Free guide · Windfall

12 Grants Every California Business Should Know About

State grants from grants.ca.gov, GO-Biz initiatives, federal programs, and corporate community grants — the ones actually available to California SMBs and nonprofits right now.

$50B+
CA state budget for grants
177
Active CA state grants
12
Grants in this guide
0
Have to be repaid

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Part 1 · California-specific

6 California-focused grants

Programs administered by state agencies or California-based foundations. Some require California business license or physical presence.

CA Small Business Loan Guarantee Program (via IBank)
$50K–$20M loan guarantee
Rolling
Not a grant but SBA-alternative for CA SMBs · underrepresented preference
California Dream Fund Grant
$10,000
Cohort
First-time entrepreneurs · via SBDC network · microenterprise
CalOSBA Technical Assistance Expansion
Free advisory + microgrants
Rolling
Free 1:1 with CA SBDC + occasional microgrant
CA Nonprofit Security Grant Program
Up to $200,000
Annual
Nonprofits at risk of hate-crime attack · CA OES
California Cultural Districts Grants
$25,000+
Cyclical
Arts nonprofits in designated CA districts
SGC Transformative Climate Communities
$1M–$35M
Annual
Community-serving nonprofits · climate + equity
Part 2 · Federal + national

6 federal + national grants available to California businesses

Federal programs and national foundations that California-based SMBs + nonprofits can apply to. Some require SAM.gov registration.

SBIR / STTR (federal, tech R&D)
$150K–$1.5M
Rolling
Non-dilutive federal R&D · CA companies dominate winners
Comcast RISE — California rounds
$5K–$50K
Monthly
BIPOC-owned in CA · marketing + tech bundled
Amber Grant · WomensNet
$10K/month + $25K year-end
Monthly
Women-owned including CA · auto-entry annual pool
SoGal Foundation Black Women Grant
$5K–$10K
Quarterly
Black women + non-binary · SoGal HQ in Bay Area
Awesome Foundation (multiple CA chapters)
$1,000
Monthly
Chapters in LA, SF, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Barbara
Wells Fargo Open for Business Fund
$5K–$100K
Rolling
Multi-billion CDFI-channeled fund · CA CDFIs like Opportunity Fund
The reality
“California allocates more state grant funding than any other state — over $50 billion a year across hundreds of programs. Most business owners never see the money because they don't know grants.ca.gov exists.”

— Windfall philosophy

What you'll get in your inbox

The 12 grants with direct links, exact amounts, eligibility, deadlines, and application tips — plus 3 follow-up emails on grants.ca.gov navigation, your Readiness Score, and a 30-day plan to win your first California grant.

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