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Ready for Tomorrow

The Challenge

Climate change disproportionately impacts the economies of low-income communities in California. However, most municipalities, tribes, and CBOs serving Disadvantaged Vulnerable Communities (DVCs) lack the resources and expertise to apply for and win climate funding.

Solutions

Climate Resolve’s no-cost grant writing services build local adaptive capacity and help invest grant funding in local communities, which preserves and stimulates economic growth. Providing grant writing and technical assistance addresses an environmental justice issue: Without our service to DVCs, grant funding is more likely to go to wealthier municipalities with the resources to submit successful grant proposals.

WHAT WE'RE DOING

Climate Resolve understands the complexities of climate preparedness planning. “Ready for Tomorrow” is our program to connect disadvantaged communities (DACs) and disadvantaged vulnerable communities (DVCs) in Southern California to climate planning research, funding, and resources. The “Ready for Tomorrow” program is generously supported by philanthropic grant funding from Edison International.

 

Since 2020, Climate Resolve’s Ready for Tomorrow program has provided grant writing services to communities in Los Angeles County and Inland Southern California: the cities of Compton, Commerce, Rialto, Moreno Valley, San Fernando, South El Monte, and Blythe; the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG); the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians; as well as nonprofit organizations such as Nature for All, Center for Sustainable Communities – Compton, and the United States Green Building Council of Los Angeles (USGBC-LA).

 

To date, our efforts have won grants of approximately $24 million.

“I believe that through this grant assistance program, the City was afforded a chance at a grant that would have otherwise been difficult to coordinate given the City’s current lack of resources during this trying time. City staff was also afforded a great opportunity to learn about grant writing and that provided an invaluable resource to the City.”

Alejandra Rocha
Contract Assistant Planner
City of Commerce

GRANT WRITING SERVICES

The following are the no-cost grant writing services Ready for Tomorrow provides:

  • Conducting stakeholder interviews to identify local climate priorities (e.g. SB 379 General Plan compliance, clean transportation options, extreme heat mitigation, stormwater infrastructure, tree canopy, etc.);
  • Researching and matching potential grants to fit the entities’ needs;
  • Creating a grant writing work plan to ensure submittal of the proposal on time;
  • Organizing bi-weekly (at minimum) check-ins/calls to stay on top of the grant deadline and coordinate materials needed;
  • Organizing and compiling documents;
  • Leading narrative brainstorming sessions;
  • Facilitating relationships between city staff and CBOs;
  • Creating ArcGIS maps that visually integrate data sources, such as CalEnviroScreen 3.0 and Cal-Adapt, into the narrative of the grant proposal;
  • Writing sections of the grant proposal;
  • Providing redline edits on narrative drafts; and
  • Drafting templates for letters of support and requesting signed letters from key stakeholders.
Fill out our intake form

“The value and benefit of the CR team was worth their weight in gold. The leadership and continued follow up was much more complete than many other consultant and grant assisting firms that we have used in the past.”

