Santa Monica has opened the application window for its next four-year round of Human Services Grants funding, giving local nonprofits until 5 p.m. on Dec. 14 to submit proposals for programs serving the city's most vulnerable residents. The city is accepting applications for the Fiscal Year 2027-31 cycle of the Human Services Grants Program, which funds services for older adults, people with disabilities, children, youth and families, and people experiencing homelessness.
The city released its formal Request for Proposals on Sept. 29, according to a notice from the City of Santa Monica. All submissions must go through the city's OpenGov procurement portal, and qualifying agencies can apply by logging into or creating an OpenGov account. Questions about the RFP are due Oct. 19, giving prospective applicants time to raise concerns before the Dec. 14 deadline.
Exactly how much money will be on the table remains a bit murky. A city blog post states that the program previously distributed more than $10 million in grant funding, while a press release describes the city providing about $10 million to selected agencies going forward. But reporting from the Santa Monica Daily Press on the City Council's vote to launch the new cycle put the first-year budget at about $9.2 million, down from roughly $11.2 million in the current, outgoing cycle — a notable drop that nonprofit leaders flagged during public comment.
Council Approves New Rules on a 5-0 Vote
The Santa Monica City Council approved the funding guidelines and authorized staff to solicit proposals for the new cycle in a unanimous 5-0 vote, according to the Daily Press. The new guidelines mark a shift from the program's prior structure, replacing the previous open call for proposals with a finite list of 19 eligible services spanning housing and homelessness prevention, health and wellness, and financial stability, the outlet reported.
Agencies applying under the new rules face a choice on matching funds. Per the same report, they may either provide a 30% cash match or agree to pay staff billed to a program at least 90% of the city's minimum wage — $25 an hour for fiscal 2026-27 — and have the match requirement waived entirely.
During the council discussion, Mayor Caroline Torosis pushed staff to find more money for the program, asking them to identify at least $2 million in additional local funding, the Daily Press reported. Staff indicated they expect to recommend an increase when they return with proposed funding awards in spring 2027, when funding recommendations are due.
What the Current Program Funds
The Human Services Grants Program currently funds 21 programs run by 18 agencies, providing what the city describes as an effective, strong safety net for Santa Monicans. Those programs are intended to improve well-being and quality of life for vulnerable and low-income residents, with city figures showing the funded programs serve more than 30,000 residents per year — though a separate city blog post describes the current cycle as serving more than 28,000 participants across those same 21 programs and 18 agencies, a discrepancy the available city materials don't resolve.
In the outgoing cycle, the city funded programs at about 85% of the amounts agencies requested, according to the Daily Press. The prior FY 2023-27 cycle, documented on the city's procurement.opengov.com portal, similarly invited competitive proposals from eligible nonprofits to address clearly identified community needs — the same basic framework now being updated for the next four years.
Timeline Toward a July 2027 Launch
Selected agencies under the new cycle will be expected to address critical community needs and gaps in existing services, with funding recommendations due back to the council in spring 2027. The council is slated to formally approve funding as part of its budget adoption process in June 2027, with the new funding cycle set to begin July 1, 2027.
Until then, the clock is running for local nonprofits weighing whether — and how — to apply under the tightened eligibility list and new matching requirements. The program includes services for older adults, while general program information remains posted on the santamonica.gov website.
