Last updated July 5, 2023
General
Q: What is the Community Resilience Centers (CRC) Program?
A: The Community Resilience Centers (CRC) Program will fund planning, development, construction, and upgrades of local facilities to serve as Community Resilience Centers, providing shelter and resources during climate and other emergencies, including extreme heat events and poor air quality days. The CRC program will also fund ongoing year-round community services and programs, such as information and resource distribution and workforce development trainings, that build overall community resilience. Community-serving locations may include schools, libraries, community and youth centers, health clinics, places of worship, independent living centers, and more. SGC’s CRC program will fund planning, pre-development, and implementation activities.
Assembly Bill 211 directs the program to ensure applicants demonstrate collaboration with community members; involvement with community-based organizations and residents in governance and decision-making; multi-stakeholder partnerships; and accessible CRCs providing eligible services and amenities year-round to community residents. Statute directs the program to prioritize projects in and benefitting under-resourced communities and to ensure statewide geographic diversity. CRC Round 1 is funded through the State’s General Fund in the Climate Budget.
Funds available include a total of approximately $5 million for Planning Grants, $9.6 million for Project Development Grants, and $84 million for Implementation Grants, totally approximately $98.6 million in total CRC Round 1 awards across the three CRC grant types.
Q: How does the CRC program define geographic diversity?
A: AB 211 (2022), which codified CRC program requirements, states that SGC must prioritize projects that represent statewide geographic diversity, inclusive of rural and urban communities, as well as incorporated and unincorporated areas.
The CRC program Round 1 includes a geographic diversity funding target to fund at least one project in each of the six California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid Regions. Detail on these regions can be found in Appendix F of the Round 1 Program Guidelines.
The program scoring criteria also award additional points to applicants applying from rural and unincorporated areas, given the barriers these communities face while competing for statewide grants.
The CRC Round 1 program portfolio will fund a mix of communities vulnerable to a range of climate impacts across the state.
While all communities are eligible to apply for the CRC program, statute identifies specific priority communities for the CRC program. Please reference “Priority Communities” in the Round 1 Program Guidelines for further detail. Please note that CRCs are neighborhood-level investments and therefore each CRC proposal must focus on local priority populations, also defined in Round 1 Program Guidelines.
Q: Who is eligible to apply to the CRC program?
A: Eligible Applicants for CRC Planning, Project Development, and Implementation Grants must be based in California and can include the following:
- California Native American Tribes
- Coalitions or associations of nonprofit organizations
- Community-based organizations (CBOs), faith-based organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
- Community development finance institutions or community development corporations
- Emergency management, response, preparedness and recovery service providers and organizations
- Philanthropic organizations and foundations, private or nonprofit
- Private sector and consultants
- Public entities, including:
- Schools and public libraries
- California incorporated cities
- California counties, including unincorporated communities
- Local, regional public agencies, and districts at the county level including community-choice aggregators, special districts, joint powers authorities, councils of governments, and other forms of local government
- Small businesses
Each CRC Grant application must include a Collaborative Stakeholder Structure (CSS), with the exception of CRC Planning grant applicants, who must propose partners that will be included in a Collaborative Stakeholder Structure to be developed within the first year of the grant term. The intent of this structure it to form localized, place-based partnerships to ensure consistent buy-in and support; shared values and governance; and alleviation of existing power imbalances that may skew input and decisions, especially under time and resource constraints or emergency conditions. Statute (AB 211) requires applicants to demonstrate involvement with community-based organizations (CBOs) and community residents within governance and decision-making processes, including selection and planning of the Project and all subsequent phases of the Project. Applications will be evaluated on the degree to which they incorporate community leadership, especially in decisions like site selection, proposal development, and project design, implementation, and evaluation.
Additionally, each applicant must:
- Identify one (or more) eligible proposed sites
- Identify eligible entity as Lead Applicant
- Propose local partners, including local residents and community-based organizations (CBOs)
- Define project area
- Provide letter of commitment, workplan, and budget for specific CRC grant type
Q: Who is ineligible to apply to the CRC program?
- Groups without an organizational status
- State agencies (as the lead applicant only), with the exception of UCs and CSUs
- Private entities that do not partner with a community-based organization or Tribe that advances climate, racial, economic, or health justice and works with the community the CRC intends to serve.
Q: What does the CRC program fund?
