WHALE TAIL® Grant
At a glance
WHALE TAIL® Grant is a closed California state grant opportunity from the Coastal Commission (State of California). The application deadline was December 15, 2025. Individual awards are listed as up to $50K, with $2M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include nonprofit, public agency and tribal government. It is listed on the California Grants Portal. Cost sharing is not required.
Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.
Expected to open around August 2027
This program has posted at about the same time each year. If it follows its pattern, the next round should post between Aug 5, 2027 and Sep 22, 2027, with about 69 days to apply.
Based on 3 past postings: Aug 29, 2023, Aug 22, 2024, Oct 10, 2025. Confidence: low. Agencies can change or skip a year; only the agency's posted notice is official. Watch it and we'll email you when the next round posts.
Key facts
- Oct 10, 2025Posted
- Dec 15, 2025Application deadline
- Opened
- Oct 10, 2025
- Close date
- Dec 15, 2025
- Award floor
- Not specified
- Award ceiling
- $50,000
- Est. total funding
- $2,000,000
- Expected awards
- Not specified
- Matching funds
- Not required
- Funding instrument
- Grant
Program details (as published on the California Grants Portal)
- Type
- Grant
- Funding source
- State — FY25-26 WHALE TAIL® Competitive Grants will be funded through a partnership with the California Ocean Protection Council with funding from California Climate Investments. The WHALE TAIL® Grants Program is supported by purchases of WHALE TAIL® License Plates and donations to the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund on the State Tax Form.
- Matching funds
- Not Required
- Funding method
- Advances & Reimbursement(s) — WHALE TAIL® Grants are generally reimbursement grants. Projects of non-profits and tribes may request an advance of up to 25% of the total grant amount. Please read the WHALE TAIL® Grant guidelines for advance payment requirements.
- Estimated number of awards
- Dependant on number of submissions received, application process, etc.
- Award period
- Up to approx. 2 yrs
- Expected award announcement
- April 2026
- Letter of intent
- Not required
- Geography
- Grant projects can take place anywhere in California and must engage audiences within California, with a priority for communities that face barriers accessing coastal and marine education and stewardship.
- How to submit
- By email: whaletailgrant@coastal.ca.gov
- Latest change note
- Grant details updated.
Who can apply
Applicant categories as listed on the California Grants Portal. GrantsJunction maps them to detailed applicant types for search and matching.
- Nonprofit
- Public Agency
- Tribal Government
Additional information on eligibility (from the listing)
Eligible applicants are non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations, projects of a non-profit fiscal sponsor, public schools or districts, government entities, Federally Recognized Tribes and other California Native American Tribes as defined by Governor’s Executive Order B-10-11.
A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.
Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.
What it funds
Purpose and description as published on the California Grants Portal.
Purpose
WHALE TAIL® Grants help people connect to the California coast and its watersheds through experiential education, stewardship, and outdoor experiences. WHALE TAIL® Grants focus on engaging communities that face barriers accessing marine education and stewardship opportunities, and can engage participants of any age anywhere in California.
Description
Projects must engage communities in California and include education about coastal and marine environments. This may include classroom-based programs, field trips, climate change education and stewardship, coastal habitat restoration or shoreline cleanup programs with community involvement, community or participatory science, cultural and ancestral practice preservation, workforce development, and much more. We strongly encourage projects engaging communities that face barriers accessing coastal and marine education and stewardship. We also look for applicant organizations based in and composed of the communities they are engaging. We strive for a broad geographic distribution of projects across California. Interested parties complete and submit a full application by the deadline. Grants up to $50,000 may be awarded. We anticipate $2,000,000 will be distributed with approximately half dedicated through a tribal set-aside to projects led by California Native American tribes, tribally-led entities, and organizations engaging California Native American tribal communities. At least 25% of projects funded outside of the tribal set-aside will be small grants up to $25,000. Proposals are due December 15, 2025.
Past applications & awards
Historical data · not a predictionReported by the agency for this listing
- Fiscal year 2025–26434 applications · 47 awards
Program contact (as published)
Jessica Lie
Jessica.Lie@coastal.ca.gov
1-415-604-5665
Quick answers
Who is eligible to apply for “WHALE TAIL® Grant”?
The official listing names these applicant types as eligible: Nonprofit, Public Agency and Tribal Government. It adds: “Eligible applicants are non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations, projects of a non-profit fiscal sponsor, public schools or districts, government entities, Federally Recognized Tribes and other California Native American Tribes as defined by Governor’s Executive Order B-10-11.” Additional restrictions may apply; review the full guidelines.
How much funding is available through “WHALE TAIL® Grant”?
Per the notice, individual awards are listed as up to $50k and total estimated program funding is $2,000,000.
How do I apply for “WHALE TAIL® Grant”?
Applications go directly to Coastal Commission, not through GrantsJunction. Submission: by email to whaletailgrant@coastal.ca.gov. Read the program guidelines on the agency's site first; state programs set their own forms and registration requirements.