Background: The Yolo Air Quality Education Grant was established in 2022. The goal of the Yolo Air Quality Education Grant is to improve air quality by engaging Yolo County children in programs that drive behavior change through education, infrastructure improvements, or other methods.
Grant Program Focus: The purpose of the Yolo Air Quality Education grant is to fund programs that foster behavior change among children, leading to improved air quality. Programs could include educating children about the importance of understanding and monitoring air quality, introducing children to strategies for improving air quality, making infrastructure improvements to drive behavior change, and more.
Eligibility Requirements and Criteria:
- Grant recipients must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization or be fiscally sponsored by such an organization. Teachers are eligible (and encouraged) to apply and may be fiscally sponsored by their PTA, local education foundation, or another 501(c)3.
- Applicants must have demonstrated expertise in working with children and in environmental issues; applicants are welcome to collaborate with other organizations that have complementary expertise (and submit a single application).
- Funding should be spent to serve children living and/or going to school in Yolo County; in addition to children, parents of children under age 18 may also be a program target.
- Programs can focus on indoor and/or outdoor air quality.
- Programs should have a core focus on air quality but may also address other environmental issues, recognizing that air quality is part of a larger ecosystem.
- Behavior change resulting from the program may be short-term (e.g., increase the number of kids that bike to school this year) or long-term (e.g., increase children’s understanding of the importance and drivers of air quality, to shift their mindsets and drive positive choices over the course of many years).
- Programs should be executed between December 2026 and November 2027.
Total Grant Amount: Through the Yolo Air Quality Education grant, YCF will award 1-2 grants, totaling $10,000 in funding disbursed. Applications may request up to $10,000. Funding will be disbursed in December 2026.
Grant opportunity opens: September 28
Grant closed: October 28
Announcement of grantees: the week of November 16
Grant Contact: Carolina Valverde, Program Manager,
