Grantmaking guidelines

REQUIREMENTS

As You Sow grants monies to non-profit organizations solely for the purposes of educating, reducing, remediating, and/or preventing consumer exposures to toxic chemicals and to increase consumer, worker, and community awareness of the health hazards posed by toxic chemicals in the State of California. 

As You Sow will consider proposals for grants ONLY in the following areas:

  • Enforcement of California state consumer protection and toxic exposure laws.

  • Education of California consumers about the risks of toxic exposure and consumers’ right to know whether carcinogenic or reproductive toxins are in their consumer products.

  • Reduction, remediation, prevention, and protection from toxic exposures in food and consumer products in communities in California, especially in under-represented and under-served communities of California.

  • Related areas will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but the proposal must relate to protecting the health of Californians from toxic exposures. 

** APPLICATIONS THAT DO NOT FALL INTO ONE OF THE ABOVE CATEGORIES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION **

DUE DATE

This grant cycle is currently closed. Please check back in January 2026.

GEOGRAPHIC LIMITATION

As You Sow’s grantmaking program is funded by settlements from enforcement of California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act. Accordingly, grantees’ projects must substantially benefit citizens of California. As You Sow will give consideration to proposals from organizations outside the state only if the project or organization’s work is focused in California.

FUNDING LEVELS

As You Sow is a small foundation with limited resources. Grants given are generally in the range of $1,000 - $10,000 depending on funds available.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please provide the following information in your grant application. Total submission should not exceed 3 pages (not including IRS letter).

  1. Certificate of Eligibility

    • Certify your eligibility by answering the following two questions at the beginning of your application: 

      1. Is the project aimed at educating consumers about toxic exposures and/or reducing, remediating, or preventing consumer exposures to toxic chemicals in food and consumer products? 

      2. Is the project California-focused?

    • Applicants who do not meet these requirements will be considered ineligible. 

  2. Executive Summary (250 words)

    • State the problem being addressed by your group, the amount of funding sought, and the specific project to be supported. 

  3. Grant Request (1.5 pages or less)

    • Briefly describe the organization’s mission, goals and objectives, and record of achievement.

    • Describe who will benefit from your services.

    • Describe the project for which support is sought, including strategy, plan of execution, time frame, and intended impact.

    • How do you plan to measure the success of the project?

    • What other organizations provide your services? Is your work complementary? Can you or are you coordinating with them to avoid duplication of effort?

    • What other committed funding sources do you have?

  4. Provide brief biographical information of key staff members (half page at most).

  5. Organization’s approved annual budget and line item budget of expenses and revenues for the proposed project.

  6. Copy of organization’s (or fiscal sponsor’s) exemption letter from the IRS.

  7. We are only able to accept applications that are submitted via email.

  8. Please send all applications to [email protected]