Draft FY 2026–27 Grant Program Guidelines Now Available
Read the Draft Guidelines
The Citizens Oversight Advisory Board (COAB) will discuss the draft at its next meeting. The public is welcome to attend and share input.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 5:30 p.m.
Simpkins Swim Center (Live Oak Library Annex), 979 17th Ave, Santa Cruz

The Measure Q Grant Program aims to advance the community's long-term resilience, environmental health, and access to parks and open space. Approved by voters in November 2024, Measure Q funds projects that improve water quality, reduce wildfire risk, protect wildlife habitat, and expand equitable access to parks and natural spaces throughout Santa Cruz County.

Grant awards are guided by the Measure Q Grant Guidelines and a 5-Year Vision Plan which identifies priority actions, geographies, and outcomes for investment. Together, these documents ensure that Measure Q funds are invested transparently and aligned with voter intent.

The Measure Q Grant Program includes two funding tiers designed to support both emerging community-based initiatives and larger-scale projects with substantial countywide or regional impact.

  • Tier 1 – Community Catalyst Grants, ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 — This tier is intended to help organizations test new ideas, expand local stewardship efforts, deliver community education, or complete smaller projects, restoration, or planning activities.
  • Tier 2 – Community Impact Grants, ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 — This tier supports more complex, multi-benefit projects such as large habitat restoration, fuel reduction along critical wildfire interfaces, watershed enhancement work, or capital improvements that expand community access.

Applications for the FY 2026–27 grant cycle will open in late fall 2026. Check back here for updates.

Questions? Email MeasureQ@santacruzcountyca.gov

The Board of Supervisors approved 18 awards totaling $2,740,000 on June 9, 2026, across two tiers. The cycle received 54 eligible applications requesting a combined $8.9 million.

Tier 1 supports smaller-scale projects, stewardship efforts, community education, and pilot approaches. Awards range from $5,000 to $50,000.

  • River Stewards — Coastal Watershed Council | $50,000
    Engages unhoused Santa Cruz residents in weekly riparian stewardship along the lower San Lorenzo River, pairing habitat restoration with workforce development and equitable Riverwalk access.
  • Pinto Lake Water Quality Monitoring — Santa Cruz County Parks | $48,000
    Conducts comprehensive water quality sampling and tributary monitoring at Pinto Lake to identify phosphorus sources driving recurring harmful algal blooms that degrade habitat, threaten public health, and limit recreational access.
  • Kids2Parks — Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks | $14,915
    Restores field trip access to Santa Cruz State Parks for Title I school students who have lost transportation funding, reconnecting low-income youth to redwood forests, beaches, and coastal sites.
  • Real-Time Digital Signage for Wildfire Preparedness — Santa Cruz County Fire Department | $43,982
    Installs real-time digital signage in High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones to deliver live alerts on wildfire conditions, evacuation orders, road closures, and burn day status to drivers and residents.
  • Expanding Coastal Access, Ocean Safety, and Surf Education — Black Surf Santa Cruz Inc. | $50,000
    Expands Black Surf Santa Cruz's Pop-Up Program to serve 90–100 participants annually, removing financial, cultural, and psychological barriers to coastal recreation for communities of color and low-income residents.
  • Creating Accessible Park Experiences for the Blind and Visually Impaired — Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired | $50,000
    Provides Orientation and Mobility guided walks for blind and visually impaired visitors to safely access County parks and open spaces, filling a critical gap in accessible outdoor programming.
  • Las Cumbres Shaded Fuel Break Project — South Skyline Firesafe Council | $10,000
    Improves and maintains a shaded fuel break along roadside corridors and strategic areas within the Las Cumbres Conservation Corporation HOA to support wildfire risk reduction in a forested residential community.

Tier 2 supports larger, multi-benefit projects including habitat restoration, fuel reduction, watershed enhancement, and capital improvements. Awards range from $50,000 to $500,000, distributed across three pools.

San Vicente Redwoods Set-Aside — 3 Projects | $600,000
Projects on the County's largest conservation easement supporting forest health, fire resilience, habitat restoration, and public access. $600,000 statutory minimum allocation.

  • SVR — Targeted Stream Crossing Repairs to Protect Water Quality — Peninsula Open Space Trust | $425,000
    Repairs targeted stream crossings at San Vicente Redwoods, improving drainage and reducing sediment delivery to protect water quality and aquatic habitat.
  • SVR — Botanical Resource Management Planning — Peninsula Open Space Trust | $75,000
    Develops a Botanical Resource Management Plan to guide long-term stewardship of plant communities and support fire resilience and habitat conservation objectives.
  • SVR — Public Access Improvement Project — Peninsula Open Space Trust | $100,000
    Funds capital improvements to expand safe, equitable public access including trail and trailhead infrastructure upgrades at this regionally significant open space.

Pajaro Valley Set-Aside — 3 Projects | $804,500
Projects benefitting residents in the Pajaro Valley, including areas within one mile of the Watsonville Slough system, Pinto Lake, and the Pajaro River and its tributaries. $600,000 statutory minimum allocation.

  • Pajaro Valley Watershed Stewardship, Habitat Restoration and Outdoor Access and Equity Project — Watsonville Wetlands Watch | $300,000
    Expands wetland stewardship, habitat restoration, and outdoor access programming in the Watsonville Slough system, directly serving Pajaro Valley communities with limited park access.
  • Watsonville City Plaza Revitalization Project — City of Watsonville | $275,000 
    Revitalizes Watsonville City Plaza — a National Register historic site — restoring its bandstand and fountain, upgrading infrastructure, and adding recreational features to support 20+ annual community events.
  • Mesa Village Park Phase 1: Equitable Access to Nature and Play — Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks | $229,500
    Funds Phase 1 park improvements at Mesa Village County Park near Watsonville, informed by five years of bilingual community outreach with local residents.

