Cal OES released 2023 funding opportunities for Listos California Campaign

SACRAMENTO — Building upon California nation-leading efforts to protect vulnerable communities from natural disasters, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) announced on Thursday, February 9, the release of more than $15 million in local resilience grants.

According to a press release from Cal OES, through the Listos California program, Cal OES funds peer-to-peer public education and outreach activities designed to ensure communities can better prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

Listos California’s mission is to ensure every Californian, regardless of age, ability, income or language, deserves culturally competent education to prepare for earthquakes, floods, and the immediate threat of wildfires, the release reads. Listos California has reached millions of Californians with low incomes, disabilities and language barriers, older adults, and other highly vulnerable Californians since its inception in 2019, the release reads.

“All disasters are local and the needs of each community within our state are unique,” Nancy Ward, Director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said in the release. “By pairing up trusted messengers with culturally and linguistically appropriate disaster information we can help build a more resilient California.”

The funding opportunities released as part of Listos California today, prioritize grants to communities that are both socially vulnerable and at high risk of being impacted by a fire, flood, earthquake, drought or extreme heat, the release reads.

There are four grant types available:

Statewide Grants ($8 million)

Eligible applicants include large nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)(3) status with a service population of 1 million or more that can work independently or subgrant with local community-based organizations to provide disaster training and resources to vulnerable and diverse populations.

Target Grants ($6 million)

Eligible applicants include smaller, local nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)(3) status nonprofit organizations with a service population of less than 1 million that can provide outreach to California’s high disaster risk and diverse populations.

Tribal Government Grants ($1 million)

Eligible applicants must be a federally recognized Tribal Government with administrative offices in California with a goal to increase their communities’ disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation capabilities.

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) Grants ($500,000)

Eligible applicants include CERT programs registered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), new CERT Programs approved by the California State CERT Administrator, CERT Program Sponsoring Agencies or a fiscal agent representing the CERT Program to support projects that help prepare vulnerable and underserved populations.

Organizations interested in applying can visit the Cal OES website www.caloes.ca.gov and the California Grants Portal www.grants.ca.gov for additional details, background and application instructions.

With new funding approved last year by the legislature and championed by Governor Gavin Newsom, Cal OES has been able to shift public education and outreach approach for emergencies and natural disasters, the release reads.

Cal OES will be hosting a Request for Proposal and Grant Subaward Application Training during on February 16. The training will provide a general overview of the Listos Grants Program and instruction on how to complete application forms. Any organization interested in attending the training should contact ListosGrants@ caloes.ca.gov.