Only employees, board members and others authorized to apply for funding for the organization are allowed to submit an application. The following is a list of eligible organizations:

• Nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charities.
• Local government agencies.
• Title 1 schools.

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JUSTIN Community Grants will support organizations proposing projects that will directly impact North County communities including: Atascadero, Creston, Paso Robles, San Miguel, Santa Margarita, Shandon, and Templeton.

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Organizations based outside the North County may apply as long as the proposed projects can show a direct impact to one or more of these communities as a part of their grant proposal.

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Yes, past and current grantees are encouraged to apply.

Yes, organizations may submit up to two applications for projects directly benefiting our target communities.

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Our Community Grants program will support game-changing work across all program areas, and we especially encourage initiatives that support:

• Youth Enrichment/Education
• Community Health
• Domestic Violence
• Arts
• Economic Advancement
• Legal Aid
• Park Access & Sustainability

Successful applicants will demonstrate community need and yield tangible and visible results.

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Proposed projects must be aligned with the organization’s current mission and overall goals, and culminate into something visible and tangible in the community.

Program activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Program development and expansion
• Capacity-building and innovation
• Technology and equipment, where the grant funds the entire purchase price
• Public education and outreach
• One-time start-up costs required for the program
• Programmatic events such as workshops (fundraising events are not eligible)
• Small-scale capital improvements where the grant funds the entire capital cost

The Community Grants program will not fund:

• Political causes, organizations, candidates or campaigns; Activities influencing legislation and/or elections (501(c)4)
• Sponsorship for events, travel, competitions, sports teams, athletic tournaments or conferences
• Religious organizations, unless proposed project has a secular purpose and no religious content, benefits the greater community without regard to religious affiliation
• Individuals, scholarships, or tuition assistance
• Endowments/memorials
• Capital campaigns
• Litigation
• Deficits or debt reduction
• Organizations that discriminate against certain groups or individuals in the delivery of programs and services on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation or disability.
• Fundraising events

We do not provide General Support through our Community Grants, instead we focus on tangible programs or projects that can demonstrate measurable outcomes within the grant cycle.

A total of $300,000 is available for JUSTIN Community Grants. You may request any amount from $1,000–$50,000.

The 2026 grant application will open on January 5, 2026, and applications will be accepted until the grant closes on February 28, 2026. Once awarded, funds must be spent within one year.

You can save an application and continue working on it later, as long as you do not submit it. Follow the steps below:

1. To save an application draft, all required fields on your current page must be filled out. You do not have to answer the questions if you plan to come back to them, simply put an X.
2. Click the “Save” button on the bottom center.
3. Log out.
4. When you are ready to resume your application, log in with the email address and password that was used to create the application.
5. Under “Applications Requiring Action,” at the bottom of the Welcome Page, look for the application you wish to continue
6. Click the “Next” link next to that application.

An application can only be deleted if you have not submitted it.

1. Log in with the email address and password that was used to create the application.
2. Under “Applications Requiring Action,” at the bottom of the Welcome Page, click the trash can icon next to the project title of the application.
3. Confirm the deletion on the following page.

To create a comprehensive budget, please follow the three guidelines below:

• The budget will reflect the actual anticipated cost of completing your project proposal (not the cost of the total program budget). It will include an itemized list of expenses per category (transportation, meals, supplies, materials, equipment, other) as well as a detailed number of items required per expense. Example: 1 meal/week for 50 students @ $10 per meal for 10 weeks
• The total budget of the project will match the grant request amount and will not exceed the grant funding level you selected.
• If the total budget of the project is lower than the maximum grant amount, you should request only the funds actually needed for the project.

Site visits are our preferred way of supporting you in your programs. One site visit per year is ideal and we ask that you coordinate these visits with the Community Grants Team.