Nonprofit organizations that help create a more welcoming, inclusive, equitable and safe San Luis Obispo can now apply for the City of San Luis Obispo’s DEI High-Impact Grant. Applications are due on September 2, 2025, by 5 p.m.Impact Grant.
The City is offering up to $150,000 in total funding through its 2026-26 DEI High-Impact Grant Program, which is designed to support programs that address equity gaps locally and enhance the sense of belonging for the community at large.
Upcoming Information Session
City staff will hold an online information session in English via Zoom on July 31 at 1 p.m.; register online now. Interested community members can find more details about this grant and its requirements, as well as a recording of the information session at www.slocity.org/DEI. Please be sure to review this information even if you have applied in the past. An information session in Spanish can be provided upon request by emailing [email protected].
One of San Luis Obispo’s Major City Goals is centered around diversity, equity, and inclusion, specifically to make San Luis Obispo a more welcoming and inclusive city for all. This funding allocation is an effort to uplift and support local projects, programs and initiatives and all proposed projects, applications and concepts must provide access to the entire City of San Luis Obispo community-at-large. The City plans to award the funds in early 2026.
The scope of equity and inclusion work is inherently broad and complex, and the funding seeks to support initiatives that show understanding of root cause issues and intractable problems, can demonstrate measurable success and will contribute to some aspect of systemic change.
Examples of previously funded activities include:
- Improving access to public historical exhibits for Spanish-speaking community members.
- Expanding access to education and knowledge on social services programs by developing public how-to videos in English, Spanish and Mixteco.
- Creating cultural spaces for learning purposes to expand community building and belonging for all.
These grants are administered through the City’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which represents the City’s forward-facing commitment to meaningful, structural and lasting change. For details and eligibility requirements, visit www.slocity.org/grants.