Grants

NOW OPEN Community Enrichment Grants

Our new Community Enrichment Grants (formerly part of Community Grants) of $2,000 to $4,000 seek to support community events and one-time activities that enhance the lives of the people who live, work, and visit in West Marin.

• Frequency: Open year-round
• Awarded: 3 times per year—in February, June, and October
• Call opens: First week of April 2024
• Submission deadlines: One month prior to award date.
• Budget to award by June 2024: $50,000

NOW OPEN Organizational Effectiveness Grants

Our new Organizational Grants (formerly part of Community Grants) of $5,000 to $10,000 aim to strengthen West Marin nonprofits’ capacity to better serve our diverse communities.

• Frequency: Yearly
• Awarded: June
• Call opens: Last week of March 2024
• Submission deadline: April 30th
• Budget to award by June 2024: $200,000

NEW Collaborative Impact Grants

With the generous support of the County of Marin and West Marin Fund donors, West Marin Fund is launching a new Collaborative Impact Pilot Project to strengthen collaboration among organizations serving West Marin with the overarching goal to reduce service gaps for disadvantaged populations in the region.

• Grant range: $100,000 to $200,000 over 2 years ($50k-$100k/year)
• Frequency: Yearly (2024 & 2025 Pilot Project)
• Grants reviewed and recommended by a Grants Review Committee comprised of West Marin Collaborative (WMC) representatives.
• Call opens: First week of March for Letter of Intent / First week of May for Full Proposal
• Submission deadline: March 31 for Letter of Intent / May 31 for Full Proposal
• Awarded: June
• Budget to award by June: At minimum $200,000

Community Grants

West Marin Fund has awarded small grants since 2013 to support nonprofits serving West Marin.

To better respond to the needs of West Marin’s communities and to strengthen support to our local organizations, we are transitioning our Community Grants into two new opportunities in 2024: Community Enrichment Grants and Organizational Effectiveness Grants.

Early Childhood Equity Grants

We award grants of $7,500-$25,000 to nonprofits that are advancing early childhood equity in West Marin by:

• Strengthening the financial viability, accessibility and quality of preschools in the public school system;
• Building infant and toddler services across West Marin with a particular focus on serving children whose families face social and economic instability;
• Increasing parent knowledge and involvement in the care and education of very young children;
• Bringing together diverse partners with a commitment to achieving early childhood equity.

To learn more, please contact grants@westmarinfund.org.

Equity & Justice Grants

Grant and learning opportunities are open to members of the West Marin Coalition for Equity and Justice. If you would like to become a member or know more about the activities of the Coalition, please contact wmantiracism@gmail.com

Giving Through Youth Grants

The Giving Through Youth program encourages community service and philanthropy among young people by engaging them in decision-making on the distribution of grant dollars. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of students and teachers in three schools in West Marin, as well as the generosity of community members, $38,875 has been awarded to 32 nonprofit organizations. Grants range from $500-$1,500.

Giving Through Youth activities take place during March-May each year. If your class is interested in participating, please contact grants@westmarinfund.org to learn more.

Rapid Response Grants

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we awarded grants of $2,000-$15,000 on average to nonprofits addressing the crisis in West Marin, for a total of nearly $500,000 over three years. Local organizations made a significant difference for families and communities in West Marin, with emergency food, cash and rental assistance, health information in English and Spanish, internet connectivity and learning hubs for school children, and summer programs to support social-emotional healing.