Elevate Youth California: Cohort 8 Standard Track
This open federal grant from Department of Health Care Services supports health-focused work and is available to nonprofits and other eligible applicants, with applications due Sep 21, 2026. It provides awards up to $1–$1M.
Apply on the California Grants PortalOpportunity description
EYC is a statewide program that addresses substance use disorders (SUDs) by investing in leadership development and civic engagement for youth of color and 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth ages 12 to 26 living in communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. This statewide program provides funding and technical assistance for organizations proposing to implement programs that empower youth to be community leaders and create positive policy and systems change. EYC funded partners will be responsible for implementing comprehensive strategies that reduce risk factors (e.g., trauma, disconnection from school/community) and enhance protective factors (e.g., cultural identity, adult/peer mentorship, community and civic engagement) associated with youth substance use prevention. Projects are recommended to utilize evidence-based, promising, and/or community-driven practices in their prevention approach and incorporate social justice youth development in all programming. Funded partners will conduct annual listening sessions to gather feedback from youth and young adults on the impact of prevention efforts and to identify opportunities for project improvement. Additionally, funded partners are expected to actively participate in technical assistance opportunities hosted by The Center, engage in an external evaluation to assess the effectiveness of EYC, and attend one-day regional convenings, at least two over the award period. EYC funded partners will be required to submit biannual progress and financial reports. Success will be measured by progress towards programmatic and policy, systems, and environmental change goals and objectives contained in an approved work plan, which must include processes for monitoring and evaluation of youth engagement, prevention activities, policy, systems, and environmental change, and participant outcomes through quantitative and qualitative methods. Additional indicators of success include participants' increased knowledge of SUD and its prevention, reduced stigma around substance use services, and evidence of community-level policy, systems, and environmental changes related to substance use issues or their root causes. Since the program’s launch, DHCS has awarded $370 million through 517 grant awards. For information about EYC, visit www.elevateyouthca.org.
Who can apply
- Nonprofit
Must be a 501(c)(3) community-based organization or Tribal organization with established and trusted community relationships. Applicant cannot have an active EYC grant. EYC-funded partners whose current award ends by December 2026 are eligible to apply. Fiscal sponsors are the exception and are allowed to oversee more than one active EYC grant. Additional eligibility requirements will be listed in the RFA.
Funding
Where to apply
This is a California state grant. Applications are submitted through the awarding agency and the California Grants Portal — not VolunteerBadge. Confirm the deadline and full requirements on the official listing before you begin.
Official the California Grants Portal listingThis listing is sourced from the public California Grants Portal (data.ca.gov) and is provided for general informational purposes. VolunteerBadge is not affiliated with the State of California or the awarding agency. Always verify details on the official listing before applying.