The PG&E Corporation Foundation is now accepting applications for its Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grant program, which will award $500,000 in environmental stewardship grants across Northern and Central California. The funding will be distributed as five regional grants of $100,000 each.
Government organizations, educational institutions, and nonprofits are eligible to apply, provided their projects fall within PG&E’s service area. The deadline to submit a proposal is July 3, 2026.
Grant Program Overview and Eligibility
The five grants will each go to a single project within one of PG&E’s defined service regions: North Valley and Sierra, North Coast, Bay Area, South Bay and Central Coast, and Central Valley. That regional structure ensures funding reaches communities across the full geographic span of PG&E’s Northern and Central California territory, rather than concentrating resources in any one place.
Eligible applicants include government organizations — tribal governments specifically included — along with educational institutions and 501(c)3 nonprofits. All proposed projects must be located within PG&E’s service territory to qualify. One detail worth noting: the grants are drawn from PG&E shareholder funds, not utility customer rates. That distinction separates this initiative from ratepayer-funded programs and reflects a corporate philanthropic commitment channeled through the PG&E Corporation Foundation.
Focus Areas and Rationale Behind the Program
The Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grant program targets four broad environmental categories: air quality, land stewardship, water stewardship, and climate resilience solutions. Projects within any of these areas may be eligible, provided they meet the program’s other requirements.
The program’s stated aim is to help communities invest in innovative and resilient responses to the environmental challenges driven by climate change. Applications addressing the needs of disadvantaged or vulnerable communities receive priority consideration — a signal that the program intends to direct resources where environmental pressures and community capacity gaps tend to converge most sharply.
Carla Peterman, President of PG&E Corporation and Chair of the Board of the PG&E Corporation Foundation, cited direct community-level effects of climate change as the motivation behind the investment. “Climate change is affecting our communities and has a direct impact on us all,” Peterman said in the program announcement. “By working together in support of innovative and creative solutions, we can better prepare to meet the impacts of climate challenges.”
Scope of Eligible Project Activities
The program is designed to accommodate projects at various stages of development. Proposals may address planning, construction, design, education, or coordination — meaning early-stage initiatives and those closer to implementation are both within scope. An organization still developing a restoration strategy could apply alongside one ready to break ground on a habitat project.
That flexibility broadens the field of potential applicants considerably. The program doesn’t appear to favor one phase over another, as long as the work falls within the defined environmental focus areas. Strategies and solutions developed through funded projects are also intended to be shared publicly, with the explicit aim of encouraging local and regional partnerships. The Foundation’s hope is that successful approaches will serve as replicable models for building more sustainable habitats and communities across the region.
Prior Grant Recipient Illustrates Program Impact
To understand what the program funds in practice, one prior recipient offers a useful reference point. Watsonville Wetlands Watch, a nonprofit based in Santa Cruz County, received a grant in the previous cycle and is using the funding to support its Pajaro Valley Watershed Stewardship and Climate Adaptation Project.
That project combines ecological restoration with direct community engagement. Activities include community volunteer programs, youth internships, and workforce development training — all focused on restoring and stewarding wetland and watershed habitats in the Watsonville area. It connects environmental restoration with workforce development and community participation, demonstrating that the grants can support initiatives addressing both ecological and social dimensions of climate resilience.
For prospective applicants, the Watsonville Wetlands Watch example offers a concrete sense of the type and scale of project the Foundation has previously supported.
Application Deadline and Foundation Background
Organizations interested in applying have until July 3, 2026 to submit a proposal. That deadline applies across all five regional grant categories, and applicants should confirm their projects are clearly tied to PG&E’s Northern and Central California service territory before applying.
The PG&E Corporation Foundation is structured as an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit, legally separate from Pacific Gas and Electric Company. It’s sponsored by PG&E Corporation, the parent company — an organizational arrangement consistent with how many large utility holding companies structure their philanthropic arms. PG&E itself serves more than 16 million people across approximately 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California, giving the Foundation’s grant program a broad potential community reach.
Additional information about the Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grant program, including application materials and guidelines, is available at pge.com and pge.com/news.
In summary: the PG&E Corporation Foundation is awarding five $100,000 grants for environmental stewardship projects in air quality, land stewardship, and water stewardship; government bodies, tribal governments, educational institutions, and 501(c)3 nonprofits within PG&E’s service area are eligible; projects serving disadvantaged communities receive priority; and the application deadline is July 3, 2026.
Carlos is an engineer with strong expertise in technical and industrial topics. He previously worked at international companies such as Siemens and speaks Spanish, German, English, and Italian.
