Funding Local Climate Action: 10 Practical Tips for a Stronger Funding Strategy
- natalie4314
- Jul 9
- 7 min read
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Many local organizations in California, including special districts, have adopted climate action plans and are now working to align implementation efforts with available funding opportunities. According to CivicWell, 281 of California’s 482 cities and 36 of California’s 58 counties have Climate Action Plans (CAP) as of 2023, covering 79% of the population of California.
To successfully fund implementation of climate action plans, local organizations need dedicated, ongoing funding streams, sufficient staff capacity, and the resources and expertise to develop competitive projects for time-intensive grant applications. Local organizations also need to start the process to develop a funding application 6-12 months before the responsible entity releases the solicitation. While there is no substitute for ongoing funding for climate action implementation, regional, state, and federal grants, foundation funding, loans, and private donations can help leverage local funds to build capacity or fund one-time capital improvement projects. Consero Solutions, the County of Sonoma, and the County of Yolo (the team) developed these practical tips for developing a three-year funding strategy to implement climate action plans based on their professional experience and expertise. The team recommends either two- or three-year strategies, due to the greater certainty of funding information available for near-term planning.
#1: Prioritize climate actions to focus efforts
Most climate actions plans have dozens, if not hundreds, of actions. Given the significant resources and time needed to apply for a grant or secure other funding for a climate action, a robust funding strategy may follow the following steps:
Step 1: Screen Climate Actions. Screen out the climate actions the local organization does not intend to pursue with the horizon of the grant strategy (two or three years); consider organization’s readiness to apply for and manage grants as part of the screening process. Given the resources necessary to apply for grants, local organizations should select no more than 20 climate actions for the prioritization process.
Step 2: Identify Team. Identify the community partners, elected officials, and internal staff with whom the local organization needs to work to prioritize climate actions. These interested parties could include tribes, non-profit organizations, an internal “Green Team,” a Climate Action Plan project management team, or a Climate Commission or other advisory body.
Step 3: Develop Prioritization Criteria. Develop criteria to prioritize remaining climate actions in coordination with interested parties, such as magnitude of greenhouse gas reduction potential, community interest, equity enhancement, cost-effectiveness, etc.)
Step 4: Develop Project Descriptions. Develop short (2-3 pages), consistent climate action descriptions for each of the remaining climate actions; these descriptions should include headings for each of the selected prioritization criteria to provide the information needed to rank climate actions
Step 5: Rank Climate Actions. Work with the team identified in Step 2 to rank climate actions. If there is significant community interest in prioritization of climate actions, you may also want to host a public workshop.
Step 6: Seek Approval. Seek approval from governing bodies or other entities, if needed, for priority climate actions.
Working with the chosen team to develop prioritization criteria and rank climate actions will help ensure early support for focused efforts. Developing climate action descriptions will help provide sufficient, consistent information about each climate action to support the ranking. Prioritizing climate actions narrows the focus of climate action implementation, allowing local organizations to focus staff and resources. Once prioritized, the local organization may choose to include only the top 5 or 10 in the funding strategy. The local organization may also choose to include all 20 (or however many climate actions are part of the prioritization process) in the funding strategy with the understanding the local organization may not apply for all funding opportunities because of limited resources, but will consider whether to apply when the identified opportunity arises.
#2: Match priority actions with the right funding opportunities
Once the local organization has narrowed the list of climate actions, the organization should research funding opportunities which align with priorities. This could include regional, state, federal, or foundation grants, loans, local, state, or federal appropriation requests, or donations from local philanthropists. The local organization may wish to research funding opportunities by using tools like Grants.gov, CalGrants, CivicWell LERN network, and the Strategic Growth Council’s Funding Navigator, as well as research regional funding opportunities from Metropolitan Planning Organizations and private funding from foundations. Local organizations also should work with community foundations to identify potential donors interested in funding climate action work or otherwise explore opportunities to secure funding from individual philanthropists. Local organizations should focus on reaching out personally to the people who manage these funding programs since often information available online is not sufficient to match priority actions to funding opportunities, as well as signing up for Listservs recommended by program managers.
#3: Track funding opportunities early and often
The amount and timing of funding can change over time, so develop relationships with staff who manage programs and check in frequently. Local organizations also should review California State budget proposals related to climate action, released by the Governor in January and May every year and available on the California Department of Finance’s web site, as well as Budget Change Proposals (BCPs) proposed by State departments related to climate action funding. Local organizations should also review the final budget and budget trailer bills for more information about climate action funding, available on the California Legislature’s web site by bill number. This review will provide local organization with information about potential grant opportunities before State departments release a solicitation. Local organizations should also review federal budget proposals, although the federal appropriations are harder to track without the assistance of a professional lobbyist.
