Marin opens $2.5 million in community grants, with applications due Dec. 2
Marin County is accepting applications for grants of $10,000 to $250,000 in its second Participatory Budgeting cycle, a $2.5 million program that has already drawn more than 280 community ideas and will put eligible projects to a public vote next spring.
SAN RAFAEL: Marin County is accepting grant applications in the second cycle of its Participatory Budgeting program, the county announced on October 14. The program will award grants ranging from $10,000 to $250,000 from a $2.5 million pool for projects shaped by community members and nonprofits, according to the county release, which Marinscope Community Newspapers also published on October 15.
The county says more than 280 ideas have already been submitted. Applicants can build a project around an idea that is already on the list or propose a different project, as long as it would improve their community and advance equity, the release says. County Equity Director Jamillah Jordan called the program “direct democracy in action” in the release, saying each idea and application helps the county understand what residents are experiencing and where public investment can have the greatest impact.
Who can apply, and by when
Applications are due December 2, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eligible applicants are nonprofits with 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) status and people age 14 or older who live, work or attend school in Marin County and have a fiscal sponsor, according to the county. The release directs applicants to the program guidelines for the full eligibility rules and application criteria.
The county Office of Equity is offering free grant coaching from October 19 through November 30. The release says coaches can help applicants understand the guidelines, plan a project, develop a budget and address the application criteria. Workshops in English and Spanish will also cover eligibility, fiscal sponsorship, project planning, budgets and timelines, according to the release.
Where the county is focusing, and what happens next
The county says it is prioritizing projects in communities with a Healthy Places Index score below 85 or with persistent disparities in areas such as income, health, housing and economic opportunity. The release names the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael, Marin City and parts of Novato and West Marin among those communities.
Eligible proposals will go to a public vote in March and April 2027, according to the county timeline in the release. The Board of Supervisors is expected to fund the winning projects in May and June, with implementation beginning in July.
This is the second time the county has run the process. The Public Health Institute, describing the first cycle, said the county distributed $2.5 million to projects serving communities with the greatest needs and that 24 projects received grants ranging from $10,000 to $250,000. The county release for the new cycle links readers to results from that first cycle on the Participatory Budgeting website.
For residents weighing an application, the county calendar leaves about seven weeks between the October announcement and the December 2 deadline, with the free coaching window running through November 30, two days before applications close.
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