Emergency Funding

Coastal Fund understands that natural environments, especially those under constant influence from human activities, can be unpredictable. Environmental emergencies such as oil spills or natural disasters require quick responses in order to effectively protect the Santa Barbara coastline; equipment failures or public hearings are sometimes unforeseeable and require time-sensitive reactions.

To qualify for emergency funding, a proposal must fit within the Coastal Fund mission statement and guidelines, and must further demonstrate that:

1. The need could not have been foreseen in time for the previous application deadline.
2. Funding cannot wait until the next application deadline.
3. Existing funds cannot be adequately reallocated towards the new need.

Examples of acceptable emergency grant projects include those relating to a sudden disaster such as an oil spill or debris flow, a need for quick action or advocacy when a topic such as coastal development is unexpectedly scheduled to be reviewed by a local governing or permitting body, or when a critical piece of equipment breaks and threatens data collection partway through field season. Missed deadlines, approaching graduations, and limited but reasonably predictable field seasons are NOT acceptable reasons for emergency grant funding.

If you are interested in applying for emergency funding, we encourage you to first reach out to us via email to discuss your situation and clarify if this program is the best fit for your needs. If you opt to seek emergency funding, you should apply via our normal grant application and specify that you are seeking emergency funding. This will fast track your application for review and potential approval. While emergency requests are rare and intended to be a last resort, we hope this option helps improve the ability to address the immediate needs of our community.