California Watershed Protection Fund

The California Watershed Protection Fund, managed by the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, supports community-based projects designed to improve water quality and protect watersheds across California. This fund was originally created with a $50,000 mitigation payment resulting from a Clean Water Act (CWA) enforcement case brought by San Francisco Baykeeper. Over time, the fund expanded as other organizations, including the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Los Angeles Waterkeeper, directed additional mitigation payments to the Rose Foundation.

The fund continues to be supported by CWA citizen suit settlements, with grants awarded to projects that directly benefit water quality in watersheds affected by these enforcement actions. Starting in spring 2025, a significant amount of funding will be available specifically for projects in the San Francisco Bay-Delta watersheds due to a major settlement with Valero’s refinery in Benicia over toxic discharges into the Bay. This new funding will ensure ongoing support for Bay-Delta water quality projects for several years.

The fund provides grants of up to $40,000, with most awards ranging between $10,000 and $30,000. Eligible applicants must demonstrate a strong track record of community-based water quality stewardship. Projects must focus on improving water quality, protecting watersheds, or enhancing water-related environmental justice.

The application period opens on January 21, 2025, and applications are due by 5:00 PM on March 25, 2025. Grant award decisions will be announced in early June 2025. The fund no longer requires a Letter of Inquiry (LOI); applicants may submit their full proposals directly via the online application portal.

Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and fiscally sponsored groups working on water quality and watershed protection projects in eligible watersheds across California. Specific eligible watersheds vary depending on the source of the settlement funds; applicants must check the current list of eligible watersheds before applying.

The Rose Foundation provides additional support, including consultations, to help applicants prepare strong proposals. Any publicly distributed materials produced as part of a funded project must display the logos of the Rose Foundation and the relevant enforcement partners that provided the funding.

Applicants can contact the Rose Foundation for questions at grants@rosefdn.org or by phone at (510) 658-0702. The Rose Foundation’s office is located at 201 4th Street, Suite 102, Oakland, CA 94607.