Grant Opportunities

The Foundation’s grants program provides diverse opportunities for San Luis Obispo County nonprofit organizations that directly address community needs. We offer a spring and fall grant cycle. 

2025 Spring Grants 

Grant applications are open from January 15 – March 14 for two funding categories: Women’s Legacy Fund and the Robert Janssen Youth and Youth Sports Fund. All complete and eligible proposals will be reviewed and all applying agencies will be notified of a funding decision by May 15th. Nonprofit organizations may register for an orientation to learn about the funding categories and the application process. The orientation will be held on January 22nd from 10-11:30am via zoom. You may register for the orientation here.

Women’s Legacy Fund

The Women’s Legacy Fund (WLF) awards one and two-year grants to 501c3 organizations in or who serve San Luis Obispo County and are committed to:

• Dismantling disparities and increasing access to opportunities for the communities they serve

• Centering the voices and perspectives of people and communities most impacted

• Utilizing substantiated data to inform strategy and programs

During the 2025-2030 grantmaking cycle, the maximum grant amount will be $20,000 for a one-year proposal and a total of $40,000 for a two-year proposal. WLF will consider proposals for grants that strengthen or expand existing programs or introduce new strategies to the community that prioritize support for women and girls in the following areas: affordable housing, childcare, and healthcare.

WLF is dedicated to data-driven decision-making, ensuring its funds are directed toward initiatives that address important issues. Every five years, WLF publishes the “What do Women Need?” report, which thoroughly reviews the most pressing needs for women and girls across San Luis Obispo County. The data gathered in the report is used to build public awareness and inform the WLF grantmaking priorities. To learn more and read the full report, follow this link. 

Robert H. Janssen Youth and Youth Sports Fund

The Robert H. Janssen Youth & Youth Sports Fund seeks to support programs that enrich the lives of local youth and ideally reflect the  Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets. Grants are available to local nonprofit organizations providing youth enrichment and youth sports programs with an emphasis on active participation over educational programming. The grant is intended to support programs that provide access to all segments of the community regardless of income level and operate within the City of San Luis Obispo and adjacent areas of San Luis Obispo County. Janssen grant funds should represent only a portion of the funds required to implement the program, and a preference is to support direct program costs. Community-based programs are given priority over membership-based programs. The Fund anticipates awarding $50,000 to approximately 10 organizations with a maximum grant award of $5,000.

Fall Grants (Open in June)

Access for All 

Access for All Fund will prioritize one-year grants to 501c3 organizations in San Luis Obispo County with programs supporting the disability community that:

• Focus on advancing access to Health & Wellness
  Examples: access to health care services and equipment; access to activities that promote good health/wellness such as physical and mental health, exercise, fitness facilities, yoga, and outdoor/indoor recreation.
• Expand capacity for Housing & Home Access
  Examples: more options for accessible, affordable housing (e.g., visitable
  homes); modifications/equipment for living independently and safely (e.g., smart homes tech).
• Create and support Community Participation / Inclusion
  Examples: accessible events (e.g., interpreters, video captioning, accessible
  websites); accessible physical and virtual spaces; inclusive programming; accessible transportation and wayfinding.
• Promote Accessible Workspaces and grow Employment Opportunities
   Examples: educational outreach to support inclusive work environments; needs assessments; employee training; improved access to services.

BUILD Grants 

The primary goal of the BUILD (building unity, infrastructure, leadership, and development) Grant Program is to provide funding for agencies with an annual operating budget of $500,000 and below The Foundation aims to strengthen nonprofit organizations with smaller operating budgets by supporting their efforts in building capacity and improving infrastructure. BUILD Grants are available for general operating purposes as well as planned projects in the following areas:

• Capacity building
• Staff or board training and development
• Communications or donor development efforts
• Capital equipment improvement (hardware, software, furniture, etc.)

Community Grants Program 

The primary goal of the Community Grants Program is to provide funding for agencies and programs that directly address community needs gathered through local needs assessments and other sources. The Foundation will prioritize applications which support community well-being, resiliency, collaboration and demonstrate cultural competency. Nonprofits may submit one or more applications to the following interest areas:

• Arts: supporting organizations which promote creation, engagement, and appreciation of diverse forms of art and/or understanding of local history.
• Environment: organizations which focus on education and sustainability that includes efforts focused on climate mitigation, sustainable agriculture and forestry, water and land conservation.
• Health & Human Services: improving the quality of life by providing for basic needs and social service programs, focusing on direct services.
• Seniors and People with Disabilities: funding is designated for organizations providing direct services for individuals with disabilities and/or seniors.

All community grants will be unrestricted and will have a two-year funding term. 

Growing Together: An LGBTQ Fund 

The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County established the Growing Together Fund in 2001, an initiative to address the needs of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and intersex (LGBTQI) community by providing grants, raising community awareness throughout San Luis Obispo County, and through promoting philanthropy. 

Growing Together: An LGBTQ+ Fund will award grants  focus their funding on 501 (c)3 organizations in San Luis Obispo County to strengthen existing programs, or introduce new programs that:

• Demonstrate strategies to reach out to, involve, and center queer and trans people of color (QTPOC).
• Focus on advancing medical and mental health care for transgender and nonbinary people. 
• Create “queer spaces” in currently unserved areas of the county.

Opportunity to Thrive

Grants from the “Opportunity Fund” are intended to support individuals striving for self-sufficiency and who are in need of transitional assistance to overcome a short-term or one-time barrier. Of particular interest are individuals who are in transition, e.g. foster youth exiting the system, women leaving domestic violence shelters, families at risk of homelessness, individuals completing rehabilitation, re-entry into the workforce.  One-year grants will be provided to local nonprofits who currently work with populations striving for self-sufficiency and have the capacity to assess and administer an assistance fund.

Senior Dance Program 

The Senior Dance Grants Program will support 501c3 organizations who have programs which encourage social interaction and community building focused on seniors, through music and dancing. If awarded the funds can only be used to pay for musician(s) providing live entertainment.

Online Application Instructions

To submit or access your organization’s online application, follow the instructions below.

1. Create or Access Account: If you are new to our online grants system, you will need to create an account. Creating an account allows you to save your work and gives you access to your application during the application process. Please access the Online Grants Management Portal to access an existing account or create an account.
2. Complete the Application: Insert or type required narrative and upload all the required attachment documents in PDF format.
3. Submission: Once all elements of the proposal are completed, submit the application using the Online Grants Management Portal.

Review the guidelines and all available grant opportunities by visiting the Online Grants Management Portal.

Contact the Grants & Programs Department at grantsmanager@cfsloco.org if you have any questions about eligibility, program fit, or the grantmaking program.

Contact info@cfsloco.org if you have technical questions regarding the grants management portal.