For more than 20 years, California Consulting has worked with California communities to identifycompetitive funding opportunities and help turn local priorities into funded projects. In 2026, thatwork has continued across cities, recreation and park districts, fire organizations, water districts,and other public agencies, with more than $41.7 million in grant awards secured through theprograms represented in our 2026 municipal awards. These awards reflect the wide range of priorities facing California communities today—from parksand open space to public safety, transportation, behavioral health, cybersecurity, wildfireresilience, water infrastructure, and community development. The awards highlighted below represent a selection of the projects and funding secured for California communities in 2026. Investing in Parks and Open SpaceParks and recreation continue to be an important area of investment for communities across thestate. Through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the City of West Sacramento received $4.5million, while the City of Livingston received $1.9 million and the City of Hawthorne and JurupaArea Recreation and Park District each received $1 million. Additional awards through the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District included$4 million for the City of Norwalk, $2 million for the City of Artesia, and $500,000 for the City of SanGabriel. These investments provide communities with resources to improve and expandrecreational opportunities and public spaces. Strengthening Public Safety and ResiliencePublic safety and community resilience are also prominent among this year’s awards. The City of Yucaipa recently received a $1.5 million SAFER Grant, adding to several other awards secured for the city in 2026, including funding for emergency medical services and fire prevention. Other public safety investments include a $1.1 million HUD Lead Reduction award for the City ofBell and a $1 million Proposition 64 Public Health and Safety award for the City of Nevada City.The City of Cathedral City received $4.5 million through the Proposition 64 Public Health and SafetyGrant Program, while the City of Firebaugh received $996,587 through the same program. Communities are also investing in preparedness and resilience. The City of Grass Valley received$720,000 through the Sierra Nevada Conservancy’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience program, whilethe City of Carson received $219,417 through the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program. Building Better Infrastructure and Transportation SystemsGrant funding is also helping communities plan for the future. Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grants awarded funding to the City of Industry, City of Albany, City of Grass Valley, and City of Waterford, with awards ranging from approximately $221,000 to nearly $399,000. Additional transportation and infrastructure awards include funding through Caltrans’ CleanCalifornia programs, the Los Angeles Metro Open Streets and Slow Streets program, and the U.S.Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program. The City of Industry received $500,000 through WaterSMART, while the City of Bell received$126,669 through Metro’s Open Streets and Slow Streets Cycle 6. Supporting Community Health and HousingCalifornia communities are also using grant funding to address important health and housingneeds. The City of Berkeley received $6.95 million through the Behavioral Health Continuum InfrastructureProgram, one of the largest municipal awards highlighted in the 2026 list.Housing-related investments have also supported local priorities, including funding throughprograms such as Permanent Local Housing Allocation and other housing and communitydevelopment programs. Community health investments also extend beyond municipal government. Bi-Bett received a fiveyear SAMHSA grant for over $1.7 million supporting residential treatment and recovery services forpregnant and postpartum women and their young children. The program will expand access tofamily-centered treatment and address barriers such as transportation and access to care acrossAlameda and Contra Costa Counties. Turning Opportunities Into Community InvestmentFor local government leaders and municipal staff, competitive grant funding can provide animportant source of support for projects that might otherwise take years to fund. But finding theright opportunity is only the first step. Successful applications require a clear understanding ofprogram requirements, strong project development, careful coordination, and a compellingpresentation of community needs. California Consulting has spent more than two decades helping California public agencies navigatethat process and pursue funding aligned with their community priorities