Two local foundations will offer a combined half a million dollars in grants for regional climate resiliency projects.
The San Diego Foundation and the International Community Foundation co-manage the Binational Resilience Initiative, a program focusing on the stretch of coastline that runs from Oceanside in San Diego County to Ensenada in Baja California.
The foundations will “prioritize funding for projects taking place in and benefiting communities of concern or historically under-resourced communities that could be considered underserved or vulnerable to economic, environmental and social impacts,” a statement from the SDF said.
According to the foundations, projects selected for grants will demonstrate effective cross-border collaboration and contribute to coastal preservation or climate resilience in two or more of the following areas: climate relevance, economic prosperity, knowledge sharing, organizational resilience and/or research. Proposed projects should include a U.S.- and a Mexico-based nonprofit partner.
“Our Cali-Baja region has long benefited from forward-thinking climate leaders,” said Marisa Aurora Quiroz, president and chief executive officer of the International Community Foundation.
“Together, our two foundations are investing in their leadership and making a collective impact in how our cross- border region responds to our changing climate future.”
“The Binational Resilience Initiative supports high-impact, multi- benefit projects and programs that strengthen our capacity to anticipate, mitigate and adapt to our changing climate,” said Christiana DeBenedict, director of environment initiatives at the San Diego Foundation.
“Our complex region calls for unique intersectional projects and collaborations to build binational climate resilience.”
Applications must be submitted online by 5 p.m. on March 8. Grant seeker forums will be held virtually on Feb. 15 and in person on Feb. 26.
Information on how to apply or attend the forums can be found here.
City News Service contributed to this report.