The CRC program aims to fund planning, pre-development, and implementation activities that advance both climate and community resilience. Eligible projects could include, but are not limited to:
Planning
- Conduct a community needs assessment and/or design a community engagement plan
- Identify and prepare potential project sites
- Build capacity with staff, partners, and/or the shared governance structure
- Complete a fiscal analysis for development, construction, and maintenance costs
- Update local planning policies, codes, and jurisdictional plans
Planning Grants are a great fit for applicants exploring ideas and potential for local resilience centers. Grants range $100,000 - $500,000 each for activities including planning and pre-development, community engagement and coordination, and site preparation.
Project Development
- Engage in pre-development activities, like site assessments and analyses, design plans, surveys, permitting, and acquisitions
- Develop and construct critical utility infrastructure at potential project sires, including water, energy, broadband, and more
- Develop plans for future CRC sites
- Sustain capacity of project partners through financial, legal, partnership, and operational activities
Project Development grants are a great fit for applicants with an identified site requiring basic infrastructure and pre-development investments. Grants range $500,000 - $5 million each and prioritize retrofits in tribal, rural, and disadvantaged unincorporated communities.
Implementation
- Construct, retrofit, and/or upgrade a proposed CRC facility
- Construct, improve, and/or develop campus amenities near a proposed facility
- Purchase materials, administer, and fund staffing for services and programs, based at a proposed facility
Implementation Grants are a great fit for applicants with a project site, local partners, and plan to build climate and community resilience. Grants range $1 million - $10 million each for activities including pre-development, community engagement, construction, services and programs, and evaluation.
Q: What does the CRC program not fund?
CRC Grant funds may not be used for the following costs for all Grant types:
- Indirect costs in excess of 12% of the awarded CRC funds, with the exception of Federally Recognized Native American Tribes, who may use the indirect cost rate negotiated with the federal government
- Expenses and activities incurred outside the term of the grant award
- Costs associated with community engagement and outreach that include: direct cash benefits or subsidies to participants; alcoholic refreshments; participant incentives, such as door prices, which are unrelated to specific community work products; and general meetings that do not specifically discuss or advance implementation of the CRC Project.
- Advocacy work, such as direct lobbying for the passage of specific bills or local propositions
- Commission fees
- Damage judgements arising from the acquisition, construction, or equipping of a facility, whether determined by judicial process, arbitration, negotiation, or otherwise
- Services, materials, or equipment obtained under any other State program
- Real estate brokerage fees and/or expenses
- Stewardship of legal defense funds
- Costs that would supplant other committed funds for any element of the proposal including Capital Projects and Community Resilience Programs and Serices
- Fossil-fuel powered appliances and infrastructure, such as diesel generators and gas-powered appliances
- Ongoing operations, maintenance, or staffing costs beyond the grant term
- Bonus payments of any kind
CRC Grant funds may not be used for costs associated with construction or ground disturbance activities for CRC Planning Grants.
The following project characteristics will result in ineligibility:
- Projects without logical termini or independent utility
- Projects that are acquisition only
- Projects that cannot demonstrate site control during the grant term
- Projects that will acquire property through eminent domain
- Projects that are in active litigation
- Projects without long-term operations and maintenance plans
Q: What are the award amounts?
Minimum and maximum award amounts for the CRC program will be determined based on grant type. There are three CRC grant types: Planning, Project Development, and Implementation. Minimum and maximum award ranges are as follow:
| Grant Type | Minimum Award Amount | Maximum Award Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | $100,000 | $500,000 |
| Project Development | $500,000 | $5 million |
| Implementation | $1 million | $10 million |
Q: Does the CRC program have funding targets/goals and set-asides?
Geographic Diversity Funding Target
SGC intends to fund CRC Planning, Project Development, and Implementation Grant awards that build climate resilience and community resilience while representing statewide geographic diversity, inclusive of rural and urban communities, incorporated and unincorporated areas, and a range of climate impacts. Statewide geographic diversity across rural and urban communities, incorporated and unincorporated communities is specifically required of the CRC program per statute.
To illustrate this commitment to statewide geographic diversity, the CRC program commits to awarding at least one CRC grant of any grant type to each of the Cal OES Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid Regions. (See Appendix F: Cal OES Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid Regions)
Tribal Funding Target
The CRC program intends to fund a minimum of five (5) qualifying Proposals where the Lead Applicant is a California Native American Tribes, an eligible entity having co-ownership with a California Native American Tribes, or an eligible entity established by a California Native American Tribe to undertake climate resilience projects. The funding target includes CRC Planning, Project Development, and Implementation grants. This funding target is intended to prioritize a portion of CRC funding for California Native American Tribes, similar to a tribal set-aside.
