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Community Leadership Project (CLP) of the Central Coast

Strengthening community-based organizations serving low-income communities of color

The CLP of the Central Coast is a special grants program offered through the region’s three community foundations: Community Foundation for Monterey County (www.cfmco.org), Community Foundation for San Benito County (www.cffsbc.org) and the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County (www.cfscc.org).
The Central Coast CLP will select thirteen (13) small, community-based nonprofit organizations located in the three-county region of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties to participate in a three-year capacity building program. Organizations selected will receive a general operating grant of $20,000/year for three years plus $20,000 in technical assistance funds for total of $80,000 over three years.

Organizations awarded a grant will also receive a range of training, peer learning opportunities and mentor/coach support to help them develop and achieve their organizational development goals and become more financially sustainable. Of the 13 grantees, we anticipate that six would be in Monterey County, five in Santa Cruz County and two in San Benito County.

CLP Phase 2 Applications (2013-2016)

The deadline to submit a letter of inquiry was April 1, 2013. Organizations were notified on April 29 if they were invited to submit a full proposal to participate in the program.  The full proposal is by invitation only. The full proposal should be returned to the community foundation from which the invitation was received. The full proposal form is below. 

CLP Full Proposal Form
CLP Central Coast Request for Proposal
CLP Application Form

The Full Proposal Form should be completed as soon as possible or before 5pm on Monday, May 24.  Instructions for submitting the form and attachments to each participating foundation are included on the form. Final grant decisions will be made the end of June, 2013. The three-year grant period for the Central Coast CLP Program is July 2013 through June 2016.

For additional questions about the Central Coast CLP, please contact the community foundation where you are based:

The CLP is funded through a partnership between The David and Lucile Packard, James Irvine and William and Flora Hewlett foundations to strengthen small nonprofit organizations serving low-income people and communities of color in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley and the Central Coast. The Central Coast-based community foundations have been funded by the CLP to provide general operating support and expert consulting assistance to help small organizations in the tri-county region become more financially stable, develop their leadership abilities, and better serve the community. For more information about the overall CLP program in California visit: www.communityleadershipproject.org.

Community Leadership Project – Phase I (2009-2012)

The Community Foundation for Monterey County is proud to have been selected in 2009 as the local partner for the first phase of the CLP in Monterey County, which completed in December 2012.  The CLP goal is to ensure that small, grassroots nonprofit organizations working in underserved communities are able to flourish and benefit equally from public and private funding resources and, ultimately, are well equipped to fulfill their missions to positively affect the lives of diverse and low-income Californians.

From 2009 through 2012, the Community Foundation for Monterey County provided  a total of $375,000 to nine local organizations.  These grassroots organizationseach received a 2-year grant of  $40,000 to support operations and technical assistance services based on an organizational assessment undertaken as part of the program. In addition, participating grantees were offered opportunities for networking and learning with peer organizations.  These organizations learned a great deal about nonprofit management, governance and nonprofit standards.   All have grown and made significant improvement in the way they operate. 
 
"The CLP grant was the single most influential factor in igniting our continued transformation to a more effective and sustainable organization. It gave the board and staff fresh insight and passion and tools to build a solid future." 
Jennifer Williams, President CCIL Board of Directors

CLP Phase 1 Monterey County Grantees

 Alisal Center for the Fine Arts
 Central Coast Center for Independent Living
 Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action (COPA)
 El Camino Real Futbol League
 Girls, Inc. of the Central Coast
 Monterey County Rape Crisis Center
 National Coalition Building Institute
 Second Chance Youth Program
 The Village Project, Inc.