Youth Community Access Grant Program

About the Youth Community Access Grant Program

The Youth Community Access (YCA) Grant Program supports youth access to natural or cultural resources with a focus on low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program is funded by the Youth, Education, Prevention, Early Intervention and Treatment Account (YEPEITA), created by Proposition 64. The YCA Grant Program helps advance Outdoors for All, California’s initiative to expand parks and outdoors spaces in communities that need them the most, improve access to the outdoors for those who lack, and help all Californians feel a sense of belonging in the outdoors.

Two competitive grant cycles have resulted in funding 134 projects totaling approximately $32.6 million. The third round of funding will be awarded in September 2025. The next solicitation for proposals is anticipated to be posted in Summer of 2026.

For Round 3 applicants advancing to Step 3

The YCA Grant Guidelines have been amended to modify the requirements relating to vehicle acquisition and tracking staff time for salaried employees. The amendment provides more detail about project eligibility costs and updated instructions for project proposals advancing to Step 3 of the competitive process. Project eligibility requirements remain unchanged. The information in the amendment replaces and supersedes any conflicting information provided in the original June 2024 guidelines. The original guidelines remain in effect for all other topics. Applicants advancing to Step 3 must submit required documents to RAPTR, linked below.

The amended June 2024 guidelines can be accessed here.

The original June 2024 grant guidelines should not be used for Step 3 documents but can be accessed here.

Step 3: Required Documentation Templates

Step 3 Submittal Checklist (Revised)

Authorized Resolution

Certification Letter

Payee Data Record Form

Government Agency Taxpayer ID Form

Work Plan (Revised)

Scope of Work (Revised) - A sample can be found in the amended June 2024 Guidelines

Cost Estimate (Revised) - A sample can be found in the amended June 2024 Guidelines

Resources Agency Project Tracking and Reporting (RAPTR) System