201415whaletailgrantguidelines（13页）.docVIP

2016/2017 Whale Tail? Competitive Grants Program Guidelines and Application Forms Funded by:  The Whale Tail? License Plate Program Voluntary contributions on the California state tax form  Supporting programs that teach California’s children and the general public to value and take action to improve the health of the state’s marine and coastal environments A project of: California Coastal Commission 45 Fremont Street, Suite 2000 San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 904-5200  2016/2017 WHALE TAIL? COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM GUIDELINES AND APPLICATION FORMS INTRODUCTION The California Coastal Commission’s Whale Tail? grants support programs that teach California’s children and the general public to value and take action to improve the health of the state’s marine and coastal environments. Adopt-A-Beach programs, as well as other beach maintenance and coastal habitat restoration projects that have an educational component, are also eligible for the grants. Attachment A is a list of sample grant recipients. BACKGROUND This program distributes funds from two sources: (1) sales of the California Coastal Commission’s Whale Tail? License Plate (an official “specialty” license plate issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles for cars registered in California), and (2) donations to the “Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund,” which is one of the “tax check-off” funds listed on the California state tax form. The California Coastal Commission started the Whale Tail? Competitive Grants Program in 1998. For many years, all of the funding for this program came from the Whale Tail? License Plate. Proceeds from sales of the license plates also benefit the California Coastal Commission’s Adopt-A-Beach Program, California Coastal Cleanup Day, and other education and stewardship projects. In 2014, a “check-off” box was added to the California state tax return form to provide taxpayers the option to voluntarily contribute to the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund.