From 2007 to 2017, Midpen supported academic research on Midpen lands through its Resource Management Grant Program, which awarded small grants to local researchers. In 2018, the Midpen Board of Directors approved the replacement of the prior grant program with the current Grantmaking Program to update the focus areas and increase beneficial impact by enhancing the investment made in the program. Midpen Grants Program staff are responsible for administering the Grantmaking Program in addition to seeking external grants that support Midpen projects.
Midpen’s Grantmaking Program supports organizations and projects that further the understanding and protection of our natural world, build capacity in the environmental field and facilitate access to the outdoors or augment interpretation and education opportunities for the public.
The grantmaking process is guided by an emphasis on investments that reflect a regional focus and provide avenues for partnership with Midpen or other stakeholders.
Grants are awarded for the following funding priorities:
Applied science - advancing scientific understanding of natural processes and/or promoting environmental stewardship.
Partnership and network support - cultivating, sustaining, and growing conservation networks.
Access, interpretation, and education - educating and promoting open space protection.
In the 2018 and 2021 grant rounds, applicants were invited to submit proposals for projects up to $50,000. For information on the previous grant round, refer to the 2021 Grantmaking Program request for proposals.
Grants Program staff are committed to soliciting proposals from a diverse range of community-based and other nonprofit organizations, K-12 schools, academic institutions, public agencies, and encourages first-time applicants or organizations that represent underserved communities to apply.
Information regarding the 2023 Grantmaking solicitation round to be provided June, 7th, 2023.
Stay informed!
In July 2019 the Midpen board of directors awarded funding to the first round of grantees:
- Environmental Volunteers
Collaborative Interpretation Project between Cooley Landing and Lucy Evans Nature Center - $25,000 - Groundswell Coastal Ecology
Teaching Design Thinking for Coastal Resilience - $49,025 - San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
Outreach Education Expansion - $25,000 - San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
Restoring Transitional Habitat with Bird Nests - $24,704 - Thrive Alliance
Environmental and Sustainability Thrive Action Group - $25,000 - University of California, Santa Cruz
Does French broom invasion limit the success of native forbs in annual grasslands? - $49,375 - Vida Verde Education Center
Multi-day Environmental Education Experiences for Students from Low-Income, Bay Area Schools - $50,000
In the 2021 grant round, the Midpen board of directors awarded funding to the following applicants:
- Coastside Land Trust Outdoor education and stewardship program for students in Cabrillo Unified School District in coastal San Mateo County - $25,000
- Creekside Science Two years of grassland surveys of Midpen lands in which the environmental and management drivers of native species will be rigorously documented - $50,000
- Dominican University of California Undergraduate-led wildfire ecological monitoring project to assess wildfire-induced changes on terrestrial salamander populations - $25,000
- Peninsula Open Space Trust A planning effort to close gaps on the California Coastal Trail in San Mateo County through the California Coastal Trail Feasibility Study - $25,000
- Pie Ranch Outdoor engagement and nature-based learning experiences with a focus on reaching youth from traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities to increase environmental and food literacy - $50,000
- San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory Outdoor experiences for underserved communities, virtual nature talks, and the development of a high school education module focused on the Motus radio telemetry tower network in the Bay Area and how scientists use the network data to study and conserve birds - $24,980
- San Jose State University Opportunity for undergraduate students to participate in environmental restoration projects on Midpen lands and apply techniques for managing natural areas - $49,964
- Saved by Nature Field trips to Midpen preserves for students from Davis Jr High, Stipe Elementary, and Edenvale Elementary led by naturalist Richard Tejeda - $24,783
- UC Elkus Ranch Hands-on educational activities at a working ranch for underserved, urban youth - $17,250
- Vida Verde Nature Education Equitable access to immersive, multi-day experiences in nature for students from low-income communities and their families - $50,000
The grant application period is now closed. Please sign up for the Grantmaking Program interest list to receive notifications about future grant rounds.
Questions? Send an email to grants@openspace.org. Para preguntas por favor contáctenos en Español a: grants@openspace.org o por teléfono: (650) 691-1200.
