Council Launches 2021 California Resilience Challenge Amidst Drought, Wildfire Emergencies

The Bay Area Council Foundation on Monday, July 12 launched the official request for proposals for the California Resilience Challenge 2021 Grant Program, a statewide competition to support innovative projects that address climate change-related threats and help safeguard under-resourced communities against wildfires, droughts, floods, and extreme heat events. The launch comes as Governor Newsom asked Californians to cut back water consumption as the current drought emergency was extended to cover 50 of California’s 58 counties and as record temperatures and wildfires erupt across the state. Recipients will receive grant awards of up to $200,000 to advance climate adaptation planning projects. See the request for proposal (RFP) here >>

Expanding on the success of the 2020 California Resilience Challenge, this year’s program will provide resources to local communities throughout the state, including community-based organizations, cities, counties, California Native American tribes, special districts, and other local and regional jurisdictions representing under-resourced communities. By emphasizing local solutions to the global problem of climate change, communities can create scalable plans and infrastructure to meet their immediate and long-term climate adaptation needs. Organizations interested in applying to the 2021 Challenge are encouraged to attend a RFP walk-through webinar on Monday, July 19 11am-12pm PT. Register for the RFP walk-through here >>

The California Resilience Challenge is an initiative of the Bay Area Council Foundation, and is supported by a diverse group of stakeholders, including businesses, utilities, nonprofits, and philanthropies who all contributed resources to establish the initiative. The California Resilience Challenge 2021 Steering Committee includes representatives from JPMorgan Chase, Kaiser Permanente, PG&E, Resources Legacy Fund, Southern California Edison, and Valley Water. Additional sponsors include Wareham Development Group and CSAA Insurance.

The RFP was developed in partnership with companies, non-profits, and state representatives serving on the Resilience Challenge Advisory Committee, including AECOM, Ceres, Climate Resolve, Environmental Defense Fund, The Greenlining Institute, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, Guidiville Rancheria, Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, NAACP California/Hawaii, The Nature Conversancy, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, The Solutions Project, and Urban Habitat. Learn more at resilientcal.org. Winners of the California Resilience Challenge 2021 Grant Program will be announced in November 2021. If your company is interested in supporting the California Resilience Challenge, please contact Senior Vice President, Public Policy Adrian Covert.