Marine Protected Area
Outreach and Education Small Grants Program,
Privately Funded
Applications closed on May 28, 2025, 5:00 pm Pacific Time
All applicants will be notified by the end of June 2025. If you have any questions or concerns about your application, please contact mpasmallgrants@coastal-quest.org.
Previous Funding Rounds
Marine Protected Area Outreach and Education Small Grants Program
Overview
The Marine Protected Area (MPA) Outreach and Education Small Grants Program is a program funded by the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) through the Once-Through Cooling Mitigation Fund. Additional matching funds for Round 3 of this Program are provided by The Marisla Foundation and Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation.
The goal of this Program is to increase outreach and education efforts to improve compliance with MPA regulations statewide and increase marine life associated with MPAs in the geographic region of Once-Through Cooling facilities and statewide, with a small amount of funds provided by matching philanthropic donors for projects north of Big Sur, with a priority given to Environmental Justice Communities.
Funded projects help produce the following outcomes:
- Increased ocean stewardship, engagement, compliance, and leadership
- Increased docent and educator capacity
- Reduced illegal take of marine life in MPAs
- Increased diversity of stakeholders engaged, including both traditional and non-traditional audiences as well as underserved audiences (e.g., the recreational fishing community)
Additionally, projects funded through this grant program help meet the following objectives:
- Provide significant value for the state through replicable methods
- Increase local capacity through project implementation
- Demonstrate a lasting impact on communities targeted through these projects.
The Small Grants Program has existed for three rounds of funding, the first round in 2017, the second round in 2019, and the third round in 2023.
Round 3 Information
The 3rd round of the MPA Outreach and Education Small Grants Program builds on the success of distributing over $1 million in funding to organizations across California to enhance MPA compliance and stewardship.
This round of funding is competitive. Local, state and federal public agencies, public or private universities, non-profits, for-profit entities, and California Native American Tribes or tribal organizations are eligible to apply. Additional private funds support increased outreach, technical support, and capacity to be given to organizations located in and serving Environmental Justice Communities and to encourage these organizations to submit proposals.
This third round of funding provides grants between $25,000 and $100,000 to proposals that engage or conduct outreach targeting:
- Recreational and commercial fishing communities.
- Communities of color that have been underserved in MPA management and education, i.e. Black, Latinx, and Asian users/potential users of MPA spaces and resources.
- California Native American Tribes or tribal organizations.
Smaller grants of $5,000 – $25,000 are also be available to support projects that maintain momentum for programs that were either funded in Rounds 1 or 2 of the MPA Outreach and Education Small Grants Program, or programs that are already established, especially those focused on K-12 education.
Round 3 Grantees: List of Grantees and Products
Full Grants
California Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Laguna Canyon Foundation
Nature Collective
Nature Collective’s project was events based, check out their website to learn more.
North Coast Native Protectors
Orange County Coastkeeper
Queer Surf
Queer Surf’s project was events based, check out their website to learn more.
San Mateo MPA Collaborative
Wishtoyo Foundation
Wishtoyo Foundation’s project was events based, check out their website to learn more.
Momentum Grants
Crystal Cove Conservancy
Greater Farallones Association
Los Angeles MPA Collaborative
Monterey and San Luis Obispo MPA Collaboratives
MPA Outreach & Educational Tools Showcase
Explore the inspiring tools our small grants program awardees created to engage learners of all ages!
In this video, you will take a journey along the coast where you will learn how to bring a fish drawing to life, dive into the ocean’s depths with a sea lion named Marina using virtual reality, and much more! Join us as we explore Marine Protected Areas along the California Coast and showcase this powerful collection of tools specifically designed for the following groups:
- K-12 Teachers, museums, summer camps, outdoor educators
- Anglers and the Recreational Fishing Community
- Recreational Users and Explorers
Timestamps
[0:00 min] Session 1: MPA Outreach & Educational Tools for K-12 Graders
[55:57 min] Session 2: MPA Outreach & Educational Tools for Fishing Communities
[1:20:10 min] Session 3: MPA Outreach & Educational Tools for Recreational Users
[55:57 min] Session 2: MPA Outreach & Educational Tools for Fishing Communities
[1:20:10 min] Session 3: MPA Outreach & Educational Tools for Recreational Users
View Presenting Organizations
- California Marine Sanctuary Foundation
- California State Parks / Monterey MPA Collaborative
- Catalina Island MPA Collaborative
- Crystal Cove Conservancy
- Del Norte MPA Collaborative
- Environmental Action Committee of West Marin
- MPA Collaborative Network
- Nature Collective
- NOAA Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
- Save Our Shores
- Shark Stewards / Golden Gate MPA Collaborative
- The Bay Foundation
- USC Sea Grant