Local organizations should focus on securing information about the amount and timing of opportunities so the organization has at least six months to prepare before the solicitation is released to the public. California’s Proposition 4, for example, passed by the voters in November 2024, contains billions for climate action the State will allocate to agencies over three to five years, starting with the 2025-26 fiscal year. Tracking the allocation of Proposition 4 funds in the State budget will help local organizations refine their funding strategy and prepare early for opportunities. Start with identifying the climate action allocations from Proposition 4 in the State budget proposals in a spreadsheet, as described above, then talk to program managers at the State departments after the Governor signs the budget to determine the exact allocation of funds to each program and the timing of the program.
#4: Build the right team to apply
Successful implementation of a climate action project or program often requires engagement from multiple parties, including homeowners, businesses, nonprofits, tribes, and local government. The team implementing the climate action, and therefore helping to develop the funding proposal, should reflect the community in which the action will take place. Do not assume all individuals or organizations have the resources to participate on the team; a local organization may need to provide compensation to ensure well-round, equitable engagement in development of a climate action funding proposal.
#5: Refine climate actions to improve competitiveness
Local organizations should refine climate actions for which they intend to seek funding in the upcoming year to increase competitiveness. Strategies to improve competitiveness include the following:
Review past guidelines for selected funding opportunities and update the selected climate action to add relevant “no-regrets” elements that would increase competitiveness (e.g. implement community engagement strategies consistent with past grant guidelines)
Research which organizations received funding in past rounds and identify how much funding each grantee was awarded
Develop diverse, authentic, and deep partnerships early to develop and implement the climate action, including funding and in-kind commitments from organizations other than your own
Develop a written engagement strategy that clearly outlines the process for seeking feedback from partners and other interested parties in climate action development (e.g. meetings, opportunities for written comments, newsletter or email updates) and document changes based on their input
Develop climate actions with multiple public benefits, such as greenhouse gas emission reduction, workforce development, and water use efficiency increases
Align your climate actions with state and federal climate policy goals, including applicable equity initiatives, such as goals in the California Adaptation Strategy, the Pathways to 30x30 California, the California Water Plan, and other state-level strategic documents
#6: Engage in the development of grant guidelines
Regional, state, and federal agencies often update guidelines in advance of a solicitation and seek public feedback. Participate in these discussions and submit written comment letters with specific changes your organization believe will strengthen the guidelines. Avoid general requests for changes in favor of specific language, such as “Change the language on p. 5 from x to y because z.”
#7: Develop clear, realistic application timelines
Develop detailed timelines that cover the 6-12 months of work needed to complete a funding proposal with responsibilities for work product assigned to individual team members. If you are seeking support from other local organizations, structure your proposal timeline to align with their budget and decision-making cycles – and provide materials well in advance of their deadlines. For grant applications, allow sufficient time to build partnerships, conduct community engagement, secure partners approvals, and refine your project to enhance competitiveness – even if this means beginning work prior before release of the grant guidelines. The timeline should assign clear responsibilities for drafting materials and realistic, informed deadlines for submission, including time for quality assurance, unforeseen delays, and to submit the application a week before the deadline. Planning ahead may also allow you to tap into available technical assistance resources to strengthen your proposal.
#8: Invest resources needed to develop a strong application
Consistent with the agreed upon timeline, complete high-value, “no regrets” work to strengthen the proposal’s competitiveness for funding – such as solidifying partnerships, refining the proposed project or program based on grant criteria, engaging interested parties and incorporating changes, and gathering supporting data. Additionally, utilize technical assistance opportunities via the funder or through outside contractors. When developing a funding proposal, craft a clear and compelling narrative that aligns with both the local organization’s and the funder’s priorities and answers every question the funder asks. This may require organizing the proposal with headers for every question in the solicitation. Ensure the application is reviewed by multiple individuals for accuracy, completeness, and persuasiveness before submission.
#9: Seek feedback if proposal is unsuccessful
If your proposal does not secure funding, request a meeting with the program’s managers to obtain feedback. Many funders offer this opportunity but few applicants take advantage of it. Gaining insight directly from decision makers can significantly improve future applications.
#10: Don’t give up – apply again, smarter
Local organizations often successfully secure funding for a climate action after multiple attempts. Use feedback from program managers and seek additional input from interested parties and decisionmakers to update the proposal. Persistence combined with strategic improvements significantly increases the chances of success.
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