Grants and Funding Opportunities

Upcoming Funding Opportunities 

Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) Community Facility Loans
Ongoing
RCAC’s Community Facility Loan program helps develop and improve essential community facilities in the rural West. This program offers short-term loans for early property acquisition and predevelopment, interim construction costs and long-term permanent financing. Applicable facilities include public and nonprofit office buildings, treatment centers, emergency and transitional housing, assisted living, human services, public safety, child care, education and cultural facilities. RCAC gives priority to loan applications for projects that incorporate significant green methods and materials.

Program Upgrading Our Electric Grid and Ensuring Reliability and Resiliency

This program is designed to provide federal financial assistance to demonstrate innovative approaches to transmission, storage, and distribution infrastructure to harden and enhance resilience and reliability; and to demonstrate new approaches to enhance regional grid resilience. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP)

In preparation for the next wildfire season, the CPUC has authorized funding of more than $1 billion through 2024 for SGIP. This funding includes prioritization of communities living in high fire-threat areas, communities that have experienced two or more utility Public Safety Power Shut-off (PSPS) events, as well as low-income and medically vulnerable customers. The funds are also available for “critical facilities” that support community resilience in the event of a PSPS or wildfire. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. 

Grants for Energy Improvements at Public School Facilities

The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced first-of-its-kind investments to make clean energy improvements at K-12 public schools. Funds will position school districts to make upgrades that will lower facilities’ energy costs and foster healthier learning environments for students. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. 

PG&E Community Microgrid Enablement Program (CMEP)

This program helps facilitate the development of front-of-the-meter, multi-customer microgrids in while also providing tools and information for all forms of resilience solutions against power shut-offs and other emergency grid situations. Contact PG&E for more information.

CAL FIRE Grants

CAL FIRE’s grants programs support fire prevention, improve forest health, and enhance community resilience. These programs offer funding opportunities to empower communities in their efforts to mitigate fire risks and bolster safety measures.

USDA Wood Innovations Program

The USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations Program expands and creates markets for wood products and wood energy that support long-term, sustainable management of National Forest System lands and other forest lands. The program has two national competitive grants programs, as well as project activities funded under discretionary agreements and annual work plans. 

By administering programs that provide grants and loans (from both state and federal housing programs), HCD creates rental and homeownership opportunities for Californians from all walks of life, including veterans, seniors, young families starting out, people with disabilities, farmworkers, and individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness.

The objective of the IIG program is to promote infill housing development by providing financial assistance for Capital Improvement Projects that are an integral part of, or necessary to facilitate the development of affordable and mixed income housing.

CDBG partners with rural cities and counties to improve the lives of their low- and moderate-income residents through the creation and expansion of community and economic development opportunities in support of livable communities.

2025 Nevada County Compost Rebate Program

In response to SB1383, ZFP created the farmer-facing program “Compost Connector.” This program matches farms and ranches seeking compost with funding from jurisdictions interested in meeting SB1383 procurement targets, which creates the financial opportunities for additional compost use throughout the State.

Statewide Community Infrastructure Program (SCIP)

On December 16, 2025, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution authorizing the County to join the Statewide Community Infrastructure Program (SCIP). SCIP is a financing program offered by the California Statewide Communities Development Authority (CSCDA) that enables developers to pay most impact fees and finance public improvements through an assessment district or community facilities district via tax-exempt bond issuance proceeds. 

SCIP was instituted by CSCDA in 2002 to allow owners of property in participating cities and counties to finance the development related fees that would be payable by property owners upon receiving development entitlements or building permits through a pooled special assessment districts program. SCIP was expanded to include financing of public capital improvements directly in addition to just fees and has now been further expanded to include community facilities districts (“CFDs”) and an option to finance public services in respect of stand-alone bond issues, necessary to support development in the County.

If a property owner applies to participate in SCIP, and the County approves the application, the selected public capital improvements, facilities and/or development related fees owed to the County will be financed by the issuance of bonds by CSCDA. Property owners, in consultation with the County and the SCIP team, can opt to have CSCDA form either an assessment district or a community facilities district. CSCDA determines whether the project will be included in the SCIP pool program (where no one developer within the SCIP pool is responsible for the payment related to any other project) or, depending on the projected bond sizing and other factors, implemented as a stand-alone financing. In either case, CSCDA will form the appropriate district and impose an assessment or special tax, as applicable, on the owner’s property to repay the portion of the bonds issued to finance public capital improvements, facilities and/or development related fees. With respect to the financing of development related fees, the property owner will either pay the development fees at the time of permit issuance and will be reimbursed from the SCIP bond proceeds when the SCIP bonds are issued, or the fees will be funded directly from the proceeds of the SCIP bonds.

The SCIP program has assisted communities and developers throughout California to finance over $1 billion in impact fees and public infrastructure since 2003. For more general information about the program, click here. To apply for SCIP, click here.