LSTA Community Impact Grants

Application opens January 8, 2025.

Community Impact Grants help California’s libraries respond effectively to local needs and align services with local community aspirations and support experimentation and research and development in California’s libraries. The funding period is July 2025 – June 2026. 

The State Library team is here to help. Request a meeting to discuss your proposal with members of our team. For those with questions about designing equitable grant programs, we may ask a trained Equity Advisor to join the meeting.

Timeline

  • Grant opportunity opens: Wednesday, January 8, 2025
  • Information Session: Tuesday, January 14 at 2:00 pm.
  • Grant opportunity closes: Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 12:00 noon
  • Application review period: April 2025
  • Application status and selection notification: May 2025
  • Grant period begins: July 1, 2025
  • Grant period ends: June 30, 2026

Awards will be made after federal IMLS funding levels are confirmed for 2025-2026 and the 2025-2026 California State budget has passed. Successful applicants can expect to receive project funds up to 8 to 10 weeks after the payment claim form is received by the State Library.

Project Details

We invite libraries and other eligible organizations to apply for funding to support community impact projects that address community needs and align with community aspirations. 

Projects should be guided by the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Projects should align with Goal 1 of the California Library Services and Technology Act Investment Plan 2023–2027. Preference is given to projects that deliver programs and services directly to Californians.

Applicants may apply for funding for two types of projects: 

  • Local Community Impact Projects: Projects that focus on one library jurisdiction and can include projects focusing on one branch in one library jurisdiction. 
  • Collaborative Community Impact Projects: Projects that are implemented by three or more library jurisdictions. 

Learn about current and past Community Impact (formerly Local and Collaborative) projects.

Eligibility and Requirements 

  • Local projects are open to California libraries. Libraries with up to 14 outlets may apply for one local grant; libraries with between 15 and 30 outlets may apply for two local grants; libraries with 31 or more outlets may apply for three local grants. Libraries applying for a local grant may also apply for a collaborative grant. 
  • Minimum funding request: $10,000  
  • Maximum funding request: $100,000  
  • Collaborative projects are open to California libraries, library consortia, and library-focused non-profit organizations. A library, library consortium, or library-focused non-profit may apply for, and participate in, up to two collaborative grant opportunities. Libraries that apply for a collaborative grant may also apply for a local grant.
  • Minimum funding request: $50,000  
  • Maximum funding request: $250,000 
  • All applicants should have at least one community connection in place before submitting an application. Applicants requesting $75,000 or more should have at least one project partner, in addition to a community connection, before submitting an application.
  • Applicants must refer to the Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Application Guide for full details about allowable and unallowable expenses.
  • In order for projects to be funded through LSTA, they must:

To Apply 

Applications will be completed and submitted online using the California State Library’s grant application portal. Please be sure to review the Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Application Guide thoroughly before beginning the application and expect to reference the instructions while completing the application. Use the link included below to access the online application.

To help ensure California communities have the library services and programs they need to thrive, the State Library’s Five Year Plan for Grantmaking centers equity. 

If we receive more strong applications than we can support, we will prioritize funding projects that:

  • Deliver innovative programs and services directly to Californians.
  • Support libraries and communities that have not received LSTA grants in the last five years.
  • Support communities with higher poverty rates as measured by the California Poverty Measure (CPM). 
  • Support libraries with a low Local Income Per Capita (LIPC).

To help expand the libraries and communities that benefit from LSTA funding, we encourage applications from library jurisdictions and branches that have not received LSTA funding in the last five years, and collaborative groups of libraries representing a variety of regions, library sizes, and populations.

This opportunity does not fund projects that focus solely on collection development, space planning, capacity building in libraries, or projects that are eligible to be funded through our other grant programs. For example, proposed projects that aim to improve access to nutrition are more appropriate for the Lunch at the Library program. 

Email LSTAgrants@library.ca.gov with questions.