Grant Information

Partnering with the Community to Improve the Health of All Californians

The California Endowment's grant making is guided by our three bold ideas: People Power, Reimaging Institutions and a 21st Century Health System for All.

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Our types of funding:

Single & multi-year grants

Program support grants

General operating support grants

Direct Charitable Activity (DCA) contracts

Program-Related Investments (PRI)

Specific project grants (SPGs)

Funding opportunities are by invitation only. If your organization pursues social justice and health equity within California, and you’re interested in pursuing a grant opportunity, please fill out the inquiry form.

Submit a Grant Inquiry

Who we fund includes:

  • 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are not classified as private foundations
  • California state and local government entities
  • Faith-based organizations that welcome and serve all members of the community

We do not fund:

  • Individuals
  • Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity and expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status
  • Organizations that require membership in a certain religion or that advance a particular religious faith
  • Political campaigns, voter registration drives or lobbying for specific legislation

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Grants Application Process

Funding opportunities are by invitation only. If your organization pursues social justice and health equity within California, and you’re interested in pursuing a grant opportunity, please fill out the inquiry form.

Submit a Grant Inquiry
Step 1

Submit application

After receiving an invitation, all requests for funding must include a completed application, any required supplementary documents, and a current GuideStar profile.

Continue Application (By Invitation Only)
Step 2

Submission confirmation

When your application has been successfully submitted, you will receive an e-mail confirmation.

Step 3

Proposal review

All prospective proposals will be reviewed for quality, alignment with strategy, and adherence to legal and financial requirements.

Grantee Payment & Reporting

Grant payment

Once a grant is approved, the authorized signer for the organization will receive an email. This email will link to an Award Letter and/or Award Agreement, and other grant-related information. The authorized signer should review, sign, and promptly return these documents.

Once executed award documents are received, The California Endowment will email the primary contact for the organization to complete electronic payment.

Upon request, The California Endowment will issue a paper check for a first payment that will be mailed via U.S. Postal Service.

Grantee reporting

Grantees should refer to their executed Award Agreements for details on their reporting schedules and requirements. It is the responsibility of the grantee to notify The California Endowment about any potential delays in reporting.

Grant reports typically include a narrative progress report and a project expenditure report, and are due at specific intervals during the grant period.

Access the Grantee Reporting Portal

If you have questions regarding online reporting, please contact gms@calendow.org or your grants analyst.

Direct Charitable Activities

Funding opportunities are by invitation only. If your organization pursues social justice and health equity within California, and you’re interested in pursuing a grant opportunity, please fill out the inquiry form.

Submit a Grant Inquiry
What are Direct Charitable Activities (DCAs)?

Direct Charitable Activities are those activities that are consistent with The California Endowment’s mission, but are conducted by The California Endowment (or its contractors) and whose primary and significant purpose is to achieve The California Endowment’s charitable purpose, though the activities may produce an incidental, shared or mutual benefit to a third party.

DCA request and review process

The California Endowment’s Program Managers are engaged with their respective campaigns and are responsible for identifying prospective contractors who could provide services and assistance to achieve or advance The California Endowment’s charitable purpose.

Step 1

Submit application

Prospective contractors selected to apply will receive an email that contains a link for submitting their contract application and supplemental documents for review.

Step 2

Submission confirmation

Our Program, Finance, and Legal teams will review the submitted application and documents to determine the prospective contractor’s capacity and eligibility to complete the proposed contract deliverables.

Step 3

Eligibility review

In addition to an internal review, The California Endowment also conducts an external review of the prospective contractor. As such, the prospective contractor may be asked to provide additional documents and information to establish the organization’s legal name and/or independent contractor status and budget information as it relates to the proposed project.

Grant Inquiries

If your organization pursues social justice and health equity within California, and you’re interested in pursuing a grant opportunity, we’d love to hear from you.

Submit a Grant Inquiry

Unveiling Our 2023 Annual Report

The California Endowment is proud to present our 2023 annual report. Read about the work we are supporting and our partners who are changing California to a state of belonging and inclusion.

View Report
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youth awards

The 2024 Youth Awards Nominations are Closed

Thanks to each of you who took the time to nominate. We are now diligently working on selecting the winners from an incredible pool of nominees. Stay connected for the upcoming announcement.

Learn about the Youth Awards