California Resilience Challenge Winners Announced

More than 100 climate leaders from across the U.S. convened aboard the Bay Area Council’s floating headquarters the Klamath Thursday (March 30) for the announcement of the winners of the 2022 California Resilience Challenge – the Bay Area Council Foundation’s philanthropic initiative to support innovative early-stage climate adaptation planning projects in under-resourced communities across California. State Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot gave an inspiring virtual greeting in which he highlighted the importance of community-based projects in advancing climate resilience solutions.

This year’s winners included projects to protect communities from rising sea levels, improve land management to reduce wildfire risks, reduce urban heat island impacts at public schools, strengthen youth climate leadership, and develop existing community assets (like churches) into local resilience centers. Read more about the 2022 program and winners here.

Attendees also were treated to a panel discussion with winners of the Challenge’s first grant round in 2020, whose projects are now complete. These projects include: mapping the effects of sea level rise on groundwater tables in the Bay Area; developing urban tree canopy assessments to mitigate urban heat island effects in East Los Angeles; projects to store and recover groundwater in the Central Valley; a green infrastructure implementation plan for the City of Watsonville; and more. Since 2020, the Challenge has now awarded over $5 million to 32 communities across California.

Watch the California Resilience Challenge>>

Thank you to the sponsors of the 2022 California Resilience Challenge, including; JPMorgan Chase; Southern California Edison; PG&E; Valley Water; Wareham Development; Resources Legacy Fund; Bank of America, and CSAA Insurance. To learn more about the California Resilience Challenge, including supporting the 2023 grant program, please contact Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Adrian Covert.