the PG&E Five Services Regions

Eligible Project Activities
All projects should engage multiple local partners, including but not limited to civic organizations, churches, local businesses, health organizations, nonprofits, city officials, schools, students, youth organizations, elected officials, and organizational volunteers. Here are some examples of eligible tree planting/tree care grant projects:

  • Plant and/or care for trees in underserved communities with few existing trees and low tree canopy coverage.
  • Tree planting/care events(s) and/or community greening celebration(s) that have an educational component, including the benefits of trees and the importance of tree care (especially ongoing watering in the tree establishment period – the first 3 years after planting).
  • Hosting educational programs about trees. Here are a few examples:
    • community workshops (i.e., workshops about tree selection/tree planting/tree care/urban forest ecology/heritage trees/ethnobotany/fruit and nut trees, etc.)
    • guided tree walks
    • tree-focused educational programs for schools or youth organizations
  • Ceremonial tree planting, memorial tree planting, and or anniversary or milestone tree planting/tree care celebration.
  • Hosting your event during California Arbor Week (March 7-14), National Arbor Day, Earth Month, and /or a Locally celebrated Climate Action/Service Day.
  • Tree care post planting – including ongoing maintenance and watering beyond the grant period to ensure tree survival.
  • Engaging schools and community youth organizations (i.e., Scouts, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, after-school programs, high school environmental service clubs, etc. college corps, youth civic groups like Key Club, etc.)
Activities This Grant Will Not Fund
The following activities are not eligible for the Growing Green Communities Grant Program:

  • Tree giveaways as the main component of the project
  • Planting tree seedlings. Trees are expected to be 5-gallon or 15-gallon container-sized for all tree planting projects
  • Planting trees in temporary planter boxes/pots. All trees must be in the ground to be an eligible project
  • Events/Projects that take place outside Pacific Gas & Electric Service Areas
  • Landscaping projects that increase the heat island effect
  • Projects that prioritize understory plantings opposed to tree planting
Grant Reporting and Sponsor Engagement and Recognition Requirements

All Growing Green Communities Grantees will be required to:

  1. Attend a Grantee Orientation Webinar
  2. Attend a virtual one-on-one grant project meeting with ReLeaf staff upon the award
  3. Attend a virtual grant project check-in meeting midway through the grant period
  4. Engage, invite, and publicly thank your sponsor at your event (Pacific Gas & Electric Company).
  5. Complete a final grant project report by June 13, 2025. You can preview the final report questions here
Grant Timeline & Key Dates
Date & Time
Grant Informational Webinar Tuesday, November 12, 2024 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Grant Application Portal Opens Wednesday, November 20, 2024 | 9 a.m.
Technical Assistance Office Hours – Morning Tuesday, December 3, 2024 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Technical Assistance Office Hours – Evening Tuesday, December 10, 2024 | 5 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Grant Application Due Date Friday, December 20, 2024 | 3 p.m.
Anticipated Award Notification Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Anticipated Grantee Orientation Webinar Wednesday, January 22, 2025 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Anticipated Mid-point Check-In Meeting Mid- March, 2025
Grant Project Completion Date Friday, May 30, 2025
Final Report Due Friday, June 13, 2025
Grant Payment Information
  • Applicants awarded funding will receive 50% of their grant award after completing the grant agreement and grantee orientation requirements.
  • The remaining 50% of the grant funding will be paid upon receipt and approval of a grantee’s final report.
  • Preview the Final Grant Report Questions here.
How to Apply
  • Application Window Opens: Wednesday, November 20, 2024
  • Applications Due Date: Friday, December 20, 2024 at 3 p.m.

Please note that our online application form does not allow you to save in-progress applications. We recommend that you develop your application answers using a word processing application and transfer them to the online application when you are ready to submit them. Preview the application questions here

**Application Attachment Requirement**: If your proposed tree-planting project location is on tribal land or publicly owned property (e.g., a park, school, or government property), you must upload a “Permission to Plant Form to the online application form.

Questions?

If you have questions about our grant program, please email Victoria Vasquez, California ReLeaf’s Grants & Public Policy Manager, or reach out to her by phone at 916-497-0035.

Online Application

Our online application will be open November 20 – December 20, 2024. All Growing Green Communities Grant Applications are due on December 20, 2024, at 3 p.m. No late applications will be accepted.

Preview the application questions here.

Technical Assistance & Application Resources

Informational Webinar

We hosted our Growing Green Communities Small Grant Program Informational webinar on Tuesday, November 12th at 11 a.m. Please watch the recording below which includes information about the Growing Green Communities Grant eligibility, encouraged activities, key dates, and project planning resources. You can also download the informational webinar slide deck here.

Technical Assistance Office Hours (Evening)

California ReLeaf staff will be available to answer questions about the grant and review the library of application resources and tools available to help applicants plan their projects.

Date: Tuesday, December 10th

Time: 5 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Project Planning Resource Library

Frequently Asked Questions

Coming Soon!
Coming Soon.

Thank you to our 2025 Arbor Week Grant Sponsors!

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