Unless otherwise stated, the Project must meet all CRC grant application requirements. If multiple California Native American Tribes apply for Projects, the Council will apply the scoring criteria from these Guidelines to rank the Projects such that the five (5) top-ranked Projects will be awarded under the Council’s Tribal funding target and the remaining Project(s) will compete with all other submitted applications. To the extent applications received are not sufficient to meet eligibility requirements SGC reserves the right to waive this funding target.
Q: Does the CRC program require match funding?
No, the CRC program does not require match funding. However, projects must be able to demonstrate financial feasibility to pass threshold review.
Q: How will the CRC program disburse funds to grant recipients?
CRC grants are available on a reimbursement or advance payment basis.
Advance payments can be up to 25% of the total grant award to pay for Community Resilience services and programs. Per the CRC program’s advance payment authority, the only entities eligible for advance payment are community-based private non-profit agencies, which includes but may not be limited to, community-based organizations and nongovernmental organizations. Government entities, including City and County government and Federally Recognized California Native American Tribes, are not eligible for advance payment.
Grantees cannot request advance payment or reimbursement for any costs incurred or work completed before grant execution. Grantees may request advance payment or reimbursement from SGC:
- For CRC Planning and Project Development Grants: on a quarterly basis (every three months)
- For CRC Implementation Grants: on a bimonthly basis (every two months)
SGC will retain the last 5% of the overall grant budget, to be paid once the state has determined that the grant terms have been fulfilled. For reimbursement payments, Partners must invoice the Grantee before the Grantee submits an invoice to SGC. The Grantee will be responsible for compiling all invoices, supporting documentation, and reporting materials for themselves and the Partners into a single package. Once the package has been approved for payment, funds will be disbursed to the Grantee. The Grantee is responsible for disbursing payment to their Partners in accordance with their signed Partnership Agreement.
Tribes will not be required to sign a limited waiver of sovereign immunity to receive payments on a reimbursement basis from SGC through the CRC program.
For more information on grant administration, please reference Section 10 of the Round 1 Program Guidelines.
Q: Will there be technical assistance available to grant recipients during the first round of funding?
Yes, application technical assistance (TA) is available for all 3 grant types for a limited number of applicants. TA Resources are limited and will be awarded on a competitive basis. SGC Staff will prioritize Applicants from priority communities for application TA.
The initial request for application TA was due 6/23/23. Submissions received past 6/23/23 will only receive TA if resources remain to support additional applicants.
Q: What is the Intent to Apply survey?
The Intent to Apply survey is a brief form that staff developed to anticipate the total number of applicants across Round 1 grant types. Survey responses will help CRC Program Staff design tailored outreach, plan staffing and support, prepare technical assistance providers, and better support Round 1 applicants of this new climate infrastructure program.
Q: What is the Pre-Proposal and who is required to fill it out?
The Pre-Proposal is the first step in the application process for a CRC Implementation Grant. CRC staff will review Pre-Proposals to provide consistent, unscored feedback to applicants preparing their Full Applications; and ensure applicants understand deadlines and requirements for Implementation Grants. Applicants will not be held to any project details submitted in the Implementation Pre-Proposal for their Full Application. Pre-Proposal responses will not be scored, and responses will not impact Full Applications.
Q: Why is the Pre-Proposal due date so close to the Full Application due date? Will applicants receive feedback on Pre-Proposals in time to inform their Full Applications?
CRC Program staff extended the Pre-Proposal deadline to accommodate interested applicants newer to learning about the program as they work on applications.Staff encourage applicants to submit Pre-Proposals as early as possible in order to ensure applicants receive CRC program staff feedback on Pre-Proposals before advancing to Full Applications. Pre-Proposal feedback will be provided on a rolling basis throughout the application period, with a goal of providing feedback within 2-4 weeks of a submission. Please note that submissions received past Friday, August 4, 2023, may not receive feedback before the Full Application deadline.
Q: What is the timing and plan for future rounds of CRC funding?
SGC’s CRC program team is currently focused on developing, evaluating, and administering CRC Round 1 of this new grant program. CRC Round 1 program funds are fully secured: the $110 million allocation will result in $98.6 million in anticipated Round 1 grant awards across all 3 CRC grant types (see above).
As a result of lower revenue projections and the current State budget shortfall, the Governor’s May Revised Budget proposes shifting the additional $160 million for future CRC rounds into an upcoming climate bond, instead of from the General Fund. CRC and the other programs proposed for the future climate bond remain a high priority for the Administration. For more information, please reference: Budget Summary (ca.gov) p 34.