Details

Purpose:

The Tribal Capacity Building Program's key objectives are to:

Build Tribal Staff Capacity to Advance and Sustain Climate and Housing Action Secure Funding to Develop and Implement Tribal-led Climate and Housing Projects Enhance Peer Learning Relationships Among Tribes

Description:

The Tribal Capacity Building Program provides funding and technical assistance to California Native American Tribes, enhancing staff capacity to advance Tribes’ climate- and housing-related work. The goal of the program is to help Tribes develop long-term capacity to secure funding and implement Tribal-led climate- and housing-related projects. More details about the program can be found below:

  • Eligible Applicants: California Native American Tribes listed on the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) Contact List as of February 2026, including federally recognized and non-federally recognized Tribes. Non-federally recognized Tribes must be registered with the California Secretary of State as a nonprofit, a for-profit corporation, or a limited liability company. Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHE) listed in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s National Directory of Tribes and TDHEs. 
  • Eligible Activities: The program funds staff salaries and activities that advance Tribes’ climate- and housing-related work. Activities may include planning, securing funding for, and implementing housing projects and related efforts to advance climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. Funding Available for Round 2 Awards: Grantees may receive funding between $350,000 and $420,000 total for the three-year grant term. 
  • Grant Term Length: 36-month period 
  • Grant Availability Type: Competitive 
  • Match Funding Required: No 
  • Limited Waiver of Sovereign Immunity: The SGC will not require a waiver of sovereign immunity from Tribes who are receiving funds on a reimbursement basis. However, requests for advance pay will necessitate federally recognized Tribal awardees to sign a limited waiver of sovereign immunity. 
  • Disbursement Type: Reimbursement/advance pay for eligible entities
  • Technical Assistance: In addition to providing funding, the program will offer grantees no-cost, flexible support that responds to each Tribe’s needs. The capacity building and technical assistance services offered include, but are not limited to: 
    • Grant application assistance
    • Grant management support
    • Planning support
    • Implementation assistance 
    • Staff development 
    • Economic development
    • Trainings and workshops
    • Partnership building
    • Peer learning 

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants:

  • Tribal Government

Eligible Applicants include: - California Native American Tribes listed on the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) Contact List as of February 2026, including federally recognized and non-federally recognized Tribes. Non-federally recognized Tribes must be registered with the California Secretary of State as a nonprofit, a for-profit corporation, or a limited liability company. - Tribally Designated Housing Entities

Eligible Geographies:

See Program Guidelines section on "Eligible Project Area:" https://sgc.ca.gov/grant-programs/tribal/

Important Dates

The date on which the grantor expects to announce the recipient(s) of the grant.
October 2026
Anticipated Open Date
May 2026

Funding Details

The total projected dollar amount of the grant.
$5,000,000
A single grant opportunity may represent one or many awards. Some grantors may know in advance the exact number of awards to be given. Others may indicate a range. Some may wish to and wait until the application period closes before determining how many awards to offer; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display.
12
Grant opportunities representing multiple awards may offer awards in the same amount or in varied amounts. Some may wish to wait until the application period closes before determining per-award amounts; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display.
$350,000 – $420,000
Certain grants require that the recipient(s) provide a letter of intent.
No
Certain grants require that the recipient(s) be able to fully or partially match the grant award amount with another funding source.
No
The funding source allocated to fund the grant. It may be either State or Federal (or a combination of both), and be tied to a specific piece of legislation, a proposition, or a bond number.
  • State

Funding Source Notes:

The Tribal Capacity Building Program is part of California Climate Investments (CCI), a statewide program which uses billions of Cap-and-Invest dollars to fund projects that reduce harmful emissions, protect public health, strengthen local economies, and support natural environments. With a strong focus on communities most impacted by pollution and limited access to resources, *CCI helps build a more equitable and sustainable future.

The manner in which the grant funding will be delivered to the awardee. Funding methods include reimbursements (where the recipient spends out-of-pocket and is reimbursed by the grantor) and advances (where the recipient spends received grant funds directly).
  • Advances & Reimbursement(s)

How to Apply

State agencies/departments recommend you read the full grant guidelines before applying.

Resources

For questions about this grant, contact:
Nancy Cheng, Tribalinfo@sgc.ca.gov