General Competitive Pool — 5 Projects | $1,068,603
Competitively scored projects selected from the general Tier 2 applicant pool.

  • Pajaro River Bridge to Bay Feasibility and College Lake Borrow Study — Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency | $150,000
    Conducts feasibility analysis for a multi-use trail connection from the Pajaro River to the Bay and a borrow study for College Lake, supporting flood risk reduction and habitat enhancement.
  • San Lorenzo Flood Control System — Debris Boom Project — City of Santa Cruz | $100,000
    Installs a debris boom in the San Lorenzo River flood control system to capture large woody debris and reduce downstream sediment and pollution impacts to the river mouth and coastal waters.
  • Resilience-Ready SCC: Zone-0 Equity and Workforce Initiative — Long Term Recovery Group of Santa Cruz County | $308,266
    Provides free Zone-0 ember-resistant clearing to 100 high-risk residences for seniors, low-income households, and people with disabilities, paired with workforce development training.
  • Rural Lands Assistance Program Pilot — Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County | $270,337
    Pilots a rural resiliency program offering private landowners in wildland-urban interface communities technical and financial assistance for forest health, wildfire preparedness, and habitat improvement.
  • Wildfire and Ecology Resilience via Beneficial Fire — Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association | $240,040
    Expands capacity to plan and implement prescribed burns across Santa Cruz County, reducing fuel loads and restoring fire-adapted ecosystems while building community capacity for beneficial fire.

Milestone Date Materials
FY 2026-27 grant cycle opens Late November 2026 - TBD  
FY2026-27 Grant Guidelines - approval by Board of Supervisors November 10, 2026  
FY2026-27 Draft Grant Guidelines presented to COAB October 21, 2026 FY2026-27 Draft Grant Guidelines
After-action review & program evaluation presented to COAB August 2026 FY2025-26 Grant Cycle After Action Review (AAR)
Grant agreement execution June - August 2026  
Board of Supervisors — Final awards approved June 9, 2026 Agenda & Minutes
COAB Meeting #2 — Final recommendations approved May 27, 2026 Agenda & Minutes
Staff Report
COAB Meeting #1 — Preliminary recommendations presented May 6, 2026 Agenda & Minutes
Staff Report
Preliminary recommendations published Apr 22, 2026 Preliminary Recommendations
Attachment A — Grant Application Content
Attachment B — Scoring Calibration Guidance
Attachment C — Complete Evaluation Scoring & Comments
Independent reviewer scoring Mar 15 – Apr 14, 2026  
Staff completeness review Mar 15 – 22, 2026  
Application period open Jan 23 – Mar 13, 2026  

Applications are evaluated using a 100-point scoring rubric. Tier 1 and Tier 2 use the same categories with different point weights to reflect differences in project scale and complexity. Bonus points are available in both tiers.

Tier 1 — Community Catalyst Grant (100 Points)
Category Points Evaluation Focus
1. Alignment with Measure Q Vision Plan Priorities40 ptsProject clearly supports priority actions, geographies, or outcomes identified in the Vision Plan.
2. Community Benefit30 ptsDemonstrates meaningful community recreation and public access, ecological, watershed or wildfire resilience benefits.
3. Feasibility20 ptsProvides a realistic scope, achievable timeline, clear deliverables, and evidence of adequate staffing or partnerships. Funding or collaborative leveraging of resources will also be considered.
4. Innovation & Capacity10 ptsEncourages new ideas, pilot approaches, or builds capacity for future Measure Q participation.
Bonus (+5 pts)—Strong partnerships, volunteer hours leverage, leveraged funds, or particularly efficient use of funds received.
Total100 pts
(+ bonus)		 
Tier 2 — Community Impact Grant (100 Points)
Category Points Evaluation Focus
1. Alignment with Measure Q Vision Plan Priorities25 ptsStrongly advances Vision Plan priorities such as watershed health, wildfire resilience, habitat restoration, climate adaptation, or community access.
2. Community Benefit & Equity20 ptsDemonstrates meaningful community recreation and public access, ecological, watershed or wildfire-resilience benefits.
3. Wildlife & Environmental Benefit15 ptsImproves water, habitat, or climate resilience.
4. Project Readiness & Feasibility15 ptsDemonstrates technical soundness, clear methodology, permitting readiness (if applicable), qualified personnel, and achievable milestones.
5. Partnerships & Collaboration10 ptsStrength of partnerships, leveraging, volunteer engagement, multi-agency scope.
6. Budget & Leveraging of Resources10 ptsBudget is well-constructed, logical, and justified; leveraged funds strengthen competitiveness.
7. Long-Term Maintenance & Monitoring5 ptsPlan for sustained benefits or data monitoring post-grant.
Bonus (+5 pts)—Exceptional readiness, regional significance, strong partnerships, high leverage, or long-term stewardship commitments.
Total100 pts
(+ bonus)		 

Program Grant Type Suggested Range Annual Allocation
Tier 1 — Community Catalyst Grants Small innovative, capacity-building projects $5K – $50K $200,000
Tier 2 — Community Impact Grants Mid-size community/infrastructure projects $51K – $500K $1,200,000
Pajaro Valley Set-Aside Statutory minimum allocation for projects benefitting residents in the Pajaro Valley, including areas within one mile of the Watsonville Slough system, Pinto Lake, and the Pajaro River and its tributaries. $200K – $600K $600,000
San Vicente Redwoods Set-Aside Statutory minimum allocation for projects on the County's largest conservation easement supporting forest health, fire resilience, habitat restoration, and public access. N/A $600,000
Total   $2.6M