Connecting California Grants
Connecting California Grants fund public events and activities that foster social connection, understanding, and empathy across California’s diverse communities through meaningful engagement.
Funder: California Humanities
Due Dates: February 23, 2026 (Round 1) | May 4, 2026 (Round 2) | July 13, 2026 (Round 3) — all deadlines at NOON
Funding Amounts: $1,000–$5,000 per project; 1:1 non-federal match required; project period up to 12 months
Summary: Supports public events and activities that foster social connection, understanding, and empathy across California’s diverse communities.
Key Information: Projects must be publicly accessible; open grants with California Humanities make organizations ineligible.
Description
Connecting California Grants fund publicly accessible activities and events that strengthen social connection and cohesion across California’s diverse communities. The program aims to foster understanding, empathy, and trust by supporting in-person or virtual opportunities for people to come together across lines of difference—such as age, culture, geography, race, gender, faith, politics, and more—to discover shared values, experiences, and aspirations. Activities must be designed to engage participants meaningfully, not just as audience members, and should be free or low-cost.