George Colangeli
General Manager
Palo Verde Valley Transit Authority

PARTNERS THAT WE'VE HELPED
Grantee Grant Grantor Amount Project
CSUN & Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians
Urban and Community Forestry Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
$5,000,000
This project will restore sustainable ecological practices in targeted areas across the City. In collaboration with Indigenous organizations, the project will establish community-based Tribal nurseries alongside planting culturally significant native trees.
City of Moreno Valley
Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program
Caltrans
$120,000
To create a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan in order to maximize traveler options, ensure everyone has access to destinations via alternative transportation in Disadvantaged Community Areas (DACs), develop mitigation methods thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and to increase multimodalism in transportation plans.
City of Moreno Valley
Active Transportation Program
Caltrans
$1,523,000
To increase safe access to facilities, curb ramps, and sidewalks, ensuring a safe transition of individuals with disabilities to access public events and facilities, and protecting pedestrians from vehicular travel.
City of Rialto
Active Transportation Program
Caltrans
$7,800,000
To fund improvements along the Pacific Electric Trail forming a 21-mile continuous facility for bicycles and pedestrians from Los Angeles County through the heart of San Bernardino County.
Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians
Regional Climate Collaboratives
Strategic Growth Council
$800,000
Establishment of the 2030 Resilient Networks Collaborative, a Tribally-led collaborative that aims to outline best practices for developing and conducting climate resilience projects with Tribes.
City of San Fernando
Adaptation Planning Grant Program
Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program
$599,918
To complete the City’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP) and update elements in its General Plan. The project will engage the community early on to gather input in an equitable manner, develop targeted strategies to address disparities and support vulnerable populations to address climate-related concerns.
City of Blythe & Palo Verde Valley Transit Agency
Clean California Local
Caltrans
$2,912,980
Improve several key City & Transit facilities and bus stops across Blythe.
City of Commerce
Sustainable Transportation Equity Project Implementation
California Air Resources Board
$3,240,078
Fund Class II bike lanes, 400 shade trees, two zero-emission fixed route buses, two zero-emission Dial-A-Ride shuttles, and a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) and Displacement Avoidance Plan for the buildout of LA Metro’s future Citadel rail station.
City of Compton
Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Planning
Southern California Gas Company
$50,000
Update City’s General Plan Safety Element and Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.
City of South El Monte
Sustainable Transportation Equity Project Implementation
California Air Resources Board
$205,108
Support “Rush Street Corridor Enhancement Plan” to envision an increase in multimodal transportation, biking and walking structures, expansion of the urban forest, and ways to spur TOD.
Coachella Valley Association of Governments
Clean California Local
Caltrans
$1,153,341
Increase access to Coachella Valley Link (CV Link) a regional multi-modal transportation project with community connectors in Coachella and Cathedral City.
Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians
California Resilience Challenge
California Resilience Challenge
$180,000
Develop Climate Resilience Plan.
Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians
EJ Data Fund
Environmental Justice Data Fund
$25,000
Support facets of Climate Resilience Plan.
USGBC-LA
Quick Start
TECH Clean California
$150,000
Support “Green Homes: Los Angeles” program to install heat pumps in multifamily affordable housing and to provide tenant education.
Collection of partner organization logos including City of Blythe, City of Commerce, City of Compton, City of Moreno Valley, City of South El Monte, CVAG, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, a transit icon, and U.S. Green Building Council Los Angeles chapter.

OUR WORK
Cover of a Climate Resolve report titled “Ready for Tomorrow? A snapshot of climate preparedness planning in Southern California,” featuring a split design with a blue-toned aerial city image and a yellow overlay with palm trees, dated 2020.

Report: “Ready for Tomorrow? A Snapshot of Climate Preparedness Planning in Southern California”

Our January 2020 report “Ready for Tomorrow? A Snapshot of Climate Preparedness Planning in Southern California” describes the current status of climate preparedness planning in Southern California Edison’s service territory and offers best practices of identified plans. The report also provides highlights from interviews with relevant stakeholders who have been involved in climate preparedness planning. Additionally, the report gives recommendations for state agencies, industry, and/or philanthropy to address gaps identified in the research.

Screenshot of a spreadsheet titled “Matrix 1.1 - Status of Municipal Climate Preparedness,” showing columns for county, municipality, staff contact information, and whether climate action or resilience plans are in place.

Matrix: Status of Municipal Climate Preparedness Planning

Check out our comprehensive assessment of climate preparedness planning by more than 200 municipalities throughout SCE’s service territory. Compiled into a searchable Matrix.

Two workers wearing safety vests plant and secure a young tree along a sidewalk next to a City of Commerce Transit bus, with one person tying the tree to a stake while another works at the base.

Climate Grant Opportunities

The following table provides a searchable, curated list of current climate grant opportunities from public and private sources that are organized under the categories of air quality, energy, forests/fire, greening, planning/engagement, transportation, and water/stormwater.

CONTACT

If you have questions or comments about any of the information on this webpage, please contact the Technical Project Manager, Kristopher Eclarino at [email protected]

GRANTOR
Logo for Southern California Edison featuring a yellow sunburst graphic in a green square alongside the text “Southern California Edison” and the tagline “Energy for What’s Ahead” on a light background.