Community Resilience Centers Round 2 PLANNING Grant (FY 26-27)

About this funding opportunity

The CRC Program funds the planning and construction or retrofits of community serving facilities that provide shelter and resources to mitigate the public health impacts of extreme heat and other emergency situations exacerbated by climate change, as well as year-round community programs and services.

CRC Planning Grants will support planning activities to prepare communities to implement Community Resilience Centers. CRC Planning Grant activities should focus on preparing for a future CRC Implementation Grant or similar funding opportunity, and must demonstrate effective, robust community engagement and planning efforts. Planning activities should engage key parties and ensure that all the necessary project components are in place for the future construction or retrofit of a CRC. They should also engage key parties in broader community resilience to climate emergencies and intersecting social and economic issues, in addition to advancing general program objectives. Proposed planning activities will: Advance the community’s ability to identify, envision, design, construct, resource, and activate sites as CRCs. Increase the accessibility of future community resilience centers to community members, especially during and after emergencies. Build, strengthen, and sustain community resilience, in connection with a proposed CRC. Prepare for future implementation funding opportunities to construct or retrofit the CRC. Each Planning application must include at least one Partner in addition to the Lead Applicant. Lead Applicants and Partner(s) must also submit a Letter of Commitment describing their roles, responsibilities, and commitment to supporting completion of the grant project on time and within budget at application. If an applicant is pursuing a Planning Grant with the intention of pursuing a CRC Implementation Grant in a future round, the applicant should familiarize themselves with the Implementation Grant requirements and propose Planning Grant activities that prepare them for a future Implementation Grant application. Please note that the Planning Grant can prepare applicants to apply for multiple sources of implementation funding, not just the CRC Program. Application Technical Assistance (Application TA) is available during the application period for eligible applicants. CRC will prioritize Tribal applicants for Application TA. Application TA may be available for additional applicants on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in Application TA, complete the Application TA Request Form by July 31, 2026: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/2aSjd31Y7E

Topic areas: Circular Economy and Sustainability, Smart Cities, Social Innovation and Community Development, Public Policy and Governance.

Funding amount

This grant provides $100K-$500K in funding, up to $500K per award.

Deadline

Applications are due Sep 04, 2026. Confirm the exact closing time on the official program page before applying.

Who can apply

This opportunity is open to the following applicant types:

• NGOs
• Public Authorities

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants include but are not limited to California Native American Tribes, Tribally owned nonprofits, IRC 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, public agencies, local agencies, joint powers authorities, special districts, public utilities, local publicly owned utilities, and mutual water companies. (See Section 3.1 Eligible Applicants of the CRC R2 Guidelines.) Lead Applicant must be based in California. The Planning Area, inclusive of a proposed CRC Facility and the related planning activities, and the impacted community around the proposed CRC Site must be located in California. Tribal projects may have modifications. (See Section 3.3: Eligible Planning and Project Areas of the CRC R2 Guidelines.)

Agency

Community Resilience Centers Round 2 PLANNING Grant (FY 26-27) is administered by Strategic Growth Council (SGC), listed via Strategic Growth Council.