Community Action Grants

SMCWPPP offers $15,000 in Community Action Grants for volunteer groups, teachers, environmental organizations and other local, not-for-profit associations interested in developing and/or implementing projects that improve the quality of local creeks, the Bay or the Pacific Ocean within San Mateo County. Up to $3,000 is awarded to groups proposing projects to restore, protect, enhance, or prevent pollution of local waterways or which benefit the ecology of the San Mateo County watershed. Applications are available in October, with a November deadline. Please check back October 2010 for next Community Action Grant offering.

2010 COMMUNITY ACTION GRANTS - SUMMARY OF GRANT AWARDS

1. San Francisquito Creek Stewardship Project [Year & 7] $3000
San Francisquito Creek Watershed Project, Palo Alto, Coordinated by Acctera. Enlist community in reestablishing healthy native creek-side habitat at eight long-term sites in the watershed, including removal of debris and non-native species, and planting of native vegetation. Target audience: Watershed residents. Participants: Estimated 500 volunteers and private property owners.

2. “Hey! No Trash in the Bay!” Campaign [Year 3] $3000
Marine Science Institute, Redwood City. Promote litter prevention through installation of signage for gathering area at the MSI facility located on the Bay across from Bair Island, and purchase of reusable and compostable eating utensils. Target audience: The estimated 25,000 visitors to MSI each year, mostly elementary students. Participants: MSI staff will order signs and recyclable eating supplies.

3. Earth Day Pacifica – 2010 [Year 2] $3000
Pacifica Beach Coalition, Pacifica. Promote and coordinate day of action on Earth Day 2010. Enlist community to pick up litter and help restore habitat at more than 100 locations throughout city including beaches, bluffs, and creeks. Target audience: San Mateo County residents, Pacifica residents and other beach visitors. Participants: Up to 5,000 volunteers and 200 businesses expected to participate.

4. Save our Shores- Breakfast on a Clean Beach Half Moon Bay $3000
Focus on educating the public at volunteer beach clean up events (2) on single use plastics and where these single use plastics often end up; in the Pacific Garbage Patch. Clean up events will occur in March and during Earth Day in April and will focus on removal of trash and plastics from the coastal zone and creek mouths prior to these pollutants hitting the ocean. Clean up results will be uploaded to the Sanctuary Integrated Monitoring System; SiMoN and following the clean ups, discussions will focus on perpetuating the BYOB campaign to offset single use plastic reliance in the Half Moon Bay Area. Volunteers will be treated to a breakfast provided by local grocers on a clean beach following the clean up activities. Target audience: Half Moon Bay Community Members and Businesses. Participants: Volunteers in excess of numbers reached in previous events (450) as well as Save Our Shores staff and volunteer site coordinators. Local businesses.

5. Ocean Shore School- Oceans Week $2415
Maximizing the lessons learned by creating more hands on opportunities for students during Oceans Week. Ocean Shore School will use funding to pay for an educational assembly that will be held at the beginning of Ocean’s Week. Three field trips will be funded during oceans week that bring students to different locations within the coastal zone and will coincide with non native plant removal events and native planting events. The students will utilize information gained at the field trips and will germinate native plant species in school gardens for use in future planting activities in future years. Long term native plant use is to be coordinated with the local municipality’s public works department. Target audience: Ocean Shore School Student Body, parents, teachers and school administrators Participants: Ocean Shore School Student Body, parents, teachers and school administrators.

6. Hands On Bay Area-Spruce Up Half Moon Bay State Beach $585
Beach Restoration Projects that allow for corporate participation and local volunteer participation throughout the calendar year. These plantings are part of a larger initiative to engage 1,000 new or lapsed volunteers In environmental stewardship in 2010. Partnering with the Disney Give a Day get a Disney Day promotion, this program anticipates and increase in youth and family volunteer groups These activities will take place in Half Moon Bay and will support ongoing efforts at various beaches throughout the HMB area that are owned and managed by California Dept. of State Parks. This volunteer project is to supplement the ongoing three year native plant replacement project underway at Half Moon Bay Beaches. Target audience: Community Members, youth, Corporate Groups, and local Businesses. Participants: HOBA project coordinator, volunteer site coordinators, youth volunteers, families, corporate volunteers / groups, local citizens

For more information email pollutionprevention@co.sanmateo.ca.us

Other Grants Available:

EPA Pollution Prevention Grants and Funding

$500 Do Something Grants (formerly Plum grants)

If you are interested specifically in school gardens you might want to check out grants available through Home Depot and Sloat’s Adopt a Garden Grant.

The California Coastal Comission is accepting applications for the 2009/2010 Whale Tail Grants for protection of marine and coastal resources. Application due November 20, 2009.

Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) is a competitive grant program that offers an innovative way for a community to organize and take action to reduce toxic pollution in its local environment.