Partners for Places is a matching grant program managed by The Funders Network (TFN) in partnership with the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) designed to enhance local capacity to build equitable and sustainable communities across the U.S. and Canada. Since its launch in 2012, the program has awarded over $12 million, catalyzing more than $25 million in local investments in urban sustainability and green stormwater infrastructure. 

With a deep commitment to racial equity and frontline community leadership, the core program requires all grant proposals to be co-developed by local governments, place-based funders and frontline community organizations — those most impacted by environmental harm and systemic injustice.  

In California, this model has proven especially powerful, enabling a wide range of cities and counties to implement projects rooted in community needs and climate justice. Read on for a full list of California projects funded to date — and inspiration for what your community could do next. 

California Projects Funded by Partners for Places 

California cities and counties have led the way with a wide array of community-driven efforts. Here’s a full list of past projects supported in the state, generated from Partners for Places’s Idea Bank 

San Francisco 

• The Village SF Green Cultural Zone | $150,000 | Round 21 

• Sustainable Chinatown Plan | $150,000 | Round 5 

Oakland 

• Rooted and Resilient Oakland Chinatown Plan Project | $150,000 | Round 21 

• Community Engagement Partnerships to Implement Climate Action Plans | $40,000 | Round 3 

Marin County 

• Marin Climate Justice Collaborative Two-Year Capacity and Implementation Project | $180,000 | Round 20 

San Diego 

• Equity-Driven Green Infrastructure Planning in the Chollas Creek Watershed | $120,000 | Round 20 

• Climate Equity in San Diego | $73,790 | Round 14 

• Sustainable “Smart Transit” Corridors through Community Engagement | $56,250 | Round 4 

• Community Outreach & Engagement to Support Implementation of the Regional Decarbonization Framework | $85,000 | Round 19 

Chula Vista 

• Advancing Resiliency through Water Reuse Opportunities | $67,500 | Round 6 

Berkeley 

• Racial Equity Lens Tool | $30,000 | Equity Initiative Round 2 

• Brighter Futures Berkeley | $35,000 | Round 2 

• Launching the City of Los Angeles’ Transit Corridors Strategy (collaboration with LA) | $50,000 | Round 3 

Los Angeles 

• People for Parks Community School Parks | $35,000 | Round 11 

• People for Parks Community School Parks Incubator | $75,000 | Round 8 

• Uplifting Voices for an Equitable, Regional LA Sustainability Plan (Los Angeles County) | $87,500 | Round 12 

Santa Cruz 

• Student-Centered Climate/Environmental Justice Art Sister City Partnership | $10,000 | Mini Grants Round 4

What’s Next for Funders? 

TFN just announced a new Partners for Places pilot funding opportunity that will leverage infrastructure funds to ensure projects benefit underserved areas, including training and expanding career pathways for local workers in critical industries. Now is the time for California-based funders to begin identifying potential projects, reaching out to possible community partners, and exploring alignment with the pilot funding program’s goals. 

For the most recent round of Partners for Places, seven U.S. communities were granted more than $1.6 million in Partners for Places matching grants to bring together local governments, place-based funders and frontline community groups. As the climate crisis intensifies and public budgets tighten, this program is a critical opportunity to: 

• Support community-led climate justice work. 

• Deepen partnerships between local government and nonprofits. 

• Strengthen regional collaboration across funders and geographies.

If you’re a funder working in California and interested in shaping a project for a future Partners for Places grant round, now’s the moment to begin planning. Let’s keep California at the forefront of equitable climate innovation — together.

Have an idea or want to connect with others? Please reach out to Ron Milam at Smart Growth California —we’d love to help build the next round of powerful partnerships.