MALT Small Grants Program – Spring 2025 Round 4: Resilience on Working Lands

The Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) offers the Small Grants Program to support agriculturalists in Marin County. MALT, an organization dedicated to protecting and preserving agricultural land in Marin County, has a longstanding commitment to strengthening climate resilience and biodiversity while preserving agriculture. This Small Grants Program builds upon previous successful funding efforts, including the Stewardship Assistance Program and the Drought Resilience and Water Security (DRAWS) initiative. Together, these programs have delivered over $2 million in funding to local farmers and ranchers. Through this small grants program, MALT continues its mission to support sustainable land management and agricultural preservation. The purpose of this program is to fund projects that enhance the resilience of working lands—managed grasslands, shrublands, and forests that provide food, fiber, and essential ecosystem services. The program focuses on helping farmers and ranchers plan, design, and implement best management practices that promote climate resilience, protect biodiversity, and maintain the long-term viability of agriculture in Marin County. Eligible projects must demonstrate clear benefits to agriculture and the broader community, such as enhancing soil and water quality, conserving habitat, and preserving agricultural productivity. The Spring 2025 funding round opens on February 6, 2025, and closes on March 14, 2025, at 5:00 PM PST. During this application window, interested applicants can access the grant guidelines, application form, and FAQs online. In-person office hours will be offered at MALT’s office in Point Reyes Station on March 3 and March 10, 2025, and at the UC Cooperative Extension Marin office in Novato on March 5, 2025. Additional one-on-one technical assistance appointments are also available by contacting Scott Dunbar. The program offers individual awards ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, with a total of $200,000 available in the Spring 2025 round. All projects must be completed within 18 months of the grant agreement execution unless otherwise approved. Projects require a minimum 10% cost share, and reimbursement will only occur once projects are completed and verified by MALT. In some cases, applicants may request an advance payment of up to 50% of the project cost, subject to MALT’s approval. Eligible applicants include all agriculturalists engaged in commercial agriculture in Marin County. Applicants do not need to hold a MALT conservation easement to apply, and recipients of previous MALT grants may apply again as long as they meet program conditions. However, each applicant may receive only one small grant per fiscal year. Board members, MALT staff, and their immediate families are ineligible. Proposals will be evaluated by a review committee consisting of MALT staff and partner organization representatives with expertise in working lands and conservation. The evaluation criteria, outlined in the grant guidelines, consider factors such as project feasibility, ecological benefit, and community impact. MALT staff may conduct site visits during the review process and after project completion to assess outcomes and compliance. Grant recipients must also allow MALT to document and share project results through photos, videos, and stories to support outreach and fundraising.