RESOURCE COLLECTION
FY26 Community Challenge Grants Request for Proposals
Deadline for Submission October 9, 2025
About Community Challenge Grants
The Community Challenge Grants (CCG) program recognizes our communities’ interdependence and collective strength and funds neighborhood beautification projects that foster resilience, safety, and belonging in San Francisco. We seek proposals in two program areas:
- Program Area A: Infrastructure: Supports physical improvements to public spaces.
- Program Area B: Activation: Supports activities that bring people together and foster community use.
General Eligibility:
- The applicant organization must be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization or the applicant may use a fiscal sponsor that meets this criteria
- The applicant or key project staff must have successfully completed projects of similar size and scope or work with a qualifying fiscal sponsor
- The project location must take place in the City and County of San Francisco with approval by the property owner(s)
Grant Request Range: $50,000 - $150,000
Grant Term: Grants are anticipated to begin January 1, 2026 or later. Requests may be for a 18-month term. Projects that require a Love Our Neighborhoods Tier 2 Permit, or similar scope of work, may be up to a 24-month term.
Key Dates
- RFP is issued by the City: Thursday, July 17, 2025
- Information Sessions and Grant workshops: July through August, 2025
- Deadline for submission of written questions: Monday, September 15, 2025 at 11:00 A.M.
- Answers to questions posted online:
- Weekly responses on Mondays
- Final posting: Tuesday, September 23, 2025 by 11:59 P.M.
- Proposals due: Thursday, October 9, 2025 by 2:00 P.M.
- Grantee selection and award notification: November 2025
- Protest period ends: Three business days following award notification
- Projects begin: January 1, 2026 or later
Written Question Submissions
All questions about the RFP must be submitted by email to the grant administrator or may be asked at the optional grant application workshops. Questions will be addressed and published in the Documents section by the date noted above for everyone’s benefit. It is the responsibility of the applicant to check for RFP addenda, Question and Answer postings, and other updates. Questions will not be responded to after the deadline to submit RFP questions.
Technical questions regarding how to complete or submit the online application will be answered until the submission deadline. Send an email to the grant administrator if you have technical assistance needs.
Grant Administrator Contact: ccg@sfgov.org
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online at https://forms.fillout.com/t/8oGFKBeboaus and include all required uploads or the application may be deemed ineligible. Emailed or faxed applications will not be accepted.
Documents
RFP Documents
REFERENCE: Summary of the Request for Proposals
REFERENCE: This document contains the full Community Challenge Grants request for proposal details.
REFERENCE: to ensure you have all the items to submit a complete application.
REFERENCE: to prepare your answers. Responses must be submitted through the online form. Character limits apply.
REQUIRED: Use Appendix C1 for general public or private property.
REQUIRED: Use Appendix C2 if the property is under San Francisco Public Utilities Commission jurisdiction.
REQUIRED: Use Appendix C3 if the property is under San Francisco Unified School District jurisdiction.
REQUIRED: Please leave the formulas intact. If they do not work, email ccg@sfgov.org. Use only the provided template. See the Definition of Line Categories tab for guidance.
REQUIRED: Outlines tasks, timelines, and responsible parties. Ensure your plan fits within the grant term. For Love Our Neighborhood Tier 2 projects (and those with a similar scope), a longer grant term may be requested.
REFERENCE: Outlines the City’s standard grant terms. Awardees will enter into a grant agreement substantially in this form, though specific terms may be updated. The version in effect at the time of contracting will apply.
Addenda to the RFP
Section 4.1 Minimum Qualifications Screening Revises section to fix a typo regarding the cash assets required if an applicant's IRS determination letter was issued after October 9, 2023.
Section 2.2 Eligibility Clarifies who determines Love Our Neighborhoods tier.
Section 3.2 How to Apply Clarifies how to propose your own service objective and adds guidance for multi-site projects.
Question and Answer Document
Grant Workshop Slides
Slides presented at the Community Challenge Grants Information Sessions
Slides presented at the August 5, 2025 CCG City Permits and Approvals workshop featuring San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, San Francisco Arts Commission, and San Francisco Public Works.
Slides presented at the August 7, 2025 CCG City Permits and Approvals workshop featuring SF Rec and Park, SF Port, SFPUC, SFUSD, Shared Spaces, and Signage.
Updates
The following updates or changes have been published in this webpage:
8/8/25 (12:30 PM): Added slides from City Permits and Approvals Workshops. Recording from workshops added to YouTube. Updated Question and Answer document.
8/4/2025 (8:18 PM): Updated Appendix F City's Standard Agreement to remove unnecessary drafting comments. Posted responses to questions for the week of July 28, 2025. Posted Addendum 2, which in Section 2.2 Eligibility explains the authority on determining the Love Our Neighborhoods tier (and eligibility for CCG), in Section 3.2 How to Apply clarifies how to propose your own service objective, and added Guidance for Multiple-Site Project and Jurisdictional Property Letters. Drop-in hours event added in the Bayview.
7/30/25 (10:16 PM): Slides for the Information Sessions posted under Documents.
7/28/25 (9:00 AM): Online Form: Updated instructions on Service Objective 2. Added required submitter email address on the submissions page. Website: Updated Key Dates noting weekly posting of answers to questions. Added 7/28/25 Question and Answer document. Updated Appendix A Checklist to include C3 Property Letter for SFUSD property.
7/23/25 (12:00 PM): A document named FY26 CCG Addendum 1 has been posted under "Documents." Additional dates have been provided for posting responses to questions.
Grant Workshops
Learn about this exciting opportunity through a robust series of workshops that support you through the grant application process. Visit our events page to register for a workshop and see more information.
- Information Sessions
General overview of the Request for Proposals including eligibility, requirements, and project scope. - City Permits and Approvals Workshops
Many CCG-funded projects require approvals or permits from City departments. Hear from City staff about their departments’ permitting processes so you can prepare a more accurate budget and work plan. Presentations include approvals for public art, Slow Streets murals, community gardens and greening public space, Shared Spaces program, and more. - City Requirements Workshops
To prepare a more accurate budget and work plan, learn about the City’s contract requirements if you were to be awarded a CCG grant. Learn about Prevailing Wage, the Healthcare Security Ordinance, the Minimum Compensation Ordinance, and First Source Hiring.