Due to the current California State Budget deficit, funding for the second round and future rounds of the Outdoor Equity Program (OEP) was not included in the current 24/25 State Budget. Therefore, the California Department of Parks and Recreation has canceled Round Two of the OEP. Round Two applications will be kept on file for twelve months. Currently, there are no funds for Round Two or future rounds of OEP.
The Outdoor Equity Grants Program (OEP) improves the health and wellness of Californians through new educational and recreational activities, service learning, career pathways, and leadership opportunities that strengthen a connection to the natural world. OEP’s intent is to increase the ability of residents in underserved communities to participate in outdoor experiences within their community, at state parks, and other public lands.
Application Deadline
Applications must be submitted online before 5:00pm on Thursday, December 14, 2023. Click the Submittable button below to begin an online application.
Applicants will use this guide to plan and submit the grant application. Contact the Competitive Project Officer for your county for technical assistance.
Grant Request Per Application
Eligible Applicants
Eligible Programs
Outdoor programs must be designed to take place in the community and at natural area destinations. See the Program Overview and Grant Selection Criteria in the Application Guide for more information.
Application Resources
Fillable Application Forms
Application Technical Assistance Workshops
Twelve Application Workshops were conducted with approximately 500 participants statewide from August through October 2023.
Past In-Person Workshops (9:00 am – 12:30 pm)
Recorded Past Webinar Workshops -Virtual application workshops were conducted in August and October 2023. Click the links below to listen to the recorded webinars.
Grant Performance Period
Grantees are not to start the OEP program until after the funds are awarded. An updated performance period will be provided as soon as possible.
All OEP applicants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Grant Administration Guide (next section below) to better understand the full OEP process, should the grant be awarded.
